West DSM News

A review of Iowa Department of Corrections is a step toward better safety and security operations following the killing of two staff members by an inmate earlier this year, the department's director said in a recent news release.

The statewide, independent external review of Iowa Department of Corrections' prisons found, among other things, that the state’s prison facilities are massively overcrowded, housing 8,106 inmates in facilities that are supposed to have capacity of 6,990 beds as of Dec. 13. That's an overcapacity rate of about 16%.

Iowa Department of Corrections Director Beth Skinner | Wikipedia - Kepper66

The review addressing the overcrowding and other issues is a first step toward resolution Beth Skinner, the department's director, said in the organization's Monday, Dec. 20, news release that accompanied the release of the review's finding.

"The completion of this review is the next step in improving the safety and security of operations in this department," Skinner said. "There are challenges that lie before us but they are an opportunity to build upon our efforts that lead the country."

Skinner also said she is "thankful" for the professionalism and hard work by corrections consulting firm CGL Companies, which was selected to lead the review. Skinner also referred to the deaths of staff members Lorena Schulte and Robert McFarland during a hostage-taking assault incident by an Anamosa State Penitentiary inmate in March and how the review's analysis gives Iowa Department of Corrections  much to think about.

"We look forward to carefully analyzing their findings and working hand-in-hand with our facilities around the state to implement them," Skinner said. "The events that took place in Anamosa earlier this year were an unimaginable tragedy, and we continue to work through it together as a corrections family. I am confident that the completion of this review is another positive step in the right direction for this department."

The medium-to-maximum security prison in Anamosa houses approximately 950 prisoners and employers 321 staff.

The national workforce shortage, the still on-going global pandemic and Iowa's increasing prison population is exasperating the correction department's issues, according to the report's summary.

"All correctional systems throughout the country were experiencing impacts to normal operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of this review," the summary said. "The IDOC experienced similar operational impacts."

The review also provided an updated timeline of safety and security measures implemented at the Anamosa State Penitentiary since March.