NEWS

September 18, 2007
Board approves $121 M plan to rebuild prisons

The state Board of Corrections endorsed a plan Monday to spend $290 million to upgrade Iowa's prison system, including replacing the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison and the women's prison in Mitchellville.

State officials had debated for nearly two years whether to renovate or replace the aging penitentiary, which came under scrutiny when two inmates escaped over its walls in November 2005.

"The time has come to invest in some infrastructure," said John Baldwin, director of the state Department of Corrections.

The board voted 6-0 to seek support from Gov. Chet Culver and the Legislature to fund the plan, which would be phased in over several years.

Under the proposal, the state would spend $121 million to restructure the state's maximum-security system and $51.4 million to centralize all female inmates at a new facility in Mitchellville.

The proposal also seeks $41.5 million to expand community-based corrections beds by up to 275 in Waterloo, Ottumwa, Des Moines and Sioux City; a $25.3 million expansion at the Newton prison; about $14.5 million in upgrades at prisons in Mount Pleasant, Rockwell City and Oakdale; and $36.5 million in maintenance needs.

The proposals, drawn from a consultant's study, probably would not move into the construction phase until fiscal 2011 at the earliest, Baldwin said.

He said some facilities are well over a century old, inefficient and badly in need of replacement.

"We really are recrafting and repurposing institutions," Baldwin said.

"The buildings are old. We have to do better."

Corrections officials will present the proposals to a legislative study panel Wednesday.

Board Chairwoman Robyn Mills of Johnston said she believes lawmakers will be receptive to the plan. She said the case can be made that improvements will prompt savings and staff efficiency that currently consume significant maintenance cos ts.

"We really do need to move forward," Mills said, "and there's going to be some significant funding that's going to need to happen in the next five to 10 years to make sure that it does."

BACK TO NEWS PAGE