Two years after fatal escape attempt, Anamosa prison to become medium-security

Iowa's Department of Corrections plans to transfer some of its most dangerous prisoners out of the venerable Anamosa State Penitentiary, nearly two years after an escape attempt there left two prison employees dead.

The department in a news release said Anamosa, a fortress-like medium/maximum security prison built in the early 1870s, will be redesignated as exclusively medium security, with current maximum-security inmates to be transferred to the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The change comes after the state saw a sharp decrease in its prison population over the past several years.

"Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, and in conjunction with Iowa’s prison population declining, IDOC has the bed space and resources needed to safely conduct and implement this transition," Director of Corrections Beth Skinner said in the news release. "This decision was made after much consideration and detailed planning, and we feel certain that now is the time to make this transition."

From 2021:Review ordered after Anamosa killings finds Iowa prisons have staffing, security shortcomings

The change also follows several years in which the state has struggled to find adequate staffing for its facilities, particularly at Anamosa, where officials have described additional challenges due to its aged facilities. The challenges of securely operating Anamosa were laid bare in March 2021, when two prisoners attempting to escape killed corrections officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte, injured another inmate and briefly held a third employee captive.

Inmates Michael Dutcher and Thomas Woodard, who tried to break through bars on a prison infirmary window using a grinder and other tools, subsequently pleaded guilty to murder and other charges. Both serving terms for robbery, they were sentenced to life without parole.

Previously:Parents of nurse killed by Anamosa inmates sue for wrongful death

Iowa Department of Corrections faces staffing crunch

A Des Moines Register investigation after the attack found that Iowa prison staffing levels were at nearly a 30-year low after years of budget cuts, with a prisoner-to-guard ratio well above the national average. Those challenges have proved persistent despite marketing campaigns and other efforts to attract and retain employees.

The problems are particularly acute at Anamosa, which due to its nearly 150-year-old design has blind corners and other features that make it more difficult to securely operate.

According to the department, Anamosa currently houses about 950 prisoners and employs 321 staff.

For subscribers:Iowa prison staffing levels before Anamosa State Penitentiary killings were near their lowest level in 30 years

The department has also seen a drop in prison population since the arrival of COVID-19, declining from 8,475 in 2019 to 7,744 in 2021. As of Tuesday, the department reported a prison population of 7.986.

Transitioning Anamosa to a purely medium-security facility could help address those issues by moving some of the state's most high-risk prisoners to other facilities, but the department's news release does not give a timeline for the change, saying only that "the security designation will not change until the transition process is complete."

The Department of Corrections did not immediately return inquiries from the Register on Monday. The American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, the union representing Iowa corrections officers, also did not return messages seeking comment.

Anamosa, Fort Dodge to swap prison wardens

Also on Friday, the department announced a reshuffling of prison management, with Anamosa warden Kris Karberg transferred to Fort Dodge Correctional Facility and Fort Dodge warden Nick Lamb transferred to Anamosa.

Both Karberg and Lamb were appointed to their current roles in June 2021, after the Anamosa attack, and both came from outside the department. Karberg was hired away from the South Dakota Department of Corrections and had previously worked for the U.S. State Department as a security official with the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan. Lamb had a lengthy career in the Illinois prison system and, before coming to Iowa, was working for the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

Anamosa's warden at the time of the attack, Jeremy Larson, was transferred afterward to Newton Correctional Facility, and later accepted a demotion to correctional counselor.

This article has been updated with current Department of Corrections jail population statistics.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Anamosa State Penitentiary to become medium security, Iowa DOC says