Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) Overview

My Husband is currently and inmate, I want to share my experience so other people have realistic expectations. The counselors assigned to inmates are not counselors. My better half has begged for help. He was in quarantine for five weeks. He is currently in reception and has no idea his status he’s never once been able or allowed to speak to his counselor. His fate and time of sentencing it is up to his counselor. He has unsuccessfully sent E Messages to his counselor with no response. I understand that my husband is a criminal with drug and alcohol abuse and was sentenced with his second 0WI. Previous to court proceedings and arrest he voluntarily went and got extensive rehab and treatment for his alcohol abuse he was clean and sober for seven months prior to court. In his time and rehab and counseling he had found that he had some severe mental health issues that have been undiagnosed his entire adult life. After graduating rehabilitation he continued his alcohol counseling and attended meetings. There is no mental health help inside of this facility unless you attempt to harm yourself or someone else. My husband has followed all the rules and being kind and polite to all staff and officers. How can you just lock people up for undetermined amount of time knowing they’re in a medical grade prison facility and offer them no medical or mental health resources or help. Once he is done with reception which could take up to three months is what I was told by member from the facility if he isn’t transferred or paroled he could be a candidate for counseling. So when you read how the program classification and placement works bear in mind the staff and counselors we will call them paper pushers at this point are incredibly overwhelmed and understaffed. Your love one will not receive the care or the plan that you will read on the facilities website because all information provided is in accurate and completely misleading. Sure he saw a dentist. He also saw the doctor they gave him a stool softeners to help him use the restroom more comfortably. And he is a high school graduate so they gave him an IQ test and tried to encourage him to do classes to get a high school diploma, regardless of the fact that he is already in possession of a high school diploma. My husband has said over the phone at the correction officers are mixed some are nice enough what others will be little you and call you names. So he holds his head up high smiles and follows all the rules and does exactly as instructed. At this point he just wants to be transferred to a facility that will give him the alcohol treatment and counseling that he is missing while being locked in limbo because this facility is greatly understaffed. One of the friends that my husband has made with paroled three months ago the counselor or caseworker is the same one assigned to my husband she walked by the offender that was paroled three months ago and said oh my God I forgot you were still here I should probably file your paperwork for release. That offender has been waiting three months for parole approved release. There is no communication and no services offered with Covid in the mix I understand that makes things complicated it’s not completely black and white and there’s procedures and standards they have to follow so do not expect on any charge to see or hear from you or a loved one for extended amounts of time. As they are transferred through the process of intake quarantine reception and classification with each transfer or move process they lose access to the commissary items and phone privileges. The counselors seem irritated when the offenders ask questions about their case. I have personally called the facility and spoke to different members in different positions to try and provide some information to my husband to give him something to look forward to after spending five weeks locked in a dark closet with a convicted repeat sex offender. No reading material no commissary while in quarantine facility waits till quarantine pods are completely full before starting a full 14 day quarantine family needs experience two month one quarantines. They do not handle case by case they handle lump sums of inmates. No matter what your attorney or a judge tells you or the website outlining the programs expect nothing. And don’t bother calling the facility to ask a question because they will treat you like absolute dog crap on the phone. I left a message for my husband “ counselor” expressing my concern for his mental health and asked if she could simply respond to his E message. Bearing in mind he is only made 2 attempts to contact her because he’s afraid of pissing her off. I was politely asked to stop calling because they will not tell me anything and my husbands is and offender that broke the law and deserves to be there. I responded with their slogan on their website. Helping integrate inmates back into Iowans and preventing reoffending. Now how can you have a slogan like that and offer no services or communication to the offenders? This facility is meant to be a transition between jail and another prison they classify you to decide what prison or supervision status is best for that inmate. My husband says that part seems to be accurate as he has watched a few inmates leave and be transferred to like facilities for their sentencing and crimes. At a certain point they do get some outside privileges football nights on TV and after their extended stay in quarantine as long as you put money on their commissary books they will be able to call you that is if the phones work. My husband loved ones have patiently waited by the phone many times to get no call from him he’ll called to her three days later and say oh sorry the phones were broken again. I’m so glad that my husband being charged $53 a day for all the wonderful services they offer and don’t fulfill. If your loved one and sent here best of luck to you and then stay as positive as possible but go to the department of corrections website and look at the offender search type in their name and hold the results as your realistic expectation. Even though it’s subject to change it’s a lot less painful in the long run to expect more and get less.

My fiancé is in intake right now going on week 3 of quarantine where he is locked in his 8 x 6 cell for 3 days at a time with only 15 minutes to use the phone, shower, and rec because they're short staffed due to COVID. This is complete bullshit!! Doesn’t seem like the 3 week quarantine is doing much good then if so many are sick. They're being treating like animals. This can’t be legal!!!