Strategic Plan: FY2021 - FY2026

The Iowa Department of Corrections has embarked on a plan to take Iowa from having a good correctional agency to having a national leader in how a state can do corrections. It requires focusing on three core priorities and five target areas. Everything will be understandable, actionable, and measurable so that all team members can clearly see how their work is contributing towards the desired goals. By focusing on these priorities and target areas, the Department can accomplish its five-year goal of creating a 10% increase in the Reentry Success Rate. Currently, the RSR is 60.2%. By the end of FY2026, the Department’s RSR will be at least 70%. Not only will the Department be accomplishing its mission of making Iowa safer, but it will also move Iowa from an RSR of 25th in the nation to the top 10 in the country.

The three Core Priorities are foundational for the department. However, if they are not specifically measured, they can get overlooked. Each of these three core priorities have symbiotic relationships with one another.

The three Core Priorities are:

When improvements are made in one of the Core Priorities, it leads to improvements in the other two.  As we identify, set goals, measure progress and make improvements in these three priorities, the department’s mission can be accomplished.

While taking specific steps to improve upon the three Core Priorities will be important, the department will also focus on five very specific Target Areas that will individually fuel improvements that will feed into the Core Priorites. These Target Areas are clear, actionable, achievable, and measurable.

The five Target Areas are: