NEWTON — Chemical fumes from a roofing project triggered an emergency response at an Iowa prison this week, sending staff and incarcerated individuals for medical evaluation before officials ultimately declared the facility safe.
The Iowa Department of Corrections said Thursday that the September 2 incident at the Newton Correctional Facility was traced to fumes from a chemical adhesive being used by a third-party contractor during routine roofing construction.
Nine prison staff members and 10 incarcerated individuals were evaluated following the exposure, according to the department. All 19 were cleared.
Corrections officials said on-site medical reassessments for people who may have been affected have also been completed, although additional monitoring will continue as a precaution.
Safety officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections and Iowa Department of Administrative Services reviewed the facility following the incident and approved a return to normal operations.
The emergency had initially been treated as a potential chemical exposure, prompting the prison to secure the affected area and activate its emergency and safety procedures.
Newton Correctional Facility is located about five miles south of Newton on nearly 1,500 acres and contains both a medium-security institution and a minimum-security Correctional Release Center. The state says the facility also plays a significant role in preparing offenders for parole, work release and discharge.
The incident also occurred at a time when the Newton prison complex is operating well above its stated design capacity.
Iowa Department of Corrections statistics for September 3 showed 934 incarcerated people in Newton’s medium-security institution, which has a listed capacity of 762. Another 346 people were housed in the minimum-security operation, which has a listed capacity of 252.
Combined, that means the two Newton operations were housing about 1,280 people in space designed for 1,014 — roughly 26 percent above capacity. Statewide, Iowa’s correctional institutions were holding 8,989 people against a listed capacity of 6,990.
Prison capacity and safety have received increasing attention in Iowa. Earlier this year, NorthIowaToday.com reported that Mason City State Rep. Christian Hermanson was touting legislation aimed at investing in Iowa prison infrastructure, arguing that the state needs sufficient capacity to house dangerous offenders. Read NIT’s story on Iowa prison infrastructure and capacity
NIT has also covered serious safety incidents inside Iowa prisons. In February, two Iowa State Penitentiary inmates were charged with attempted murder after authorities said they attacked corrections employees with homemade weapons during a January assault. Read NIT’s coverage of the Iowa prison staff stabbing case
Newton itself has experienced previous emergency evacuations. In 2014, NorthIowaToday.com reported that major storm-related water damage created a hazardous condition inside the Newton Correctional Release Center, forcing 54 offenders from a housing unit and temporarily suspending visits and volunteer activities. Read NIT’s earlier coverage of an emergency at the Newton prison
In the latest incident, however, state officials said the chemical-fume threat has passed and normal operations at Newton Correctional Facility have reumed.