Iowa's prison costs continue to grow

DES MOINES - State taxpayers paid an average daily cost of $95.16 to house nearly 8,100 inmates in Iowa's nine prisons during the fiscal year that ended in June 2016, according to a state audit issued Wednesday.

That cost calculated to $34,830 per inmate per year, which was up $4,200 from fiscal 2012 when the average daily cost stood at $83.69 and the state's prison population stood at 8,573. These changes were indicated in the report issued by State Auditor Mary Mosiman. The average inmate population dropped to 8,094 during the five fiscal years that were studied.

During fiscal 2016, the average cost per inmate ranged from $21,095 at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City to $60,858 at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, the audit found. The average cost per inmate has generally increased over the past two years, with the average cost per inmate for the year ended June 30, 2016, increasing from the prior year for six of the nine Institutions.

Over the last five fiscal years, total state general fund expenditures increased by 7.4 percent - from $262,590,999 in fiscal 2012 to $281,914,563 in fiscal 2016 when the yearly increase was only $2.4 million higher than the previous 12-month cycle. Staff employed at the institutions under the control of the Iowa Department of Corrections declined from 2,618 in fiscal 2012 to 2,590 employees in fiscal 2016 while the average number of inmates decreased 5.6 percent, from 8,573 in fiscal 2012 to 8,094 in fiscal 2016, and the average daily cost per inmate increased 13.7 percent from $83.69 to $95.16, according to the state audit.

The state has eight correctional facilities at Anamosa, Clarinda, Fort Dodge, Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant, Newton, Oakdale and Rockwell City to house male inmates at various security risks under the Department of Corrections classification, and one prison to house female inmates in Mitchellville.

A copy of the report is available for review at the State Auditor's web site at the https://auditor.iowa.gov/reports/1764-0000-0R00 web address.

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