Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center Overview
The Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center, also described locally as the Cerro Gordo County Jail, is operated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office. The same Lark Avenue facility is used for jail operations, inmate mail, bond questions, visit rules, commissary deposits, phone information, and property-release procedures. The sheriff page identifies the Sheriff's Office as the primary law enforcement agency for rural Cerro Gordo County and the communities of Plymouth, Rock Falls, Dougherty, Swaledale, Thornton, and Meservey.
The facility holds local pretrial detainees, local sentenced inmates, people arrested by Cerro Gordo County agencies, and people with bond or hold information shown on the public roster. The research did not find a separate Cerro Gordo work-release annex, municipal jail, regional jail, Iowa DOC prison, BOP prison, or ICE detention facility that should receive its own local facility page.
Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center should not be confused with the district court office. Custody, bond, mail, deposits, and visits route through the jail. Filed criminal cases and court dates route through the Clerk of Court at a separate Mason City address.
Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center Population
The public count at Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center changes with bookings, releases, bond decisions, warrants, transfers, and sentences. Inspections of the sheriff's online population report in June 2026 showed totals in the 40s. That count is a point-in-time roster total, not an annual average daily population. Vera's historical dataset reported an 81-person jail population and 171 rated capacity for Cerro Gordo County in 2019.
No current sheriff or county page located gives a newer official bed count, current average length of stay, staff count, annual booking total, or current aggregate race and sex report. Use the current roster for current custody and Vera for historical capacity and trend context.
Search Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center Inmates
Inmate lookup for Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center uses the CGSO Jail Online Population Report. The report is a PDF, not a vendor search form. There is no last-name field, booking-number field, sort control, or individual inmate profile page in the public interface located during research.
- Open the official jail page and follow the Inmate List link to the population report.
- Use the browser or PDF viewer find command for the person's last name.
- Compare name, age, sex, booking date, charges, bond, Housed At, and Jail ID for common-name matches.
- Call the jail at 641-421-3019 if the person is missing, bond needs verification, or a hold may prevent release.
- Search Iowa Courts Online, Iowa DOC, BOP, ICE, or VINELink when the case has moved outside current county jail custody.
The roster's Charges column is a booking record, not a promise that the County Attorney filed the same formal charge in court. Use Cerro Gordo County jail inmate records for the roster details and Iowa Courts Online for filed court cases.
Cerro Gordo County Jail Record Fields
The population report shows practical custody fields but leaves out sensitive or nonpublic data. It displays mugshots, name, age, sex, booking date, Housed At, Jail ID, charges, and bond. It does not show full date of birth, home address, detailed cell assignment, medical status, mental-health status, arresting agency in the inspected row inventory, or release history.
| Field | What it means at this facility |
|---|---|
| Mugshot | Booking-photo thumbnail for people currently listed on the public PDF. |
| Booking Date | Jail intake date and time, not necessarily the date of the alleged offense. |
| Housed At | Public housing or location label, not a full classification or cell record. |
| Jail ID | County jail identifier shown on the report, separate from an Iowa DOC offender number. |
| Charges | Booking or arrest charges that may later differ from prosecutor-filed court counts. |
| Bond | Amount, type, or hold information when published; verify live release eligibility with the jail. |
For victim notification rather than a one-time lookup, Iowa VINELink and Iowa VINE at 1-888-742-8463 are the documented state channels.
Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center Address
The Sheriff's Office page lists public office hours for administrative counters and states that patrol and jail operate 24 hours. That distinction matters for visits, bond, and urgent custody questions. The jail operates around the clock, but routine public business follows county business hours.
Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center
17262 Lark Ave.
Mason City, IA 50401
Jail: 641-421-3019
Public office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; jail and patrol 24 hours.
Other sheriff numbers
Patrol/Communications: 641-421-3000
Civil: 641-421-3149
Inmate phone problems: 866-797-5778
Prodigy help: 866-700-4545 x7
Visit Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center
The official jail page lists family visit windows on Wednesdays and Sundays, with scheduling through Prodigy. Visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance, are limited to 15 minutes, and require valid government identification. Visitors must be 18 or older. The page also says visits can be canceled or suspended for discipline or security reasons.
| Visit rule | Cerro Gordo County detail |
|---|---|
| Wednesday visits | 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday visits | 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Scheduling | Must be scheduled 24 hours ahead through Prodigy. |
| Length | 15 minutes. |
| Limits | Two visits per inmate per day, two people per visit, four total people per day. |
| Attorney visits | Normal Sheriff's Department working hours, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
The Prodigy source explains that offsite video visits are initiated by the inmate and the visitor receives a text or email link. The official jail page controls current rules if news reports about earlier visitation changes conflict with current county text.
Mail Money and Phone at Cerro Gordo Jail
Mail for a person at Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center is addressed to the inmate by name at the jail address. Sender full name and address must be on the envelope. Packages are not received. Incoming mail other than attorney and certain official mail may be opened and inspected, and newspapers must come directly from the publisher.
| Service | Provider or rule |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Inmate name, Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center, 17262 Lark Ave., Mason City, IA 50401. |
| Lobby deposits | Jail lobby kiosk available 24/7 using cash, debit, or credit cards. |
| Online deposits | JailATM with debit or credit cards. |
| Admission money | Deposited into the inmate's commissary account. |
| Release balance | Remaining money is returned on release by debit card. |
| Property or money release | Requires a signed release form and cannot be released to another inmate. |
The county page does not publish deposit fees, commissary ordering days, spending limits, or a tablet program. Do not use Iowa DOC prison money vendors for the county jail; Access Corrections, JPay, and Western Union are Iowa DOC channels, not the local Cerro Gordo jail deposit route documented here.
Cerro Gordo County Jail Bond
The jail page says bonding is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and directs users to the jail inmate population report for total bond. If a listing or outstanding warrant list shows cash/surety or c/s, the jail page says a bondsman may be used. The official page also lists the Public Defender number, 641-423-4181, and the Clerk of Court number for court dates and times, 641-424-6431.
- Cash bond
- Money paid directly when the court or jail order allows it.
- Surety bond
- Bond posted through a bondsman or surety arrangement.
- Cash/surety or c/s
- Local jail shorthand indicating a bondsman may be used.
- Hold
- Another court, warrant, agency, or case may block release even when money is available.
Verify the current bond, payment method, and hold status with the jail before paying. Court orders can change bond after the roster is printed.
Cerro Gordo County Jail Standards
State law and inspection rules shape how Iowa county jails operate. Iowa Code Chapter 356 governs jails and holding facilities. Iowa Code section 356.43 gives inspection authority. Iowa Administrative Code chapter 201-50 covers jail standards for admission, classification, security, health care, supervision, discipline, and operations.
The research did not locate a public Cerro Gordo jail handbook, grievance form, medical request procedure, religious-services schedule, GED or vocational program catalog, or accreditation statement. If those topics matter for a current inmate, the direct jail line is the official local source.
Note: Confirm custody, bond, visit scheduling, and any hold with the jail before traveling to the Law Enforcement Center.
Cerro Gordo County Jail Source Page
The official jail information page is the source for local visit windows, mail rules, bond direction, JailATM deposits, phone calls, and property release. The captured source is the Cerro Gordo County jail page.
The screenshot helps distinguish county jail operations from court records, Iowa DOC prison services, and federal or immigration locators.