Iowa Prison Industries (IPI) staff and incarcerated individuals at Fort Madison have been looking forward to the move of the facility to the new Iowa State Penitentiary for more than three years. Just one month after the Iowa Department of Corrections moved the inmates to the new prison on August 1, 2015, IPI is excited to announce that production of furniture orders has begun at the new facility.
The new IPI furniture shop at Fort Madison is a Lean designed, state-of-the-art wood furniture operation. The 50,000 square foot facility is filled with modern equipment – some new, some brought over for the old facility – that provide incarcerated individuals skills that will be readily transferable to the private sector upon release.
The facility was designed for the efficient production of large orders of dorm furniture and cabinetry. Space was also set aside for production of smaller, custom wood and office furniture orders as the shop is well-known for its exceptional craftsmanship.
Some setup work is still underway in the furniture shop, but IPI expects it to be near full staffing and production by the end of October 2015. Once at full capacity, the facility will be able to employ 80 incarcerated individuals, giving each of them the opportunity to build a brighter future for himself.