Iowa Correctional

Institution for Women

2016 Annual Report

Patti Wachtendorf, Warden

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 Table of Contents
Warden’s Letter ___________________________________________ 3
Mission, Vision, Values and Beliefs Statements __________________ 4
Administration Team _______________________________________ 5
Table of Organization ______________________________________ 6
ICIW Past and Future _____________________________________ 7-8
Counselors ___________________________________________ 9-10
Education ____________________________________________ 11-12
Mary Chapman Computer Lab ______________________________ 13
Correctional Workers Week ________________________________ 14
Service Awards __________________________________________ 15
ICIW Holiday Party________________________________________ 16
Career Fair ______________________________________________ 17
Habitat for Humanity _____________________________________ 18
Building Y _______________________________________________ 19
Building P _______________________________________________ 20
Ribbons ________________________________________________ 21
Gardens ________________________________________________ 22
Ribbons _____________________________________________ 23-24

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TERRY E. BRANSTAD, GOVERNOR DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
KIM REYNOLDS, LT. GOVERNOR JERRY W. BARTRUFF, DIRECTOR
PATTI WACHTENDORF, WARDEN

Director Jerry Bartruff

Department of Corrections
510 East 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Re: 2016 Annual Report

Dear Director Bartruff:

The 2016 Annual Report for the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women is hereby submitted
pursuant to Section 904.307 of the Code of Iowa. This report reflects the activity for the past
fiscal year for our institution along with vital facts and figures. It also provides information re-
garding significant events of the year, training, staff information as well as the required financial
information and statistics.

ICIW is very pleased that we’ve maneuvered through the construction process and now enjoy-
ing the benefits of the countless meetings to design and build our facility. The new buildings,
landscaping and staff have achieved very promising outcomes for the women. The facility is
safer; the increased technology is extremely beneficial to augment staffing. We are very proud
of how the new mental health area and procedures are working to achieve incredible strides in
dealing with the women’s complex mental health needs. Our partnership with the Iowa State
University Landscaping professor and students has created a campus that’s open and unique
while recognizing and balancing the security needs.

I truly believe the “new” ICIW will continue to provide a safe and progressive environment that
will allow the women to make the changes they need to make in order to return to society as
law-abiding citizens and healthier mom’s to their children.

Sincerely,

Patti Wachtendorf
Warden

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 DOC MISSION STATEMENT
Creating Opportunities for Safer Communities

ICIW VISION STATEMENT

At the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women we inspire people to
achieve their highest potential for the betterment of our communities, empower-
ment of our staff and the pro-social behavior of offenders
through innovation and teamwork.

ICIW MISSION STATEMENT

We shall protect the public, staff and female offenders by our efforts
to empower women and change lives, increase staff training and
maintaining a safe and secure correctional environment.

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 Administration Team
Lorie Woodard
Deputy Warden

Steve Carroll
Associate Warden of Administration

Patti Wachtendorf
Warden Bryan Reicks

Patti Wachtendorf was ap- Associate Warden of Security

pointed as Warden in June
of 2009. She began her ca- Courtney Arringdale
reer in January 1983 as a
Correctional Officer at Iowa Treatment Director
State Penitentiary. While as
ISP, she was promoted to
Kerri Freidhof
the positions of Investigator,
Senior Correctional Officer, Nursing Supervisor II
Correctional Counselor and
Treatment Services Director. Tim Darr
In December 1997, she
transferred to Mt. Pleasant Unit Manager
Correctional Facility as a
Treatment Services Director
and remained there until Kim Guthrie
January 2001 when she ac- Unit Manager
cepted the position of Secu-
rity Director at the Iowa Cor-
rectional Institution for Brenda Miller
Women. On July 14, 2006
she was promoted to Depu- Unit Manger
ty Warden at ICIW and was
Acting Warden in the Ariana DenHartog
months prior to her appoint-
ment as Warden. Unit Manager

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 ICIW Past and Future
In 2010, the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women broke ground to build a state-of-the-art
institution that houses 888 women in various stages of incarceration. The site, formerly a State
Industrial School for Girls, was not intended to be a prison and was therefore not serving the
needs of our growing population. When the new prison opened, it became a role model for
other correctional institutions to follow.

Administration Building
The public entrance to the institution allows security
screening of all visitors and staff entering the institu-
tion. Administrative staff, master control operations,
security offices, visiting room, training room, staff
wellness area and locker rooms are located in this
building.

General Population Building

Includes 256 beds to house general population
offenders. The support area of this building has a
triage/medication room, laundry, classrooms,
offices and offender computers.

Programs Building
Includes gymnasium, education classrooms,
Hi-Set testing center, craft room, hair care area,
library and classrooms.

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Health Services Building
Includes orientation, hospice, assisted living,
medical recovery, acute/sub acute mental health
unit and special needs. Also includes fully opera-
tional health care clinic, dental and optometry
areas.

Food Services Building

Includes two separate dining areas to improve
efficiencies and allows separation of offender
populations as needed. Each dining hall will ac-
commodate 128 women at one time.

Unit 9 Treatment
Our current treatment housing unit provides ad-
equate classroom spaces for treatment pro-
grams. In 2013, an expansion was added onto
the original building to provide additional class-
room space. This building was closed in 2016.

Unit Y
Minimum Live Out holds 120 offenders who are
within 2 years of release from ICIW. This building
is located outside the secure perimeter.

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 Counselors
“A person trained to give guidance on personal, social or psychosocial problems”

At ICIW, we take pride in saying we have some of the best trained counselors who are compassionate and per-
sonable. Each of our counselors have their own area of expertise to educate, strengthen and help each offend-
er improve personally and socially while being at ICIW. Areas of counseling include substance abuse treat-
ment, mental health issues, special needs, and addressing criminal thinking and behaviors. All of our counse-
lors are also respectful, reliable and empathetic with their work.

Wade Barcus
Wade has worked for ICIW since 1999 and recently promoted to counselor in 2015 from a correctional
officer. Wade works with our segregation population as well as general population preparing them through
classes and case planning to be released . He also teaches personal safety, firearms and Core Correctional
practices to staff throughout the state as well as being on the CERT team and a work group (CCP) for Central
office. Wade is an asset to ICIW and the DOC due to his highly motivated energy.

Teama McGregor
Teama has been with the DOC since 1989 while starting with Community Based Corrections. She began her
career at ICIW as a counselor then moving into a position at Central Office as a PREA training specialist. From
there she transferred as a counselor at NCF. She came full circle back to ICIW as a counselor approximately
two years ago. Teama works with the long termer unit as well as being a SVP auditor, trainer of trainers, Certi-
fied Sexual Abuse Counselor, ADLA backup as well as a qualified staff member for possible sexual assaults with-
in the prison setting. Teama enjoys her work and has a passion for helping those in need. Teama also reaches
out to all staff without being asked. In her spare time she enjoys her family and all the fun that goes with be-
ing a grandma .

Jennifer Larson
Jennifer has worked for ICIW since 2008 and was promoted to counselor in 2014 from Correctional Officer.
Jennifer works with our minimum live out offenders and general population offenders in Building Y.

Anne Izzolena
Anne is a licensed substance abuse counselor and a curriculum counselor. She has worked at ICIW since 2011
but was a volunteer since 2006.

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Janet Layman
Janet has been a counselor at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 1999 and is currently working
as the orientation counselor. She spends time with incoming offenders and educates them in the area of poli-
cy, rules, PREA and boundaries.

Jennifer Swihart
Jennifer has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 1998 . Jennifer works with our mini-
mum live out offenders and general population offenders.

Joan Greimann
Joan has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 1999. She served on the CERT Team
from 2002-2009. Joan currently works with general population offenders.

Joe Whitlow
Joe has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 1999. He currently works with general
population offenders.

Mia Williams
Mia has worked at the Iowa Correctional Institution since 1999. She started as an officer, worked as a clerk
and is now a counselor. Mia currently works with general population offenders.

Randy Walters
Randy has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 2012. He currently teaches classes for
offenders needing programing.

David Henderson
David has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women since 2016. He transferred from the Newton
Correctional Facility where he had been since 1998. Dave currently works with our general population offend-
ers.

James Hunter
Hunter has been with the Iowa Correctional Institution since 2000. He currently works with the Mental Health
Unit.

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 Education
The ICIW Education Department is provided through a contract between Des Moines Area
Community College (DMACC) and the Iowa Department of Education. DMACC provides instruc-
tors to offer courses to offenders in the area of High School Equivalency, Literacy, and Life Skills.
In addition, the department provides assistance in post-secondary education opportunities for
offenders. One of the highlights each year is the Hi-SET graduation ceremony. Offenders who
complete the High School Equivalency Program are honored in a special recognition ceremony
that includes caps and gowns. Family members of the graduates are invited to attend the cere-
mony. It is a memorable event for the graduate and the families. Special guest speakers from
the Department of Corrections and from Des Moines Area Community College deliver a mes-
sage to leave the students with a sense of accomplishment and direction for the future. Also, a
select student is given the opportunity to address the class and provide a personal message on
the impact of graduation.

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The instructors are a cohesive group who work together to provide a top notch educational program for all
offenders. DMACC Leaders and the Education Supervisor visit the institution once a month to assist students
with questions regarding enrollment at DMACC and assistance in financial aid planning. DMACC has been in-
strumental in developing and improving the ICIW educational program. In the past 2 years, they have provided
an upgraded computer lab and technical support at no cost to the institution.

ACADEMIC TRAINING
Adult Literacy
The function of the Literacy class is to prepare offenders who have difficulty in reading with an
opportunity to improve stills and eventually participate in the Hi-SET or High School Completion Program. The
class is held daily for two hours and provides individual and small group instruction. Offenders who are read-
ing below a 6th grade level are identified and served. This may include some who have already graduated from
high school but do not possess the reading skills to function well in society.
Hi-SET
Math, Social Studies, Reading, Science and Writing classes are provided daily to prepare the offenders for the
Hi-SET (High School Equivalency Test). The classes are provided to any student who has not completed the re-
quirements of high school. The instructional materials and explicit instruction in all subject matters prepares
the students to take the Hi-SET tests. When a student has completed all five tests, they are provided with a
High School Equivalency Diploma (Hi-SET) issued through the Iowa Department of Education as a DMACC
Graduate. Students are provided with a minimum of ten hours of instruction weekly.
Computer Skills
The Computer Lab in the Education Department is available for offenders to improve their computer skills. Al-
so, students involved in college classes may use the lab to create papers or other documents for classes. The
lab has numerous educational resources that can be helpful to students.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Life Skills
The goal of the Life Skills Program is to assist students in preparing for re-entry. Students are provided with
explicit class instruction to improve employability skills, emotional coping skills, and self-confidence. The goal
is to enhance soft skills and practice motivational reading which can stimulate self-awareness and self-
discovery. The class also teaches finance and money management strategies. The curriculum for the computer
class includes Microsoft Office, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. In addition, keyboarding skills, resumes,
cover letters, interviewing skills and presentation skills are emphasized. Also, community leaders, businesses,
government officials, Department of Correction personnel and speakers volunteer their time, expertise and
resources to help motivate and prepare the women in Life Skills for reentry.

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 Mary Chapman Computer Lab
Dr. Mary Chapman has been an advocate and champion for the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women for
many years. She initially began paving the way for women offenders as the
Vice President for Community Workforce Partnerships at the Des Moines Area
Community College. In this role, her ongoing community collaboration led to
her work with the Second Chance program and Prison Reentry initiative which
provided vocational skills training to male and female offenders. Dr. Chap-
man’s ongoing commitment to reentry spearheaded several projects devoted
to assisting and enhancing reentry specifically for female offenders. A majority
of Dr Chapman’s work and dedication in improving the lives of female offend-
ers included projects such as the reentry keys project, developing and starting
the Life Skills class, office specialist and the welding program to name only a
few, which provided both traditional and nontraditional skills and opportuni-
ties for women offenders. She was often requested to be a keynote speaker
for the ICIW GED, and Life skills graduations. Each time she spoke to a gradu-
ating class, she shared her enthusiasm and insight which was always delivered
with an inspirational and positive outlook on life based on lessons shared and
learned which always touched the hearts of the women.

Her tireless community involvement includes serving on several community and civic Boards including Simpson
College Board of Trustees, BRAVO Regional Arts Council, Bankers Trust Advisory Board, Iowa Corrections
Board, Des Moines Branch NAACP Executive Committee, Iowa Health Des Moines Board, a Community Con-
nect mentor for young professionals, and Opportunity Leader advancing the national agenda of Opportunity
Iowa and she is a dedicated member of the IOTA Zeta Omega Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and
continues to give back to both the Iowa and Georgia community as only Dr. Chapman can with grace and
thoughtfulness .

Dr. Chapman continues to support the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women even in retirement. She has
been a valuable Board member who has not forgotten the challenges and barriers women offenders face. She
continues to challenge the process and pose questions aimed at enhancing the lives of incarcerated women. In
spite of her busy schedule she graciously accepted an invitation to attend last year’s Pro Social Banquet at
ICIW and will be our key note speaker for the banquet this year. She continues to express her concern and
support with every opportunity. It is because of her dedication to education, training, and building communi-
ty/prison relationships which inspired ICIW to acknowledge her superior leadership and legacy by naming the
new education lab the Mary Chapman Computer Lab. .

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 IOWA CORRRECTIONAL WORKERS WEEK
National Correctional Workers’ Week in May is dedicated to honor the work and dedication of
correctional staff nationwide.
Correctional officers and personnel work under demanding and sometimes difficult circum-
stances, often facing danger in their daily duties.

The week consisted of Breakfast Burritos, Desert Bars, Cookout, Ice Cream Sundaes and a
family tour.

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 Staff Service Awards

5 Years of Dedicated Service

Andrea Brobst, Anne Izzolena, Courtney Supino, Christa Yanqui,
Jennifer Bell, Michelle Boston, Robyn Carver, Jake English, Corey
Gould, Lindsey Herron, Irma Osmancevic, Thomas Pecora, John
Sanchez, Ericka Stevenson, David Southwick

10 Years of Dedicated Service

Ken Olson, Samantha Sease, Alicia Waldron, Ariana
DenHartog, Gary Finn, Jeff Frye, Marlene Griffiths, Dan
Jasper, Adam Owen, Marybeth Perry-Rohlf, Lynisa Smith,
Amy Wearmouth

15 Years of Dedicated Service

Jill Benz, Tim Bush, Michael Engle, Kevin Smith, Scott
Brownfield, Chris Frazier

20 Years of Dedicated Service

Kim Guthrie, Cindy Heuton, Bryan Reicks, Rick Whalen

35 Years of Dedicated Service

Steve Godwin

ICIW Thanks you for all your hard work, determination and teamwork throughout your years of
service.

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 ICIW Annual Holiday Fun Day
On December 6th at the Mitchellville Community Center, ICIW held their annual holiday fun day. This day is for
the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of staff. Included in the festivities were games, crafts, stock-
ings and a gift for each child. The event is a soup potluck with tons of great food. This year over 200 were in
attendance. This is a great day to relax and have fun with family and coworkers. There was also a special visit
from Santa.

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 Career Fair
ICIW held a Career Fair for Offenders on April 5, 2016. Businesses involved included Market link, Evelyn K. Da-
vis Center, Building New Careers, Prison Apprenticeships, Iowa Department of Administrative Services, Central
Iowa Works/Transportation Distribution Logistics Training Program, and Iowa Workforce Development. They
visited with approximately 110 general population offenders in the morning, followed by approximately 60
minimum-live-out offenders in the afternoon. Offenders learned information about employment and appren-
ticeship opportunities across the state. Some even filled out employment applications and are looking for-
ward to specific careers after their release. The business representatives all expressed interest in coming back
to ICIW for future events. The next career event is scheduled for April 18, with Hy-Vee providing information
and then following up at a later time to conduct interviews.

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 Habitat for Humanity
In June, ICIW Minimum Live Out Offenders spent two days working with Habitat for Humanity
crews repainting the Mitchellville Universalist Church. The church was built in 1868 and was in
need of a fresh coat of paint. This was a great opportunity for the offenders to volunteer time
to help the community.

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 Building Y
In January 2016 ICIW reopened Unit Y as our Minimum Live Out building. The unit has 120
beds for offenders who are working towards a gradual release. They are required to be disci-
pline free for 6 months and to have completed their Hi-Set.

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 Building P
ICIW’s Programs Building opened in May 2016. This building holds the offender gym and work out area. The
building also holds all DMACC classrooms along with additional classrooms for extra space. It holds an offender
hair care area, offender library, music room and craft area.

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 ICIW Ribbons
ICIW completed the installation of floating metallic ribbons, in soft colors pink, purple and sliv-
er that follow the roadway. Such ribbons brighten the landscape with an impact that changes
dramatically with the seasons. Similar ribbons are used in lieu of scarecrows in Appalachian
vineyards, so they may also discourage birds from eating the seeds and reducing the crop. They
certainly should encourage the offenders to take a prouder sense of ownership in the fields of
their labor as well as contrasting and complementing the view for them.

Symbolically, the ribbons represent freedom (blowing in the wind), discipline (repetitive
patterns) and the future (accentuating the passage of time by changing with the season).

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 ICIW Gardens
ICIW has offender garden crews who worked hard all spring, summer and fall to grow fresh pro-
duce. This year ICIW had a total of over 5800 pounds of tomatoes, potatoes, green and sweet
peppers, green beans and Zucchini. That total does not include all the other
vegetables that were grown. ICIW also donated
over 600 pounds of produce to the Food Bank of
Iowa.

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