Rockwell City - North Central Correctional Facility

We just left Rockwell City and the North Central Correctional Facility.

One of the "perks" of this job is getting to visit state-run facilities, and throughout my time as a state Senator, Secretary of Agriculture, and now Lt. Governor, I have been to nearly all of them. However, I had never been to the North Central Correctional facility before. So when I drove in, I was surprised. It really is a very well-maintained facility.

We were here today to talk about I-JOBS. Maintaining Iowa's prison system is costly, and as a result of down budgets, the legislature did not allocate enough money for maintennance and upkeep at our correctional facilities in recent years. That was until I-JOBS was created.

Here, the Department of Corrections will use $4 million to build a new kitchen and dining hall. The current facility is more than 90 years old. It is out of date, and it is unsafe. I-JOBS will build a secure building that will ensure the safety of our prisoners and our workers for years to come.

And in the short term, it will create jobs right here in Calhoun County.

So, I was glad we stopped here today, and could say hello to the fine, hard-working men and women at North Central Correctional Facility.

And you could really see how proud they are to get this money. In fact, they even got a beautifully decorated (and delicious) cake to celebrate today's visit.

After our visit, the car rolled out the gate and on to our next event in Pocahontas.

Until next time,

Patty