Anamosa State Penitentiary to be redesignated as medium security, some inmates to be moved

ANAMOSA, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa Department of Corrections said it will redesignate the Anamosa State Penitentiary as strictly medium security.

The move will result in the relocation of some of its most dangerous prisoners. Current maximum security inmates will be moved to the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.

The Anamosa State Penitentiary has been a medium/maxium security prison.

The department cited a sharp decrease in its prison population over the past several years.

It also said making the change will allow the department to focus on providing more treatment opportunities for medium security custody inmates.

The move comes nearly two years after the murders of two of the prison’s employees.

Robert McFarland, a corrections officer, and Lorena Schulte, a prison nurse, were killed by two inmates during a failed prison escape attempt in March 2021.

Michael Dutcher and Thomas Woodard both pleaded guilty to the crimes. They’re both serving life in prison sentences.

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