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Ault: Prison has major impact on area
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
FORT MADISON - Iowa State Penitentiary Warden John Ault assumed command at the prison in Fort Madison three years ago after a 10-year stint as warden at Anamosa, the largest prison in Iowa, he said recently at a Keokuk Rotary Club meeting.
Ault was happy at Anamosa, but when two prisoners escaped in November 2005 from the Fort Madison maximum security facility he was asked to move to Fort Madison and replace Warden Ken Burger. Burger had served as warden since January 2004.
“I didn't want to be here,” Ault said,
However, Ault changed his mind when he received a warm welcome to the area. He became active in the community, likes the people and likes the area. Ault intends to retire from his job in three years after working in the corrections field for 34 years.
“But I know all it takes is one or two staff members to not do their job and I'll be down the road.” he said.
Iowa State Penitentiary was built in 1839 and is the oldest prison in use west of the Mississippi River.
The prison houses 1,100 inmates who are, on average, 37 years old.
The maximum security part of the facility has 566 inmates behind the walls and/or high fences monitored by an electronic system, a patrolling vehicle and correctional staff in towers.
The John Bennett Unit, the medium security part of the prison, has 180 beds and houses longterm offenders and inmates who are moving through the system to less stringent security.
The clinical care building holds 200 inmates. Clinical care inmates have mental illness or mental retardation and are handled by special staff, Ault said.
The two prison farms, Prison Farm 1 in Fort Madison and Prison Farm 3 in Montrose, together house nearly 300 minimum security inmates.
Minimum security prisoners are closer to their time of release or are being punished for less serious crimes.
Two-thirds of inmates incarcerated at Iowa State Penitentiary are in for violent crimes.
Approximately 62 percent of the prisoners are white, 32 percent black, 5 percent Hispanic, 1 percent Native American and less than 1 percent Asian, Ault said. Most of the African-American offenders come from Chicago and other areas in Illinois, he said during a question and answer session at the end of the program.
Ault said 34 percent of inmates are repeat offenders.
The best way to reduce the prison population is to “teach people how to be better parents,” Ault said.
The state spends about $111 per prisoner per day or about $40,500 per prisoner each year.
“It's really excessive,” Ault said, attributing some of the cost to maintenance of the maximum security facility.
The security department at the prison employs 399 uniformed security staff, including the fulltime Correctional Emergency Response Team and K-9 squad. The balance of the staff are support or medical staff.
The average cost of each inmate meal is $1.42 per meal or $4.26 per day - about $1,555 per year. Every day about 3,300 meals are prepared.
Ault said the cost of food is going up, which will affect the price of each meal.
There are more than 1.2 million meals provided for all Iowa State Penitentiary locations every year. In addition, more than 34,600 meals are prepared annually for the Lee County Jail and Juvenile Detention Facility. One hundred offenders and 14 food service coordinators work in the Iowa State Penitentiary dietary complex.
The prison also has its own health care unit, which is staffed by a doctor, psychiatrist, 24-hour nursing, administrative assistant, secretary, radiological technologist, storekeeper, part-time optometrist, part-time dentist, part-time dental assistant and part-time dental hygienist.
Inmates have an average of 11.3 years of education and have, on average, an eighth grade intelligence level, Ault said.
There are several job programs for inmates in the prison: prison maintenance, prison industries comprised of custom wood working and building Habitat for Humanity houses, machine embroidery and other textile projects, gardening, laundry, suicide watch, hospice and more.
The hospice program has two rooms Ault described as comfortable. The program has worked with 14-15 inmates who had end-of-life needs.
Pay range for inmates averages 24- to 53 cents per hour with 55 cents to $1.20 per hour in prison industries.
“Lifers are our best behaved inmates,” Ault said. “Most want to be as comfortable as they can. They realize they're going to be here a long time.”
Ault said the prison offers programs and educational opportunities through Southeastern Community College to inmates.
Some of the programs include a licensed substance abuse program, sex offender counseling center, psychiatric counselors, a criminal thinking program that helps them think differently, anger management, alternatives to violence, a victim impact program, marriage counselors, Toastmasters, pre-release program and a Catholic priest. Inmates with special medical problems are taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Recreational activities offered at the prison include softball, soccer, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, horseshoes, gymnasium time, a library and a hobby/craft shop.
Inmates can buy their own televisions, but all electronics are transparent so that correctional staff can see inside the cases.
Ault said prison staff attempts to prepare inmates for their release. Ninety-five percent of inmates go back into the community when they are released.
The prison has an annual budget of $47 million, with 81 percent of the funds going to staff, he added.
Plans are in the works for a new 800-bed maximum security prison in Fort Madison to replace the historic structure. At the same time, an expansion of the women's correctional facility in Mitchellville is planned.
Ault hopes to be able to help with the planning for the new prison in Fort Madison. He projects a 2014 completion date.
Ault was happy at Anamosa, but when two prisoners escaped in November 2005 from the Fort Madison maximum security facility he was asked to move to Fort Madison and replace Warden Ken Burger. Burger had served as warden since January 2004.
“I didn't want to be here,” Ault said,
However, Ault changed his mind when he received a warm welcome to the area. He became active in the community, likes the people and likes the area. Ault intends to retire from his job in three years after working in the corrections field for 34 years.
“But I know all it takes is one or two staff members to not do their job and I'll be down the road.” he said.
Iowa State Penitentiary was built in 1839 and is the oldest prison in use west of the Mississippi River.
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The maximum security part of the facility has 566 inmates behind the walls and/or high fences monitored by an electronic system, a patrolling vehicle and correctional staff in towers.
The John Bennett Unit, the medium security part of the prison, has 180 beds and houses longterm offenders and inmates who are moving through the system to less stringent security.
The clinical care building holds 200 inmates. Clinical care inmates have mental illness or mental retardation and are handled by special staff, Ault said.
The two prison farms, Prison Farm 1 in Fort Madison and Prison Farm 3 in Montrose, together house nearly 300 minimum security inmates.
Minimum security prisoners are closer to their time of release or are being punished for less serious crimes.
Two-thirds of inmates incarcerated at Iowa State Penitentiary are in for violent crimes.
Approximately 62 percent of the prisoners are white, 32 percent black, 5 percent Hispanic, 1 percent Native American and less than 1 percent Asian, Ault said. Most of the African-American offenders come from Chicago and other areas in Illinois, he said during a question and answer session at the end of the program.
Ault said 34 percent of inmates are repeat offenders.
The best way to reduce the prison population is to “teach people how to be better parents,” Ault said.
The state spends about $111 per prisoner per day or about $40,500 per prisoner each year.
“It's really excessive,” Ault said, attributing some of the cost to maintenance of the maximum security facility.
The security department at the prison employs 399 uniformed security staff, including the fulltime Correctional Emergency Response Team and K-9 squad. The balance of the staff are support or medical staff.
The average cost of each inmate meal is $1.42 per meal or $4.26 per day - about $1,555 per year. Every day about 3,300 meals are prepared.
Ault said the cost of food is going up, which will affect the price of each meal.
There are more than 1.2 million meals provided for all Iowa State Penitentiary locations every year. In addition, more than 34,600 meals are prepared annually for the Lee County Jail and Juvenile Detention Facility. One hundred offenders and 14 food service coordinators work in the Iowa State Penitentiary dietary complex.
The prison also has its own health care unit, which is staffed by a doctor, psychiatrist, 24-hour nursing, administrative assistant, secretary, radiological technologist, storekeeper, part-time optometrist, part-time dentist, part-time dental assistant and part-time dental hygienist.
Inmates have an average of 11.3 years of education and have, on average, an eighth grade intelligence level, Ault said.
There are several job programs for inmates in the prison: prison maintenance, prison industries comprised of custom wood working and building Habitat for Humanity houses, machine embroidery and other textile projects, gardening, laundry, suicide watch, hospice and more.
The hospice program has two rooms Ault described as comfortable. The program has worked with 14-15 inmates who had end-of-life needs.
Pay range for inmates averages 24- to 53 cents per hour with 55 cents to $1.20 per hour in prison industries.
“Lifers are our best behaved inmates,” Ault said. “Most want to be as comfortable as they can. They realize they're going to be here a long time.”
Ault said the prison offers programs and educational opportunities through Southeastern Community College to inmates.
Some of the programs include a licensed substance abuse program, sex offender counseling center, psychiatric counselors, a criminal thinking program that helps them think differently, anger management, alternatives to violence, a victim impact program, marriage counselors, Toastmasters, pre-release program and a Catholic priest. Inmates with special medical problems are taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Recreational activities offered at the prison include softball, soccer, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, horseshoes, gymnasium time, a library and a hobby/craft shop.
Inmates can buy their own televisions, but all electronics are transparent so that correctional staff can see inside the cases.
Ault said prison staff attempts to prepare inmates for their release. Ninety-five percent of inmates go back into the community when they are released.
The prison has an annual budget of $47 million, with 81 percent of the funds going to staff, he added.
Plans are in the works for a new 800-bed maximum security prison in Fort Madison to replace the historic structure. At the same time, an expansion of the women's correctional facility in Mitchellville is planned.
Ault hopes to be able to help with the planning for the new prison in Fort Madison. He projects a 2014 completion date.
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Too much of my money wrote on Oct 27, 2008 9:55 AM: