The director of the Iowa Department of Corrections says the state’s sex offender treatment program, currently housed in Mount Pleasant, will be moved to Newton. Jerry Bartruff says the move will provide for better use of both staff and facilities….
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The Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility houses nearly 900 inmates, about 200 of which are serving time for sex crimes. Bartruff says the Mount Pleasant facility has a dormitory-style environment that’s not appropriate for many sex offenders, while the Newton prison is more versatile and secure…..
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The Newton Correctional Facility currently has about 1,300 inmates. A plan to transition the convicted sex offenders from Mount Pleasant to Newton is still being developed, according to Bartruff, so the move likely won’t happen until sometime next year. He doesn’t believe the change will alter staffing at either prison.