Senate Republicans are proposing a more than $6 million increase in next year's budget for the Iowa Department of Corrections, but that is $14 million dollars below the recommendation from Republicans in the House. Danny Homan, president of the union that represents employees in the state prison … [Read more...]
Prison officials dispute OSHA citations at Anamosa State Penitentiary
State prison officials are disputing an OSHA report that cited deficiencies in the radio communications system for staff at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. The report from the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration was issued eight months before a correctional officer and a nurse were … [Read more...]
OSHA report found faults in Anamosa prison’s communications system
Safety inspectors discovered the radio system employees inside the Anamosa State Penitentiary used to communicate was malfunctioning more than a year before the inmate attacks that killed two Anamosa employees. KCRG TV was first to obtain the report Iowa's Occupational Safety and Health … [Read more...]
Governor says there’ll be an independent investigation of Anamosa prison murders
A new security director will be installed in the Iowa Department of Corrections in response to the March 23 attack by two inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary that killed two staff members. In addition to the internal investigation underway, Governor Kim Reynolds said an external investigation … [Read more...]
House GOP plans $20 million more for prisons, union leader says it’s not enough
House Republicans are proposing a $20 million increase in the budget for the Iowa Department of Corrections. The president of the union that represents prison employees says it's not enough to ensure staffing levels inside the state's prison system are adequate. Representative Gary Worthan of … [Read more...]
AFSCME leader asks legislators to investigate causes of Anamosa prison murders
The president of the union representing employees in Iowa's correctional system says violence inside the prisons has become commonplace, due to depleted staffing. In a letter to legislative leaders, AFSCME Council 61 president Danny Homan said since a nurse and a correctional officer were … [Read more...]
Iowa Legislature to suspend action as a COVID-19 precaution
The 2020 Iowa legislative session will be suspended for at least 30 days due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Leaders of the Iowa House and Senate made the announcement late this afternoon. According to a news release, the decision was made to protect older people and those with underlying health … [Read more...]
Partisan debate develops over budget for Iowa prisons
Democrats are urging Republicans in the legislature who control the budgeting process to boost spending for the state's prisons. Over the past two years, spending for the Iowa Department of Corrections has been reduced significantly. "There's a real price that Iowans are paying because of that … [Read more...]
Governor appoints ex-Iowa GOP chair to lead Lottery
Governor Kim Reynolds has appointed a former Iowa Republican Party chairman as the Iowa Lottery's new chief executive. Matt Strawn of Ankeny worked in Washington, D.C. as a congressional aide before serving as the Iowa GOP's chairman for the 2012 Iowa Caucuses. His first day as Lottery CEO is next … [Read more...]
Inmates file lawsuit challenging new prison policy on porn
About five dozen state prison inmates have filed a lawsuit challenging a new policy on pornography inside prison walls. Prisoners had been able to have nude photos and pornographic magazines in their cells. Prison staff sometimes let inmates go in empty rooms to view pornography. A new policy … [Read more...]