As we launch this comprehensive, five-year strategic plan (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031), we affirm the Iowa Department of Corrections' commitment to fostering a safe, rehabilitative, and supportive environment.
Our approach remains inherently collaborative, data-driven, and responsive. The creation of this plan has been shaped by the essential insights and experiences of our staff, community partners, and experts, ensuring our strategies align with our mission to create opportunities for safer communities and our vision of an Iowa with no more victims. That commitment is reflected in our outcomes.
In FY2025, 67.2% of individuals released three years earlier successfully reentered the community and did not return to prison. This Successful Reentry Rate represents more than a statistic. It reflects lives stabilized, families strengthened, and communities made safer. At the same time, it reminds us there is still work to do, and this plan is designed to build on that progress.
The Three Strategic Priorities that form the foundation of the department's plan are:
While taking specific steps to improve upon the three Core Priorities will be important, the Department will also focus on our Core Values. The following five core values represent the essential traits of an organizational culture required to successfully implement and sustain strategic change. By intentionally institutionalizing these characteristics, DOC staff will be fully equipped with the mindsets, practices, and professional resilience needed to achieve the department's vision for the future.
The Core Values are: