Around the Area
Iowa State Penitentiary
Breaking News
ISP officer taken to hospital after assault
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – According to a release from the Iowa Department of Corrections, a correctional officer at Iowa State Penitentiary was assaulted and suffered minor injuries this morning. The correctional officer, along [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Friday Celebration of Life set for Ludwick
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, March 23rd for retired Warden Nick Ludwick in Fort Madison. Ludwick retired in January of 2017 after seven years of [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP holding more prison tours in April
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Tickets are once again on sale for the public to tour the Historic Iowa State Penitentiary. The next set of tours will take place on April 14th and 15th [Read More…]
Around the Area
Jail officials looking at new meal vendor
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR MONTROSE – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is looking at taking advantage of a lower cost service provider for meals to inmates being housed at the jail. During Tuesday’s county [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Offenders chip in with community dinner
Submitted article FORT MADISON – As volunteers from all over Fort Madison start getting ready for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner so are the offenders at Iowa State Penitentiary. For over five years, the offenders have [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP officer back home after Wednesday attack
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – An Iowa State Penitentiary correctional officer injured in an attack early Wednesday morning has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, according to a release from [Read More…]
Breaking News
Union, ISP officials react to Wednesday morning attack
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – The president of the union representing staff at the Iowa State Penitentiary is calling on ISP and Iowa Department of Corrections officials to address safety issues after [Read More…]
Breaking News
Correctional officer hospitalized after morning attack
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Iowa State Penitentiary was placed on lockdown/restricted movement Wednesday, October 18, 2017 after an incident involving a staff assault. The staff member was beginning an escort when the offender [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP CERT squad takes 3rd at state competition
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Iowa State Penitentiary’s Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) took home third place recently at the CERT Challenge held in Fort Dodge. CERT officers Brendon Freeman, Aaron Landers and Shane [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Documentary to be part of Saturday ISP tour
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Eisentraut Theatres and Humanities Iowa are pleased to announce the Premiere of the Documentary, “The Fort: 177 Years of Crime and Punishment at the Iowa State Prison,” on Saturday, [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP K9s earn honors at regional trial event
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Fort Madison, IA. Iowa State Penitentiary’s K9 team took home awards recently at the United States Police Canine Association PD-1 trials. K9 teams from both Iowa and Minnesota participated [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP adds tour dates to help fund federal report
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Iowa State Penitentiary will be hosting additional tour dates of the Historic Iowa State Penitentiary site in October. The previous tour held in May, drew over 3500 [Read More…]
Breaking News
IDOC says Saturday ISP lockdown involved 50 offenders
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – A Saturday melee that resulted in a lockdown at ISP is coming under fire from a union head who says it points to a larger problem of [Read More…]
Health
ISP, Kensington partner on dementia training
PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – A local partnership is helping address dementia in offenders at the Iowa State Penitentiary. Dementia gets diagnosed every 68 seconds in America. An estimated 5.4 million Americans have one of [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
McCormick receives Scott Bryant Award from state
BY PCC STAFF Iowa State Penitentiary has participated in the Law Enforcement Torch run for more than 15 years. ISP Sgt. Chris McCormick has been an integral part of not only the Torch Run but [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Offenders building a life behind the wall
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – A group of eight members of the Iowa State Penitentiary’s apprenticeship program earned their journeyman certificates in a graduation ceremony Wednesday morning. The program teaches offenders a [Read More…]
Around the Area
Health dept. inks lease deal with DOC
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Details of a lease agreement between the Lee County Health Department and Iowa Dept. of Corrections were released this morning as the the department’s Board of Directors [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Thousands line up for glimpse of prison life
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Throngs of people from all over the region trekked to Fort Madison Sunday to tour the now-shuttered, but oldest standing prison west of the Mississippi. The Iowa [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
City officials hope ISP tours boost state’s interest
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – What started as a way to give area residents a look inside a shuttered old prison, has become an event that is drawing regional attention and has [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP to offer old prison tours May 7
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Warden Patti Wachtendorf is pleased to announce that there will be a public tour of the Historic Iowa State Penitentiary that has been closed since August, 1st 2015. This [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP officials release names of K2 offenders
FORT MADISON – The Iowa State Penitentiary has identified the presence of contraband drugs within the institution, and is taking appropriate steps to address the situation. The facility released the names today of five offenders [Read More…]
Breaking News
ISP puts changes in place to combat drug issue
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON –Iowa Department of Corrections officials are changing procedures at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison due to an increase in drug and contraband activity at the prison. [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP adopts two dogs for prison’s assisted living unit
PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Iowa State Penitentiary recently adopted two dogs from PAWS – the no-kill animal shelter in Fort Madison. There are other prisons in Iowa that have dog programs, each allows for [Read More…]
Business
Ambassadors pay visit to new warden
FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club made a trip out the Iowa State Penitentiary on Friday to welcome new warden Patti Wachtendorf. Wachtendorf officially took the position last month [Read More…]
Breaking News
State DOC to close John Bennett amidst budget cuts
UPDATED WITH COMMENTS FROM FORT MADISON MAYOR BRAD RANDOLPH BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – As part of the state’s mandated budget cuts signed into law in January, the Iowa Department of Corrections [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
ISP, community bid Ludwick adieu – Celebration continues at Atlas at 4 p.m.
PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Local community, Iowa State Penitentiary, county and state officials packed the ISP conference room Friday to bid a fond farewell to the prison’s warden, Nick [Read More…]
Fort Madison News
Wardens talk past, future at ISP
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Most young children have dreams of what they want to be when they grow up. Typically those dreams change as we mature and move into [Read More…]