Iowa corrections agency seeks increase in funding, staff

DES MOINES - The Iowa Board of Corrections on Friday approved a 4 percent boost in spending for fiscal 2016 that would add 176 new staff positions in the $394 million request that would fund Iowa's prison system and community-based facilities for the 12-month period beginning July 1.

The proposal, which goes to the governor's office for inclusion in next fiscal year's budget proposal to the Legislature, seeks to increase corrections spending by $15.3 million to add 147 full-time staff at Iowa's eight prisons and 28 staff in residential programs within four judicial districts.

Without dissent, board members also approved an initial fiscal 2017 budget plan that would boost the state general appropriation by $7.8 million. The 2 percent increase would fund another 71 full-time positions and push funding in the corrections area above the $400 million mark.

In separate action, the corrections panel approved a capitals request for $92.2 million that would finance new residential beds, facilities improvements and critical maintenance needs over the next two fiscal years -- $52.4 million in fiscal 2016 and $39.8 million the following year.

Board members also approved a flat rate of $3.15 per telephone call that will be charged to offenders for all interstate, intrastate and local calls that are one to 20 minutes in length. Fred Scaletta of the state Department of Corrections said the rate would substantially lower the cost for long-distance calls but would be higher for local calls that currently cost $2 via the Iowa Communications Network.

The board heard concerns from representatives of the state Ombudsman Office and others that the change would pose a hardship for some offenders and their relatives or friends who primarily make local calls, but Scaletta said the agency was balancing that with the state's responsibility to administer the system. He said the department planned to review the rates in the next four to six months to see if an adjustment should be made.

Friday's board meeting was interrupted for a time when the department's budget director, Brad Hier, became pale, slumped down on a table and briefly lost consciousness before other department officials and paramedics came to his aid. Once recovered, Hier continued to participate in the three-hour meeting.

'I've never been so mortally embarrassed in my life,” Hier told board members in discussing the brief episode and apologizing for the interruption. 'It's one for the ages. I don't know if there's been that much excitement at a board meeting in quite awhile for the Board of Corrections.

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