Iowa’s prison population is forecast to grow by 39-percent over the next decade, according to a new report from the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. Iowa Department of Corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta says although the report estimates Iowa’s inmate count at 11,317 by mid-2024, it’s unlikely to actually reach that level.

“It’s just a prediction and we will continue to monitor, but we’ll continue to work the way we are now in trying to keep our prison population stable as well as moving people through the system,” Scaletta says. There are currently just under 82-hundred (8,200) inmates in Iowa prisons that are designed to accommodate 7,276 prisoners. Scaletta says his agency has been working with lawmakers and the Board of Parole to improve the community-based corrections system and reduce recidivism for inmates who are freed.

“So, we’ve been able to stabilize and even lower our population over the last three to four years,” Scaletta said. The 34-page Prison Population Forecast report is schedule to be presented to the Board of Corrections at its meeting today (Friday) in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s new Senator-elect Joni Ernst got a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama on Wednesday. The Republican from Red Oak beat Democrat Bruce Braley for the Senate seat long held by Democrat Tom Harkin. Ernst spokeswoman Caitlin Conant declined to comment on the conversation yesterday.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A 55-year-old Burlington man is accused of punching and stabbing someone who he said called his daughter names and used profane language. The Hawk Eye reports that William Lane is charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault and is due back in court on November 13th. Officers were sent to a Burlington home Tuesday to investigate a reported stabbing. Michael Payne told the officers that Lane had become upset with him because Lane thought Payne had disrespected Lane’s 31-year-old daughter.

SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man accused of providing alcohol to a teenager before a fatal car crash faces felony charges. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports 21-year-old Matthias Stork of Breda is charged with two counts of supplying alcohol resulting in death.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been given 60 days in prison for torturing and killing a bald eagle in 2011. District Court Judge John Jarvey sentenced 36-year-old Jason Thomas of What Cheer on Thursday for taking and possessing a bald eagle. He was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and pay a $2,000 fine.

A man from Union County was sentenced Wednesday to slightly more than 5-years in prison for a weapons violation. 33-year old Peter James Wiley, of Creston will serve a 110 month sentence plus three-years of supervised release, for possession of firearm by a convicted felon.

Wiley was identified as a person of interest in a shooting that occurred in Page County, early in the evening of December 10, 2013. Several hours later, Wiley was identified as a suspect in a shooting that occurred in Adams County, Iowa. Wiley was located by Creston Police, early in the morning of the 11th of December 2013, when he was observed driving a car that failed to stop for a stop sign. A pursuit occurred which culminated with Wiley setting his vehicle on fire, fleeing his vehicle on foot, and running into a farm field. As he fled on foot, he dropped a forty caliber semi-automatic handgun onto the roadway. He was arrested a short time later after being located by a K-9 unit. Wiley pled guilty to the charge on June 5, 2014.

The investigation was conducted by the Shenandoah, Iowa, Police Department, the Creston, Iowa, Police Department, the Page County Sheriff’s Office, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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A man from Montgomery County was sentenced Wednesday to more than 5 1/2-years in prison on a weapons charge. U-S District Court Judge John Jarvey sentenced 32-year old Bill Joe Gillespie of Red Oak, to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of firearm by a convicted felon.

An investigation revealed that Gillespie had broken into a Shell gas station in Red Oak, Iowa, during the early morning hours of December 15, 2013, and had taken, among other items, two shotguns. The shotguns were recovered from Gillespie a short time later. Gillespie pled guilty to the charge on May 8, 2014.

The investigation was conducted by the Red Oak, Iowa, Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is updating the numbers of travelers who are currently being monitored for Ebola. As of November 6, 2014, 13 travelers, who were in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea in the last 21 days, are now in Iowa. Twelve had low risk of having been exposed to Ebola in those countries, so they are being allowed to resume normal activities; however, IDPH has ordered them to self-monitor, meaning they are required to take their temperature
twice a day and report their health status to public health.

One person had some risk of being exposed to Ebola, and has been quarantined, meaning they have been directed to stay at home and take their temperature twice daily, including at least once with a public health official observing. At this time, there is no risk to public safety. None of these travelers have any symptoms consistent with Ebola – which include fever, vomiting and diarrhea. IDPH Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk stated, “These individuals are being monitored closely and pose no risk to the public’s health. All individuals are fully complying and are cooperating with health officials.”

Public health actions, such as “quarantines,” are used when a person is well, but may have been exposed to a serious disease, and so may become ill in the future. With the disease Ebola, the incubation period is up to 21 days, thus the person will stay at home or be “quarantined at home” for 21 days. “Isolation” is used when an individual is displaying symptoms of an illness; this has not been used yet in Iowa because none of these travelers have become ill or displayed symptoms.

As more non-ill travelers return from West Africa, it is likely that more people will be directed to either submit to self-monitoring or placed into quarantine. Iowans should be confident every step has been, and will continue to be taken to protect the public’s health. These public health actions are consistent with current national guidelines, are part of the standard practice of public health, and have been used in the past with outbreaks of SARS, measles, tuberculosis, and during the 2006 H1N1 influenza
pandemic.State law prevents the state from releasing certain health information that may identify individuals, but the following represents a “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding the situation:

• Are any of these individuals displaying signs or symptoms of Ebola? No individuals are displaying signs or symptoms of Ebola. These actions are being taken out of an abundance of caution.
• Is the public’s health, safety and well-being at risk? No, these individuals are not displaying symptoms. Ebola is only contagious when an individual is ill. Furthermore, all individuals are fully complying with the appropriate public health order.
• If there is no risk to the public’s health, why would the state release this information? The state believes in being transparent, especially when it pertains to the public’s health and wellbeing. We understand this is a public health issue of great interest to Iowans so we believe we need to be as forthcoming as possible. As such, the state believes the information needs to be released, even though there is not a risk to the public’s health at this time.

Case counts have been placed on IDPH’s web site since October 27 and are updated weekly. This will continue as has been done in the past with other outbreaks of serious diseases. You might find these updates at www.idph.state.ia.us/EHI/Issue.aspx?issue=Ebola%20Outbreak&pg=Status%20Updates

• Where are the individuals in Iowa? Because of the small number of travelers returning to Iowa from Ebola-affected counties in West Africa, the release of county-level data could lead to identification of an individual, in violation of Iowa law.
• Have monitored individuals been traveling around Iowa or been engaging in activities around members of the public? Those who are determined to be at low risk are allowed to travel by private car and to resume normal activities, but not to travel by airplane, train, long distance bus, or ship. Travelers who are determined to be at some risk are under orders to stay at home, but are allowed non-congregate outdoor activities (such as jogging in a park) as these types of activities do not put the public at any risk.
• Why weren’t these travelers stopped at the arrival airport? These individuals were flagged at the U.S. arrival airport after having traveled from one of the three West African countries, and were screened by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) officials. Travelers, who are well, are allowed to continue on to their destination, including Iowa. Meanwhile, public health officials in the destination state are alerted to the arrival of these travelers. In Iowa, public health officials contact these travelers and perform an in person interview to verify their risk of having been exposed to patients with Ebola, and are served an appropriate public health order based on that risk.
• What country did the individuals work in, who did they work with and what kind of work were they doing? Releasing information about an individual could identify them and violate state law, which protects an individual’s health information from becoming public.
• What can the public do to remain safe? The public is safe. These travelers are not having any symptoms at this time and are being monitored twice a day by public health officials.
• If the quarantined traveler were to become symptomatic, how would public health officials respond? Public health officials have been working with Iowa health care partners to have a system to safely transport a sick traveler to a prepared medical facility that could safely care for that patient.