Iowa corrections officials want to change the conversation on new prison

Fort Madison — Officials with Iowa's Department of Corrections say they want to change their primary focus away from what caused delays in completing the state penitentiary and toward the facility's approaching opening date.

Jeff Bartruff, director of the Iowa Department of Corrections, provided an update on the Iowa State Penitentiary during the Iowa Board of Correction's Friday meeting in Fort Madison.

'We know we have to go back and look at what the steps were that resulted in the delay, but we want to change the conversation to, 'This is what we're doing now to occupy,'' he said.

An official opening date for the new facility was not available, but Bartruff said the prison is expected to be ready for occupancy by late summer/early fall.

Things yet to be addressed before the prison opens include additional tests on the geothermal and smoke evacuation systems, insulation updates, and a fire marshal inspection, Bartruff said.

Agreements also need to be completed with union representatives with AFSCME Iowa Council 61 to bid job positions, said union President Danny Homan, who attended Friday's meeting.

Conversations have been positive, Homan said.

'They have been willing to meet us halfway,' Homan said, also noting the updates needed before the prison is ready for staff and inmates. 'We have some things that still aren't right, but we're working to correct them.'

While all eyes are on preparations for the eventual move, Bartruff said state officials will still seek answers into why the prison saw so many delays.

Mediations with Walsh Construction of Chicago, the contractor hired to build the prison, began earlier this week and a settlement looks likely, Bartruff said.

'The lawyers are doing their things right now so as soon as some sort of settlements are signed off on, they will be made public,' Bartruff said.

Original plans had the prison opening in 2014, but design flaws with the facility's geothermal heating system and later the smoke ventilation system pushed the opening date back by more than one year.

The price has also risen for the 800-inmate prison, from $132 million to more than $160 million.

If the more than one year in delays have caused one positive, it's that department officials have had ample time for 'kicking the tires' of the new facility, to address any potential hiccups before the prison is occupied, Bartruff said.

To remain prepared, on-site staff training will begin again on Monday at the new facility.

Warden Nick Ludwick credited the prison's hardworking staff for adjusting to delays and understanding that a move to the new prison is approaching.

'This crew is special and they have weathered the storm,' Ludwick said. 'We are in the limbo stage, but we are nearing completion.'

Following Friday's meeting, board members toured the new and old penitentiaries, which stand in stark contrast to each other.

The 176-year-old prison, the oldest west of the Mississippi River, is a labyrinth of cramped stairwells, dark hallways and multilevel cell blocks, which create blind spots and safety concerns, while the new prison is a modern open campus with security at the forefront of it's design.

Officials said the main goal is to ensure a properly functioning and safe prison before the move occurs.