Iowa DOC director details staffing gains, culture work and new Recidiviz grant

Department of Corrections Director Beth Skinner told the Board of Corrections that vacancies across the agency have fallen and the department has launched several internal efforts to standardize training and strengthen workplace culture. "We are filling those positions and really getting some great staff," Skinner said.

Skinner said the department is expanding training through its Learning Center and rolling out a train‑the‑trainer model so supervisors can deliver a new leadership curriculum to staff across institutions and community-based corrections. She said deputies Sally and Nick are running innovation forums on both the community-based corrections and prison sides and the agency has stood up a centralized SharePoint for staff resources.

The department also received a three‑year Bureau of Justice Assistance grant to work with Recidiviz on population management tools including program inventories, early‑discharge analyses and dashboards. "We got a 3 year grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to look at population management, program inventories and early discharge and other dashboards," Skinner said.

Skinner described additional steps to sustain culture work, including creating a change‑champion network, weekly change‑management meetings, and development of a 3–5 year sustainability plan with the outside consultant referenced in the presentation. She told the board the agency will work with wardens, district directors and central‑office heads to align values and execution across the system.

Board members asked no follow‑up questions during the public portion of the meeting. The presentation preceded separate budget and operational items on the agenda.

The director also introduced a new legal counsel hire, Shannon Archer, who joined the agency from the attorney general's office to serve as counsel for special‑mission or legally sensitive corrections matters.