State dedicates new care unit at State Penitentiary

The state dedicated its new Clinical Care Unit at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison today. Department of Corrections spokesman Ron Welder says the Clinical Care Unit will provide important treatment for inmates.Welder says an estimated 17-percent of the state’s over eight-thousand male prisoners have “special needs.” He talks about some of the “special needs” prisoners. He says they’re inmates that have psychological or behavioral problems, and have trouble functioning in prison. Construction began on the new 25-million dollar unit nearly two years ago.