The Hale Bridge Project in Wapsipinicon State Park has been a huge undertaking that has received various grants and enlisted the help of many people, both in man hours and financially. Now inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary (ASP) can be included in the group of helpers and beneficiaries in the project.

For 11 days, five inmates from ASP worked, with the help of correctional officer Denny Lawler and Bard Concrete, to pour concrete approaches to the bridge. All totalled, the inmates laid 685 feet of concrete, 603 on the park side and 82 feet on the Shaw Road side. The remaining approach on the Shaw Road side of the bridge will be completed in the spring.

Lawler, who has worked at ASP for 20 years, served as the foreman on this project, as well as many others. He said there is always a learning curve on a new project, but the men, Terry Jacobi, Patrick McAdams, Ron Findlay, Bruce Leab and Robert Seastrand, caught on quickly.

“They’re a good group of men and good workers,” Lawler praised. “After that first day, we were on the same page, and we worked together well.”

“They’ve earned the designation of the A-Team,” he said.
Wapsipinicon State Park Manager Dennis Murphy also praised the men.

“They just did an exceptional job,” he stated.

“He only yelled at us once,” joked Lawler, getting a laugh from his crew.

The inmates all agreed that working on the bridge was a good experience, and they all learned new things from the job.

“I think it’s a benefit for everybody,” said Jacobi. “You can see what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day.”

“I had no clue how to lay concrete,” added McAdams. “It’s nice to be able to do something worthwhile and know that it’s appreciated, that’s probably worth more than anything.”

Findlay included, “I actually enjoyed it. It makes me feel good to know I’ve done something with a lasting impact on the community.”

“I learned a lot from Mr. Lawler. I hadn’t done a lot of flat work, but once we got going, we each had a job and got it done,” added Leab.

Seastrand said, “I was shocked when they said we were going to the park. The support from the warden and DNR was great. It’s good that everyone came together for this.”

The job done by the men is certainly appreciated. Jones County Supervisor Andy McKean said the inmate labor saved the project and the county money.

“We got a great job done at little cost to the Jones County taxpayer,” McKean said. “The quality of work the inmates and their supervisor did out there was tremendous.”

ASP Warden Jerry Burt said the project is one of many that inmates have done both inside and out side the walls. The projects range from making items to auction for the ASP food drive to farm work and everything in between.

“It’s a little over 28,000 hours between Anamosa and Luster Heights,” he said. “A big issue we have is our staff time.”

Before the men are approved to work outside the walls, the requests are sent through several Department of Correction reviews for approval, including a counseling and staff committee reviews, review by the warden and then off to Oakdale for approval. Burt said the first concern is always the community’s safety. Burt said it also helps the inmates develop technical and teamwork skills.

“They know Denny’s the expert and trust what he’s teaching. The one thing about Denny is he takes his role as teacher very seriously,” Burt said.

Burt said inmates closer to their release dates are chosen because he will be less likely to attempt escape. Projects can be requested by government agencies and non-profits and Burt said all of the correctional institutions in the state are involved in projects such as this.

Fort Madison Warden John Ault, who was formerly the warden at ASP, said inmates have been working on community service projects for many years and there were many jobs contracted out to inmates in the ‘70s. After an inmate escaped and killed an ASP employee and her husband in Anamosa, most of the community service projects were eliminated. Slowly the Department of Corrections began adding community services projects again.

“It’s like a pendulum that swings back and forth,” Ault said of the community service projects.

He said the community appreciates the services provided by inmates and in turn, the inmates appreciate the trust that is place with them.

“It can be a win-win situation for everyone,” he said.