Temporary shutdown of Iowa prison units ordered because of budget cuts

The head of Iowa's prison system has ordered the temporary shutdown of state prison satellite units at Harpers Ferry, Clarinda and Fort Madison, as well as a community corrections facility in Sheldon.

Iowa Corrections Director Jerry Bartruff said Wednesday the changes are required his department makes adjustments to comply with a $5.5 million reduction in his agency's budget for the 2017 state fiscal year, which ends June 30.

The temporary shutdowns will apply to the Luster Heights state prison camp near Harpers Ferry in northeast Iowa, to the Lodge Unit at the Clarinda Correctional Facility, and to the John Bennett minimum-security unit at the Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison. On Wednesday, the three units held nearly 400 prisoners. Barttruff said services also will be suspended at the Sheldon Residential Treatment Facility, which houses 26 offenders.

Iowa prison spokeswoman Lettie Prell said a large majority of offenders in the prison units will be transferred to other units and institutions. Some had previously been granted release by the Board of Parole, and they will continue working through their placement plans, she added.

For the offenders currently living at the Sheldon Residential Treatment Facility, alternative placements will be found for them, Prell said.

The Department of Corrections will wait to see the Iowa Legislature's action on the state's budget for the upcoming state fiscal year develops before making any further decisions regarding these four units, Prell said. The state's next fiscal year begins July 1, 2017.

The budget reduction plans will result in a staff cut of 3 percent, although Bartruff didn't specify the exact number of people who would be affected by layoffs. He said the department has begun to notify staff across the state who may be affected by the consolidations, and many will have the opportunity to work in other units or institutions within the department

Bartruff said in a prepared statement that the Department of Corrections understands the "fiscally challenging" position that state government faces, and he thanked the state's elected officials for enacting budget adjustments that will allow the department to "strategically streamline services."

"We’ve worked collaboratively with all institutions and community based corrections districts to identify the most strategic way to implement these change," Bartruff said."The actions that we are taking meet the high expectation of safety in our facilities, while also ensuring that the Department does not have to close any of our institutions. While change is rarely easy, the Department of Corrections will make the necessary reallocation of resources to ensure the highest level of safety for the public, the staff, and the offenders under our supervision.”