Corrections director announces new head of institutions

DES MOINES – Department of Corrections Director Beth Skinner announced today that she has selected the next Deputy Director of Institutions. Dir. Skinner has selected current warden of the Anamosa State Penitentiary, Bill Sperfslage to fill the position. As Deputy Director of Institutions, Sperfslage will have oversight of the nine correctional facilities in the Iowa correctional system.

This position had been held since 2015 by Dan Craig, who was appointed the Interim Director of the Department in December of 2018, and is retiring this month.

Commenting on her selection of Sperflsage for the position, Dir. Skinner stated, “Warden Sperflsage is the right person for this job. He has spent his career preparing for a position with this amount of responsibility, and his knowledge of Iowa Corrections will lend itself well to the safety of our staff and the rehabilitation of our incarcerated population.”

Sperfslage started his career in Corrections as a correctional officer in 1979. He would go on to hold such positions as: sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, security director, and deputy warden, until his appointment as the warden of the Anamosa State Penitentiary in 2015. The effective date of his new position will be July 8.