Two corrections employees killed on duty at Anamosa State Penitentiary
(The Center Square) – Two correctional facility employees were killed while on duty at Anamosa State Penitentiary.
An inmate attacked multiple staff members and inmates in the prison’ infirmary and a department nurse and correctional officer died from injuries, The Iowa Department of Corrections reported in a tweet around 1 p.m. March 23.
“Additional security staff arrived and restrained the inmate,” the post stated. “Staff began attempting lifesaving first aid on the injured until paramedics arrived.”
The department and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating and names have been withheld until families have been notified and further investigation, the post stated.
“The members of AFSCME Council 61 stand with the staff and officers of the Anamosa State Penitentiary today as they mourn the loss of two of their own,” AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said in a statement the council tweeted. “No one should ever have to go to work and worry about whether they will come home or not. Unfortunately for two Iowans who had committed their lives to keeping our communities safe, they won’t be going home tonight. Our prayers are with their families, co-workers and loved ones during this time, and we will do everything we can to honor their memory.”
As more information becomes available “we will have more to say about how we can ensure this never, ever, ever happens again,” Homan added.
“This correctional facility has been a staple in our community for over a century and the workers there are vital public servants,” State Rep. Lee Hein, R-Monticello, who represents a portion of Anamosa, Iowa said in a statement, Des Moines Register reported. “To think that two of these public servants lost their lives while on duty is devastating. I want to offer my most sincere condolences to the loved ones of the victims. I hope we will see justice brought to the assailant soon.”
Sen. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, ranking member of the Justice System Appropriations Subcommittee called the event “a horrible tragedy” in a statement on the Iowa Senate Democrats website.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, neighbors and co-workers,” Taylor said. “In addition to ensuring that justice is served, we must also ensure that state leaders address chronic understaffing and other systemic problems at our prisons before we have more deaths.”
The governor will order all flags in Iowa to be flown at half-staff on the days of internment, which have not yet been announced.
“Today, our state grieves the loss of two public servants who were attacked while on duty at the Anamosa State Penitentiary,” Gov. Kim Reynolds. said in a statement. “My prayers and deepest condolences are with their families, friends, and colleagues as they begin to cope with this senseless tragedy. We will exhaust every available resource to deliver justice to those who committed this act and bring a sense of closure and peace to the victims’ families.”
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