Prison safety not just about guards

By The Des Moines Register

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In June 2009, there were 8,454 inmates in Iowa prisons and 3,064 people worked in the institutions. Two years later, there are 333 more offenders and 336 fewer employees.

The numbers alone raise red flags. But the stories being told by prison staff are cause for alarm. The union representing those workers says the understaffing puts employees, prisoners and the public at risk.

In recent weeks, Danny Homan, state president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, has shared with The Des Moines Register some of the serious problems being reported to him by workers.

The stories include one about a young inmate who beat a 67-year-old inmate so bad the older man had to be hospitalized, and another about a nurse who was choked and physically assaulted by an inmate. She had to drive herself to the hospital because there was no staff to transport her. There was a report of a fight in the yard at Anamosa State Penitentiary where guards arrived only to be surrounded by inmates. The officers said inmates could have “taken the yard” if they wanted to.

Homan says conditions are “horrendous” and workers “believe that we are either going to have a riot in one of our prisons or someone is going to be killed.” Recently, some staff rallied in front of the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, demanding help to quell what they say is escalating violence.

The Iowa Department of Corrections tells a different story. The department provided the newspaper with information showing assaults in prisons this summer were only “slightly higher” than last summer.

Gov. Terry Branstad and state lawmakers must get to the bottom of what is going on - and likely find more resources to increase the number of staff.

This isn't just about keeping state workers safe in their jobs. The well-being of inmates is also at stake. The inmates don't have a union to air their grievances. They can't rally outside the prison and capture the attention of reporters. They are locked up - and the people of Iowa entrust the state to keep them free from harm and provide decent living conditions.

Too few staff means inmates may be forced to remain in isolation for longer periods. It may increase the chances they are victimized in common areas. They may feel compelled to join a gang to feel safe.

The public tends to not care much about what happens to people after they've been locked up. But Iowans should. Prisoners are the sons, daughters, husbands, mothers and loved ones of thousands of us. Even though they have done wrong, they should be protected from violence and mistreatment while being held by our government.

The vast majority of people living in prison will eventually be released. They will be our neighbors again. Ideally, their time in prison isn't only punishment, but also rehabilitation to prepare them to reenter society.

Too few prison employees make that job harder. It is difficult to imagine there is adequate counseling and programming to help rehabilitate inmates, which eventually and inevitably will negatively impact all Iowans.