Corrections eyeing late summer transfer of prisoners at Fort Madison

DES MOINES - After countless reports of construction delays and cost overruns, that the Department of Corrections now estimates a late summer-early fall transfer of prisoners into a new 800-bed maximum security prison in Fort Madison.

'In my opinion, it's good news that we're talking about occupying” the prison where construction costs have grown from $132 million to at least $166 million with the potential for more costs to problems that recently have been discovered, House Government Oversight Committee Chairman Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, told committee members Wednesday.

Over the past several months, questions have been raised about the geothermal heating and cooling system, smoke evacuation system, ventilation and air leakage that led to concerns about frozen water pipes.

Corrections now feels confident that the issues are being addressed in a timely manner so it can begin training prison staff to operate the prison that will replace the 176-year old prison also at Fort Madison. The training will take up to two months, according to Corrections.

The geothermal system has been tested and 'is good to go,” Kaufmann reported. It will require adjustment once prisoners are in the buildings.

There also was an issue with a lack of insulation in the roof of Building 7. Kaufmann reported there is money in the budget to cover that as well as the window fans or other measures necessary to remedy smoke evacuation problems in all but Building 7, the psychiatric ward. Corrections believes it can house those prisoner at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale until the new facility is ready for occupancy.

Likewise there is money in the budget to cover a $240,000 problem with the ventilation system.