Iowa Prison Industries' textiles operation consists of two shops, one located at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility and a second at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville.

Textiles has been an important part of Iowa Prison Industries operations on and off throughout the history of inmate labor in Iowa’s prisons. Within our current business model, IPI has been producing textiles for Iowa’s prisons and other other customers since the 1980s. At that time, the Textiles Shop was located at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. Embroidery capabilities were added in 2005. A second Textiles Shop was opened in Mitchellville in 2008 for jean production, and all textiles were gradually moved there by 2012 (except mattresses which followed in 2018).

In 2015, the jean production process was revamped using Lean methodology and moved to the new Fort Dodge Textiles shop. Other manufactured textile products moved to Fort Dodge in subsequent years such as scrubs and jumpsuits; IPI’s line of tactical pants was also developed at Fort Dodge. The Mitchellville Textiles shop remains open; focusing on embroidery and screen printing and mattresses.

The Textiles Shops utilize various types of textiles machinery and software programs, allowing incarcerated men and women to learn valuable skills that will transfer to society upon their release.