Officials celebrate groundbreaking for new Iowa prison

Gov. Chet Culver and local officials touted the economic benefits to southeast Iowa this morning as ground was broken on the replacement for the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi River.

“This is another sign of progress in our state,” Culver told about 100 elected and Department of Corrections officials gathered just outside Fort Madison. “We're all pulling together for the good of southeast Iowa, and all of the state.”

The new 800-bed maximum-security prison will enclose about 40 acres, now a minimum-security prison farm, about a mile west of the current prison, built in 1839 – seven years before Iowa became a state. Scheduled to open in three years,the facility will replace Fort Madison's current 593 beds and improve safety for prison employees across the state, including the prison in Anamosa, according to Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin.

“It is going to be staff-efficient, it is going to be energy-efficient,” Baldwin said. “It's going to afford the opportunity for offenders to re-enter Iowa, and it's going to keep the state safe,”

Fort Madison Warden John Ault said the new prison's complement will include a 200-bed “re-integration” unit for prisoners with behavioral issues, taking some of the most dangerous prisoners from Anamosa and other prisons.

Built to hold 913, Anamosa housed medium-security1,064 prisoners this morning. Fort Madison held 549, just under its capacity. Statewide, the system counts 8,385 prisoners – 16 percent over capacity.

“It's what this means to hard-working Iowa families who will benefit from this project,,” Culver said.

The new facility will have a staff of 565, about what the current prison employed three years ago before recent layoffs, while holding 250 additional prisoners, Baldwin said.

The project is expected to generate about 500 construction and related jobs.

“This is a vital piece to the economy down here,” said Ryan Drew, vice president of the Southeast Iowa Trades union.

The $139 million project will be funded through fines and fees assessed offenders – “no income tax, no property tax,” said State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald.

Construction is funded with bonds to be paid off over 20 years. The state will draw on $16 million of the $75 million in fines and fees Iowans pay each year to service the debt.

“If you don't want to pay a penny for this thing, don't be breaking the law,” said Fitzgerald.

Corrections officials are relieved the work is finally underway. Board of Corrections Chairwoman Robyn Mills noted that since she joined the board in 1989 ”there has always been a discussion that we needed to replace the Fort Madison prison.”

“As this facility grew older and older and older, their jobs became more and more difficult,” said state Sen. Gene Fraise, D-Fort Madison. “It's a difficult, dangerous, vital service that the state of Iowa literally cannot do without.”

“We started talking about this many years ago,” agreed Rep. Jerry Kearns, D-Keokuk.

The November 2005 escape of two inmates added urgency to the debate, and legislation authorizing the new prison passed in 2008. A comprehensive study of the state's corrections practices in the intervening years will bring changes systemwide and ensured the new prison will be state-of-the-art, Baldwin said.

With earth-moving equipment setting to work this afternoon, locals can begin discussing what to do with the old prison once the new one is opened.

“Don't know what they're going to do with it,” said Ault, Anamosa's warden for 10 years until 2005. “Some people have talked about a bed and breakfast, some people have talked about a mall behind the walls.”