Corrections Officers Relieved in Culver's Budget Changes

By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

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By Daren Sukhram

Story Created: Oct 28, 2009 at 5:40 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 28, 2009 at 5:40 PM CST

EPWORTH - With Governor Culver announcing changes in budget cuts, corrections officers in Iowa's State Prisons are breathing a sigh of relief, at least for now.

One officer tells us any layoffs would pose a serious risk.

Leo Gansen Lives near Epworth and works at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. He says the officer to inmate ratio at that prison is already extremely lean. "For instance there will be one officer working in a small unit with 100 inmates. There will be three officers working in a unit with 330 inmates."

Gansen is also the prison's union president.

Union employees held a picket back in August of 2006. Then, the group was worried about a staff shortage.

For now the Governor refused to cut corrections positions. But in the future should any cuts come, Gansen says it would make things even worse.

"You take another 46 off of 200 officers and you are looking at nobody is going to get a day off. Then you know what kind of stress gets on people when they do nothing than go to work everyday."

Gansen says any possible cuts would also mean fewer inmate programs.
For now, all of Gansen's co-workers still have a job and he hopes, for everyone's sake, those officers will all keep those jobs.

Anamosa Prison Warden John Fayram says he will not make a public comment about the Governor's decision until Thursday.

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