Iowa State Penitentiary Profile and Valuable Information
Located in Fort Madison, Iowa State Penitentiary is the one and only maximum-security facility in the State of Iowa for male offenders. The prison has a capacity of housing about 934 inmates. The majority of the offenders housed in the facility are violent repeat offenders. Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) manages the John Bennett Unit, a medium-security facility situated adjacent to the main facility. It is around 2 miles southeast of the main ISP facility. This medium-security unit can house around 170 offenders. Both the main and John Bennett facility have Alcoholics Anonymous groups and substance abuse treatment for the housed inmates.
ISP offers the housed inmates a number of vocational and educational courses. From academic classes to vocational activities and training, there is a lot for inmates to choose from.
ISP also allows the inmates to participate in different religious observations, from Buddhism to Wicca to Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Iowa State Penitentiary History
Established in the year 1839, 7 years prior to Iowa being declared an independent state, Iowa State Penitentiary was modeled after the Auburn, NY’s penitentiary. The year 1982 saw the prison being remodeled, and the unification was introduced in the ISP. Unification divides large blocks of cells into smaller units making them much easier to manage.
Iowa State Penitentiary phone number
You can call the Iowa State Penitentiary at the below-given number - (319)-372-5432
Iowa State Penitentiary address
The Complex’s physical address is as follows:
Iowa State Penitentiary
3 John Bennett Drive
Fort Madison, IA 52627
Iowa State Penitentiary visiting hours
You can visit the main facility, the maximum-security unit, and John Bennett Unit on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. You will need to reach the facility by 3:30 pm or you wouldn’t be allowed to visit. You can also visit the inmates on state-designated holidays from 8:30 AM to 4 PM.
Iowa State Penitentiary mail and visitation rules
Visitors must reach the facility by 3:30 PM and failure to do so would mean their visit will not be entertained as the processing stops after this time.
As per the rules, visitors must not carry prohibited items when visiting the facility including weapons, mobiles, cameras, any drugs, explosives of any kind, pens, paints, etc to name some.
In case you want to physically mail an inmate housed in the Iowa State Penitentiary, you’ll require his ID and name, following it with the facility’s address in the given format:
Name of the Inmate
The ID Number
Iowa State Penitentiary
P.O. Box 316
Fort Madison, IA 52627
Iowa State Penitentiary inmate programs
Different programs are offered by SCC (Southeastern Community College) and the United States Department of Labor to render academic & vocational opportunities to inmates. Inmates that are housed in the facility have an opportunity to take academic classes to earn themselves an adult basic education as well as GED. The facility offers professional training in upholstery, commercial kitchen, machining, car repair, and printing. The facility also provides labor for a couple of large farms, crops, and cattle. There is also a 6-month substance abuse program for those with drug or alcohol problems. Alcoholics Anonymous operates in the complex as well.
Iowa State Penitentiary inmate locator
If you are trying to locate an inmate in Iowa State Penitentiary, you can do so by visiting the GoLookUp inmate search directory (https://golookup.com/inmate-search). Thanks to the advanced database for inmates, now a majority of the records are available to the public online. All you need is the name and ID of the inmate, enter it in the form and you are good to go.
