Lyon County Inmate Population Overview
The Lyon County inmate population is centered on one local jail: the Lyon County Jail inside the Law Enforcement Center in Rock Rapids. The official sheriff jail page says the jail takes people brought in by Lyon County deputies, State Troopers, federal agents, DNR, and DCI agents. It also holds people for other agencies on warrants and houses federal inmates. That mix matters because a person on the roster may be there for a local criminal charge, a warrant, a short sentence, another agency hold, or a contract-prisoner status.
No separate city jail, Iowa Department of Corrections prison, Bureau of Prisons institution, ICE detention center, or regional jail was located inside Lyon County in the official source sweep. Local arrests from Alvord, Doon, George, Inwood, Larchwood, Lester, Little Rock, Rock Rapids, Beloit, Edna, Granite, and Klondike route through the county jail records system when they are booked locally. Once a person is sentenced to Iowa prison, the lookup path shifts from the county PDF roster to the Iowa DOC offender search.
The official Lyon County Jail page is the main public hub for the current roster, arrest log, warrant list, visitation blocks, work release, canteen, and jail fees. The sheriff's office is led by Sheriff B. Hilt, who the county staff page says was elected in November 2024 and sworn in January 2025.
Lyon County Inmate Population Statistics
The clearest current snapshot comes from the official jail page and the Current Inmates PDF. The sheriff jail page gives the local jail a design capacity of 26 inmates. The inspected Current Inmates PDF was updated on 06/12/2026 at 20:03 and listed 18 people. That makes the inspection snapshot about 69 percent of design capacity. This is not an annual average. It is a point-in-time jail population count from the county's own roster.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lyon County Jail design capacity | 26 inmates | Lyon County Sheriff Jail page, inspected 2026 |
| Current roster count | 18 listed people | Current Inmates PDF updated 06/12/2026 |
| Capacity utilization at inspection | About 69% | Derived from 18 listed people and 26 beds |
| Vera jail population | 15 | Vera Incarceration Trends, Lyon County, 2019 |
| Vera jail rated capacity | 27 | Vera Incarceration Trends, Lyon County, 2019 |
| National local jail population | 664,200 | BJS Jail Inmates in 2023 |
The county's live roster also gives local custody reasons. The 06/12/2026 PDF listed five people booked for criminal charge, seven for warrant, four for hold other agency, one to serve sentence, and one contract prisoner. The roster does not publish sex, race, age, housing unit, federal flag, or a structured pretrial/sentenced field, so those measures should not be inferred from the current roster alone.
Lyon County Inmate Population Trends
Longer trend data comes from the Vera Incarceration Trends county dataset. Vera's Lyon County rows show a small jail population with year-to-year movement. The 2019 row reported 15 people and a rated capacity of 27. Earlier years ranged from 10 to 17 in 2010 through 2018, with very low 2014 and 2015 rows that the research flags for caution before using as broad policy claims. The safest use is as a historical series, not a statement that local practices caused each change.
| Year | Total jail population | Rated capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.73 | Not populated | Vera row contains an estimated decimal population |
| 2020 | 9.23 | Not populated | COVID-era year; local cause not located |
| 2019 | 15 | 27 | Vera row lists 14 pretrial custody |
| 2018 | 14 | 27 | Pretrial custody 11.53; sentenced custody 2.47 |
| 2017 | 17 | 27 | Pretrial custody 14; sentenced custody 3 |
| 2016 | 12 | 27 | Pretrial custody 9.88; sentenced custody 2.12 |
| 2013 | 10 | 27 | Pretrial custody 7; sentenced custody 3 |
| 2010 | 15 | 27 | Pretrial custody 10.5; sentenced custody 4.5 |
Lyon County Jail Capacity
The county jail's published design capacity is 26 beds. The housing details are more specific than many small-county jail pages: the jail separates male and female housing, federal, work release, general population, holding cell, detox cell, and special status. The public visitation schedule names F Block for female general population, G-Block for male general population, M Block for male maximum, S Block for special status, and W Block for work release. These labels help explain why the Lyon County inmate population is not one flat group even in a small jail.
No official source in the research file reported current overcrowding litigation, a consent decree, a death-in-custody investigation, or a major new jail construction plan for Lyon County. The inspected roster count was below the stated design capacity. That does not mean every housing block has open beds, because classification can limit where a person may be housed.
Capacity note: A jail can be under total design capacity and still have limits in a specific block, such as female, maximum, detox, or work release housing.
Lyon County Inmate Record Laws
Iowa law sets the public-record framework for jail data, while local sheriff records show how those laws appear in practice. Iowa Code Chapter 22 is the state's open-records law. It generally makes records held by government agencies open unless an exception applies. Iowa Code 22.7 lists confidential-record exceptions, which can affect investigative records, juvenile information, and protected personal data.
Iowa Code Chapter 356 governs jails and municipal holding facilities. Lyon County's own jail page cites Iowa Code 356.7 for room and board charges assessed to inmates booked and housed in the jail. Iowa Code 804.20 gives arrested persons access to telephone calls and attorney or family consultation without unnecessary delay after arrival at a detention site. Iowa Code Chapter 811 covers pretrial and post-trial release and bail.
Key statutes: Chapter 22 controls open records, 22.7 supplies confidentiality limits, Chapter 356 governs Iowa jails, 804.20 protects post-arrest communication, and Chapter 811 controls bond and release rules.
Lyon County and Iowa DOC
The Lyon County inmate population should not be confused with the Iowa prison population. A person held before trial or on a short local sentence may appear in the Lyon County Current Inmates PDF. A person sentenced to Iowa prison is searched through Iowa DOC Offender Search. The DOC search includes name fields, offender number, sex, location, offense, county of commitment, and name-search type. Lyon is available as a county of commitment option.
The Iowa DOC facility list does not show a state prison in Lyon County. Men sentenced to Iowa prison are processed through Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, and women through Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville. DOC says facility assignment is generally reflected online within 24 hours after transport or move completion.
| Question | Lyon County Jail | Iowa DOC |
|---|---|---|
| Who appears there? | Current county jail inmates, holds, short sentences | Sentenced prison inmates and supervised people |
| Main lookup | Current Inmates PDF | DOC Offender Search |
| Local facility? | Lyon County Jail in Rock Rapids | No DOC prison located in Lyon County |
| Record limits | No mugshots or DOB on the roster | DOC warns records may change and update weekly |
Search Lyon County Inmate Records
A current Lyon County inmate lookup starts with the Current Inmates PDF. It is a public PDF, not an interactive search form. Use the browser or PDF find tool to search by name. If the person is not listed, check the Arrest Press Log PDF for recent arrests and releases, then the Warrant List PDF for active warrants.
The roster is strongest for current custody. It is weaker for past custody, court status, mugshots, and full demographics. If a person has already been released, the arrest log may show release date and reason. If the case has moved into court, Iowa Courts Online and the county clerk become the better source. If the person has been sentenced to prison, use Iowa DOC. If the person is in federal sentenced custody, use BOP. For immigration detention, use ICE ODLS.
- Open the official Lyon County Current Inmates PDF from the sheriff jail page.
- Use PDF find for the last name, then compare the full name and booked-in date.
- Read the reason booked, charge text, and bond amount fields.
- If the person is not listed, check the arrest log for recent release or the warrant list for active warrant status.
- For sentenced prison custody, move to Iowa DOC Offender Search rather than the county roster.
Lyon County Roster Fields
The current roster has no search boxes because it is a PDF. Its value is in the visible roster columns and update timestamp. At inspection, the PDF showed the sheriff's office name, the Jail Inmate Roster title, a timestamp, date booked in, inmate name, reason booked description, charge lines, and bond amount. It did not show a mugshot, DOB, booking number, arresting agency, housing unit, court date, or release date field.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search box | None | n/a | Open or download the PDF and use browser/PDF find |
| Date Booked In | Roster column | n/a | Shown in MM/DD/YYYY format |
| Inmate Name | Roster column | n/a | Shown as LAST,FIRST MIDDLE |
| Reason Booked Desc | Roster column | n/a | Examples include CRIMINAL CHARGE, WARRANT, HOLD OTHER AGY |
| Charge | Detail line | n/a | Charge number and short description |
| Bond Amt | Roster column | n/a | Dollar amount per charge or 0.00 |
The official Lyon County Jail page shows the roster and related jail links in context.
The jail page is useful because it places the Current Inmates PDF next to the arrest log, warrant list, FAQ, work release, and visitation information.
Past Lyon County Inmate Records
Past or released custody records require a different path. The arrest log is separate from the current roster and can include people who have already been released. It lists adult name and age, location, arresting agency, arrest date, code and charge description, counts, incident number, warrant number, bond amount and type, release date, and release reason when available. Juvenile entries are redacted as juvenile records, which shows how Iowa confidentiality rules can narrow public access.
For an older booking record, identify the person, booking or arrest date, case or incident number if known, and the specific record sought. Start with the sheriff or jail for jail records. For filed charges, use Iowa Courts Online and the Lyon County Clerk of Court because the court case file is not the same record as the jail roster.
State Federal and ICE Search
Federal and immigration custody channels cover different populations. The BOP Inmate Locator covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to present. The BOP name search accepts first, middle, and last name, plus race, sex, and age on the captured form. Number searches may use Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, or INS Number. BOP also warns that release dates may change after sentence reviews or recalculations.
The ICE Online Detainee Locator System is for people currently held by ICE or, under USAGov's explanation, CBP custody longer than 48 hours. It searches by A-number and country or by name, country of birth, and date of birth. No ICE detention center was found in Lyon County, so ICE lookup is a separate federal channel, not a local jail roster feature.
Lyon County Detention Facility
Only one detention facility was identified inside Lyon County during the official source review. The facility page gives a deeper view of who is held there, how to call, how visits work, and how the roster connects to jail operations.
- Lyon County Jail - county jail and Law Enforcement Center facility in Rock Rapids for local arrests, warrants and holds, short sentences, work release, and some federal inmates.
Lyon County Inmate Population FAQ
How many people are in the Lyon County inmate population? The inspected Current Inmates PDF listed 18 people on 06/12/2026 at 20:03. The official jail page gives a 26-bed design capacity, so that snapshot was below total design capacity.
Does Lyon County have an online inmate search form? No interactive county form was found. The sheriff publishes a Current Inmates PDF. Search it with the browser or PDF find tool, then call the jail at 712-472-8356 when a current custody question needs confirmation.
Are Lyon County jail mugshots on the roster? The inspected current roster, arrest log, and warrant list did not include booking photos. Booking-photo requests start with the sheriff or jail and may be limited by Iowa confidentiality rules.
Where do sentenced inmates go after Lyon County Jail? Iowa prison custody is handled through Iowa DOC Offender Search after sentencing and transfer. Federal sentenced custody is checked through BOP, while immigration detention is checked through ICE ODLS.
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