Prisoners were transported from the old Iowa State Penitentiary to the new, $182 million maximum security state prison on Saturday, August 1, 2015.
507 offenders from the previous location at #3 John Bennett Lane were moved two miles up the road to 2011 330th Avenue. The entire operation started around 6:30 a.m. and was finished by 12:40 p.m. the same day.
Over 215 law enforcement officials helped in the move, including five other prison guards, Iowa State Patrol, Fort Madison Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff's Department of Transportation, and Illinois Department of Corrections.
Rebecca Bowker, a spokesperson for the Iowa State Penitentiary, said the move was a successful one and the inmates are adjusting well. Bowker also said they don't know when visitors will be allowed at the new facility and they hope to have more information on the adjustments sometime next week.
Since its unveiling in October 2013, the new state prison has been sitting unused. Multiple problems with the new facility delayed its opening date, such as freezing pipes and a failure with the building's new system to remove smoke in the event of a fire.
Workers at the Putt-Around mini-golf course next door to the old prison said they hope the old facility can be reused for something to attract tourism.
"It's always been a good talking point," said John Lange, owner of Putt-Around in Fort Madison. "There's talk of turning it into a museum or a site for prison movies. We hope they keep it and re-purpose it."
Public roads and intersections were monitored heavily during the move. Buses transported 40 offenders at a time to the new facility. Bowker said 100 percent of the inmates are now living in the new prison.