Anamosa State Penitentiary is a maximum security penitentiary prison

Prison

A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

 for men. It is located in the Jones County

Jones County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 20,638 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,911 housing units, of which 8,151 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 community of Anamosa, Iowa

Anamosa, Iowa

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,494 people, 1,750 households, and 1,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,453.4 people per square mile . There were 1,884 housing units at an average density of 841.3 per square mile...

 - approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) northeast of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

.

Currently the penitentiary is home to 1,080 inmates, another 175 in segregation (May 31, 2010) and has 357 staff members. Inmates working in the Iowa Prison Industries produce metal stamping, custom wood, printing, metal furniture, sign, and cleaning products at the penitentiary. The penitentiary also offers educational services, and has a contract with a community college for such services. The prison offers vocational training in welding, automobile repair, horticultural, and janitorial services. Inmates also are able to take courses to earn a high school diploma or a GED

GED

General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...

, or can take coursework towards an Associate of Arts degree

Academic degree

An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

. The prison also offers substance abuse treatment programs for those inmates with drug and/or alcohol problems.

The penitentiary also maintains a satellite minimum security institution for up to 80 inmates at the Luster Heights Prison Farm

Luster Heights Prison Farm

Luster Heights Prison Farm is a satellite facility of Anamosa State Penitentiary operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections. It is located in the Yellow River State Forest near Harpers Ferry in Allamakee County...

. This is located in the northeastern corner of the state in the Yellow River State Forest

Yellow River State Forest

Yellow River State Forest is partly forested land owned by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It is located in the southeastern corner of Allamakee County, the most northeasterly of Iowa's counties...

 near Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Harpers Ferry is a city in Taylor Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 330 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Harpers Ferry is located at ....

, all in Allamakee County

Allamakee County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 14,330 in the county, with a population density of . There were 7,617 housing units, of which 5,845 were occupied.-2000 census:...

.

Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum

The Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum is located in just outside the penitentiary's walls in a stone building that was formerly a barn and then a cheese-making facility for the prison. Exhibits include the history of the prison, the role of prison guards and the construction of the buildings. The museum is open seasonally and features a gift shop.

External links

• Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum