About
The Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) is responsible for nine institutions housing approximately 8,200 individuals, and the accreditation and funding of eight district departments of correctional services that supervise about 30,800 people in the community on any given day.
Additionally, the IDOC is responsible for jail inspections, and for Iowa Prison Industries, a not-for-profit program that teaches valuable manufacturing job skills to incarcerated individuals.
The IDOC carries out its mission by managing a coordinated system of evidence based, research informed services and interventions within a continuum of custody and community supervision levels. The key to the effective and efficient management of this system is the Risk Need Responsivity Model:
Risk. A person’s level of service should reflect their risk of recidivism.
Need. A person’s criminogenic needs should be assessed and targeted for treatment, with higher risk individuals receiving the most intensive treatment.
Responsivity. The type of intervention should correspond with the offender’s strengths and motivations.
Building protective factors that may buffer risk and ultimately lead to crime desistance is also a focus of the IDOC. The goal is to assist individuals to become productive members of their communities upon reentry.
