Company Spotlight: Anamosa State Penitentiary

Discover what makes area companies a successful place to work. Visit The Gazette’s Company Spotlight each day during the week of June 24-28 as businesses share their secrets to a thriving workplace.

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About us

The Anamosa State Penitentiary is a medium-custody correctional facility. Our mission is to create opportunities for safer communities. We can obtain our mission by working with and educating the incarcerated individuals in our facility. This is completed in group-level interactions as well as one-on-one interactions. Working with the incarcerated individuals who are housed at our institution allows us to teach them and work with them on how to become productive members of society upon release into the community. The goal for all released incarcerated individuals is to help teach and adjust them to society so they do not re-offend and return to correctional facilities.

Describe your company’s culture in three words. What do these words mean in everyday practice?

The culture at Anamosa State Penitentiary is very enriching and full of a teamwork environment. The staff here have each other’s backs and are like a big family. The experience that the staff gain while working here is enriching. You learn and see many ways of life and experience how to help others improve their lives.

How can someone continue to grow their skillsets and professional path while working for your company?

The Iowa Department of Corrections has multiple ways to grow and develop. Different skill sets can be obtained by the overall experience of working in a correctional facility. You will endure different challenges and successes every day. Each institution also has various specialty teams and classes you can partake in to grow and develop your resume. Specialty teams or committees at the Anamosa State Penitentiary are the Crisis Negations Team, Correctional Emergency Response Team, Diversity Team and Employee Relations Committee. Along with the specialty teams and committees, there are training opportunities for staff to become instructors for classes that staff must take through training.

Within the Department of Corrections, there are also growth opportunities in the form of promotions. The corrections field has various departments within itself that allow growth throughout administration, security, treatment, medical, and maintenance. These enable staff members to experience different areas and how each affects recidivism reduction, providing opportunities for safer communities.

What does work-life balance look like for employees within your organization?

Working for the Anamosa State Penitentiary, you would be an employee of the State of Iowa. The State of Iowa offers a great benefits package that can affect each person differently. The state offers generous vacation time throughout an employee’s years of service. While everyone has a generous vacation, staff can also turn their overtime pay into time off.

As a correctional officer, you may have to work overtime at times. However, we want our staff to have a work-life balance as much as possible when operating a 24/7 facility. This overtime will not be required on your days off, and your days off are guaranteed.

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Please share a recent employee success story. What set this person up for success, and what does their success mean for the company?

As a correctional counselor at Anamosa State Penitentiary, many things go into release planning with incarcerated individuals. As a counselor, you must ensure they have the proper tools they need when released back into the community, so it limits their chances of returning to the correctional facilities, which helps everyone in the community. This staff member has gone beyond when working with incarcerated individuals to release them back into the community.

This staff is also a member of the Employee Relations Committee. As a committee member, she helps host different events for staff throughout the year. This committee creates an exciting Corrections Week for all staff in May. They also host various food events throughout the year as well. This committee also provides memorials for grieving staff of immediate family members. These events help staff be more engaged and interact with each other, which creates a more inviting culture.

This staff member has also joined the Honor Guard for the Iowa Department of Corrections. She is selected for this team because she represents the Iowa Department of Corrections at various events. A couple of events the Honor Guard goes to are National Police Week in Washington DC and funerals and visitations for fellow Law Enforcement and Corrections members throughout the Nation.

What is your company position when it comes to philanthropy and community engagement?

The Anamosa State Penitentiary is huge in giving back to the community. Each year, donations are provided to different charities throughout the community. These donations are raised by staff fundraisers and include food donated to the food bank from the institution’s gardens. Last year, 41,803 pounds of fresh produce were donated to the Jones County food bank, and more than$4,300 was donated to various charities.

The Anamosa State Penitentiary raises funds for Shop with a Cop each year. This event provides Christmas gifts for families in need within the local area. ASP staff members and local and county officers ensure the kids have a valuable experience. We are committed to encouraging our staff to take part in community events such as lunch programs with school-age kids and different causes that come up.

How is innovation and creativity encouraged in the workplace?

Staff encourage innovation and creativity. If you feel there could be a better way to complete something, supervisors are up for the challenge. Every day is a new day, and no two days are the same. Finding different and creative ways to complete tasks efficiently while being safe and secure is always appreciated.

If asked why an employee enjoys working at your company, what would be a typical response?

The typical response for why staff enjoy working here is the family feel while being able to help others. The incarcerated individuals who are released to the community can be seen around. Staff might run into someone who was released back into the community, and it is always rewarding when they are successful after being released.

Learn more about Anamosa State Penitentiary’s team here.

Company Spotlight: June 24-28

Visit The Gazette’s Company Spotlight each day during the week of June 24-28 to learn more about what makes each company unique and envision yourself fitting in with their team.

Company Spotlight Schedule

– Monday, June 24: Company Spotlight Overview

– Tuesday, June 25: Mediacom

– Wednesday, June 26: Anamosa State Penitentiary

– Thursday, June 27: Kirkwood Community College

– Friday, June 28: Company Spotlight Overview

Date: June 24-28

Location: The Gazette’s Special Events - Company Spotlight