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Culver approves prison bond issues

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By Charlotte Eby | Friday, May 09, 2008 | No comments posted

DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation Friday allowing the state to bond for $130.7 million to construct a new prison to replace the maximum-security facility in Fort Madison.

The Iowa State Penitentiary, established in 1839, has been the center of scrutiny in Iowa’s corrections system since the dramatic escape in 2005 of two inmates serving life prison terms.

Culver, in his January address before lawmakers, proposed replacing the prison and making other corrections investments totaling more than $250 million.

“I asked for this because I believe replacing this prison is first and foremost a matter of public safety. And today, with my signature, a new prison will be a reality,” Culver said.

The new state-of-the-art prison will provide a safer working environment for staff than the current facility, which has been in operation since before the Civil War, he said.

Republicans have been critical of the idea of borrowing money through bonds to pay for the prison in Fort Madison when the state could have paid for it outright.

House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, dubbed it the “sub-prime prison,” and compared the financing scheme to the risky loans some homeowners used that led to the current housing crisis.

“Today’s the day that the cash officially ran out, and we had to start using the credit card,” Rants said.

He’s not convinced the state needs to invest in a new maximum-security prison in Fort Madison.

“Because a guard was facing the wrong direction and two people escaped, we’re now, the taxpayers are now on the hook until 2027 to build this new prison,” Rants said.

Some have been critical of the decision to put the new prison in Fort Madison in the far southeastern corner of the state instead of in a more central location or near an existing prison where services could be shared.

The bill Culver signed Friday also appropriates $68 million for an expansion of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women at Mitchellville to house Iowa’s growing female inmate population.

Charlotte Eby can be contacted at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.