State officials tour new Iowa State Penitentiary in limbo

FORT MADISON - State lawmakers touring the new Iowa State Penitentiary marveled at the open layout, security elements, and modern design, which stand in stark contrast to the state's 176-year-old prison nearby.

There's one problem; inmates and staff still haven't moved into the new facility due to issues with the design and construction and the prison is now more than one year past the original opening date.

State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, chairman of the Iowa House's oversight committee, said he understands some degree of delay can be expected with most projects, but the number of issues with the $132 million, 800-inmate prison is concerning.

'Everybody makes mistakes, if there are one or two problems I get that; but, there were repeated problems and there's someone to blame,” he said. 'We're pushing a year and a half now and that's just not acceptable. Multiple problems aren't acceptable.”

Officials with the prison say the latest issue with the opening date arose when officials conducting a smoke test found that the new facility's multiple inmate quarters lack proper ventilation systems.

Plans now in place to add mechanical louvers to the inmate pods are the latest issue to delay the prison's opening date.

Mark Roberts, deputy warden with the prison, said he couldn't provide a price or completion date for the ventilation updates.

Roberts added that earlier issues with the new prison's geothermal system - the pumps and later the exchange loops - have been rectified and are being calibrated. He said once the building is ready to house staff and inmates, the move shouldn't take long.

The original contractor has since gone bankrupt and Jerry Bartruff, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Corrections, said officials with the Iowa Attorney General's Office are investigating the matter.

'Until we get all those facts, and attorneys can talk to attorneys, we need to be very cautious about casting any blame at this point. We need to get the facts,” he said. 'Right now we want to make sure the systems work and we're actively working with the Attorney General's Office to go back and see what were some of the performance issues: Was it design? Was it engineering? What was the factor that contributed to it?”

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said the delays are frustrating, but added that it's crucial the new prison is absolutely ready before transferring the inmates and staff.

'It's really unfortunate that all of this happened, but you have to get it right the first time ... safety is key,” he said, adding that care also will need to be taken building the case and ensure taxpayers aren't left holding the bill for the mistakes made.

'I don't want anyone to jeopardize the state's case with this where they may have to go to court or at least to negotiations with the people responsible for not getting this right,” he said.

While it still hasn't opened, the differences between the new facility and the original 1839 Iowa State Penitentiary are immense.

Navigating the original prison, the oldest west of the Mississippi River, involves traversing cramped stairwells, dark hallways, and multilevel corridors, all of which provide blind spots and safety concerns, while the new facility is built on an open campus and designed with security at the forefront.

'It's a fantastic facility, it just needs to get the bugs out,” said Sen. Kevin Kinney, D-Oxford, who has experience as a member of the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.