MOUNT PLEASANT – The Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF) was notified this week that three COVID-19 tests they had submitted were positive for COVID-19. The facility has been implementing changes to operations since receiving this information, and have placed the facility on a restricted movement status as they work to mitigate further spread of the virus. Restricted movement status will be lifted as soon as staff are confident viral spread has been contained.
Working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and the State Hygienic Lab, MPCF is conducting additional testing at the facility to identify those that might be carrying the virus while asymptomatic.
The department has been preparing and dealing with the eventuality of COVID-19 in the prison system for months. An outline of the changes to DOC protocols can be found at doc.iowa.gov/department-corrections-steps, and more information related to COVID-19 in the DOC can be found at doc.iowa.gov/COVID19. For members of the public with questions about COVID-19 in the prison system, a hotline is available during business hours Monday-Friday by calling (515) 373-5457.
For a reliable resource on national prison COVID-19 statistics, The Marshall Project conducts regular data verification with each state, and their data can be found via this link.
