Crime Victims' Needs
Many severe crimes alter a victim's life forever. People convicted of those crimes might be put behind bars for a very long time or even the rest of their lives. Join host Charity Nebbe who talks with...
View ArticleCommutation, Skylark and the Innocence Project of Iowa
In the summer of 1974, Rasberry Williams shot and killed a Waterloo man over a $30 gambling debt. In April, Governor Terry Branstad granted Williams’ request for commutation, making him eligible for...
View ArticleCommunity Corrections in Iowa
Probation, parole, work release and other programs are designed to help offenders live as productive members of the community. Host Charity Nebbe continues Iowa Public Radio’s series exploring...
View ArticleIowa's Mandatory Minimum Sentencing & Special Courts
We continue our series on corrections in Iowa by talking about mandatory minimum sentences. What is the goal of mandatory sentences and how effective are they? What are their legal, social and economic...
View ArticleParents In Prison
When a parent is sent to prison, the lives of his or her children are changed forever. Today on Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe hosts a discussion on parents in prison. Maintaining and creating healthy...
View ArticleGrowing Old and Dying in Prison
Our corrections series continues by examining what it is like to grow old and die in prison. Hear from an offender who works in a hospice program. He has helped 20 fellow inmates face the end of life...
View ArticleDays Numbered for Iowa Penitentiary
One of the oldest records that Iowa still holds will be lost soon. That is when the earliest operating prison west of the Mississippi will he replaced by an all-new Iowa State penitentiary. We explore...
View ArticleSpirituality In Iowa Prisons
Prison inmates have a lot of time to think. Some offenders take comfort in their faith, for others it’s a time to explore a new belief system. Today on Talk of Iowa: spirituality behind bars. Host...
View ArticleStaffing Iowa's Prisons
Nationally the turnover rate for correctional officers is over 15%. Working in a prison is a stressful and dangerous job, but it can also be rewarding. Today, Clay Masters speaks with a correctional...
View ArticleRecidivism
Iowa Public Radio concludes it's summer series on Iowa's corrections system with a look at recidivism. Host Ben Kieffer learns why offenders in rural areas may be at a disadvantage when they leave...
View ArticleIowa's Prison Programming
Today on Talk of Iowa, we wrap up our corrections series with a conversation on the programs offered to incarcerated offenders. Host Charity Nebbe learns about how these programs are designed for...
View ArticleDeveloping Relationship Skills Behind Bars
When a woman leaves prison she will face many challenges, and to succeed she needs to have the skills to navigate her world and to make good decisions. This hour we talk about a class designed to help...
View ArticleGrowing Old and Dying in Prison
Today we listen back to a show, part of Iowa Public Radio's corrections series last summer, about what it is like to grow old and die in prison. We hear from an offender who works in a hospice program....
View ArticleFort Madison Prison Move Delayed
In Fort Madison, 550 inmates were scheduled to be transferred to a new $132 million state maximum security prison - that was three months ago.
View ArticleJob Prospects for Iowa Ex-Felons
Kelley Page saw his e-cigarette store as the new chapter in his life. So it stung that much more when it was taken away because of his past.
View ArticleIowa DREAMer Responds to President Obama's Announcement on Immigration
The President's order to protect five million undocumented immigrants from deportation has been welcomed by some, condemned by others.
View ArticleIowa Prison Population Likely to Increase
A recent report from the Iowa Department of Human Rights indicates the number of inmates in Iowa will increase by four thousand in 10 years. The report looks at the number of people going into prison,...
View ArticleEmployers To Learn Benefits of Hiring Ex-Offenders
The recidivism rate for ex-offenders is significantly lower when they find employment after they leave prison. But getting hired can be difficult for people with criminal records. This week, Iowa...
View ArticleWarden Patti Wachtendorf On First Few Months at the Iowa State Penitentiary
The Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison is home to more than 300 of Iowa's most dangerous inmates, or otherwise known as "lifers." Hundreds of other men serving time there will eventually return to...
View ArticleAbdul-Samad: 'White Folks Can’t Teach You About Racial Profiling'
Racial profiling by Iowa law enforcement was under discussion Tuesday at the annual Summit on Justice and Disparities, sponsored by the NAACP. The gathering focuses each year on the disproportionate...
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