Over 600 inmates at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison will be transferring to a new location.
The Iowa Department of Corrections has decided to move the inmates from the Fort Madison prison to a new location a couple of miles down the road, according to a report by KHQA. Inmates will be moved from the 174-year-old prison in 2014.
The report said the new facility will eventually hold up to 800 inmates.
“We’ll manage the same number of offenders initially as we do here,” said Warden Nick Ludwick.
Over 300 cameras will be installed in the new facility, making for enhanced video surveillance. Borders will be patrolled by perimeter vehicles and are protected by electronic intrusion devices, reported KHQA.
Ludwick said some inmates are concerned about having to share a room with another inmate. In the current facility, the offenders each have their own space, according to WHO.
“One of the primary differences is one of the four new housing units is a double bunk housing unit,” said Ludwick. “That has set many of our offenders into somewhat of a tizzy, where they’re concerned that they might actually have to share a room with another offender.”
Construction on the new maximum security prison began in April 2010 and costs $130 million.