Antiquated Prison Ruled Obsolete

FORT MADISON, Iowa — Experts have concluded that the country’s oldest prison west of the Mississippi is officially obsolete.

The Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison, which holds the state’s most dangerous convicts, is suffering from maintenance problems and an outdated design, according to a state-authorized study of Iowa’s prisons.

The 19th-century prison has a linear design with old-fashioned cellblocks, the steam-heating system is operating at capacity, and the facility is in need of new windows and roof repairs. Antiquated structures at the prison act as barriers to handicapped accessibility.

In addition, the bars on the windows are unsafe because they have aided inmate suicides. The absence of emergency lighting in offender areas and inadequate camera surveillance pose threats to staff, and prison staff does not have enough emergency response equipment, according to the report.

Prison officials are looking for ways to utilize the maximum-security unit rather than tear it down. They are considering the possibility of relocating lower-risk inmates to the debilitated facility.

The study was performed by consultants after a prison escape in 2005 sparked a debate over the importance of a new maximum-security prison. A new prison would cost an estimated $80 million.

As part of the study, the consultants also reviewed state prisons at Mount Pleasant, Anamosa and Oakdale. The facility at Oakdale is currently undergoing a $38 million renovation that will add 170 beds. The project is slated for completion in summer 2007.