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Iowa Code tit. XVI, ch. 904, subch. VII
in effect

Iowa Code § 904.701 Services required — gratuitous allowances — hard labor — rules.

904.701. Services required — gratuitous allowances — hard labor — rules. 1. An inmate of an institution shall be required to perform hard labor which is suited to the inmate’s age, gender, physical and mental condition, strength, and attainments in the institution proper, in the industries established in connection with the institution, or at such other places as may be determined by the director. Substantially equivalent hard labor programs shall be available to both male and female inmates. When an inmate of an institution is working outside the institution proper, the inmate shall be deemed at all times to be in the actual custody of the superintendent of the institution. Inmates performing hard labor on chain gangs at a location other than within or on the grounds of a correctional institution shall be attired in brightly colored uniforms that readily identify them as inmates of correctional institutions. Inmates performing other types of hard labor at locations other than within or on the grounds of a correctional institution may also be required by the department to wear the brightly colored uniforms. Inmates not required to wear brightly colored uniforms while performing hard labor shall be otherwise clearly designated as inmates of correctional institutions. The employment of inmates in hard labor shall not displace employed workers, shall not be applied to skills, crafts, or trades in which a local surplus of labor exists, and shall not impair existing contracts for employment or services. 2. The director may when practicable pay the inmate an allowance as the director deems proper in view of the circumstances, and in view of the cost attending the maintenance of the inmate. The allowance is a gratuitous payment and is not a wage arising out of an employment relationship. The payment shall not exceed the amount paid to free labor for a like or equivalent service. 3. For purposes of this section, “hard labor” means physical or mental labor which is performed for a period of time which shall average, as nearly as possible, forty hours each week, and may include useful and productive work, chain gangs, menial labor, treatment or education programs, any training necessary to perform any work required, and, if possible, work providing an inmate with marketable vocational skills. “Hard labor” does not include labor which is dangerous to an inmate’s life or health, is unduly painful, or is required to be performed under conditions that would violate occupational safety and health standards applicable to such labor if performed by a person who is not an inmate. 4. Notwithstanding subsection 1, an inmate who has been determined by the director to be unsuitable for the performance of hard labor due to the inmate’s age, gender, physical or mental condition, strength, or security status shall not be required to perform hard labor. 5. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. 83 Acts, ch 96, §33, 159CS83, §217A.4685 Acts, ch 21, §23, 54CS85, §246.701C93, §904.70195 Acts, ch 166, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1216, §33 See Iowa Acts for special provisions relating to reports concerning inmate labor in a given year

Iowa Code § 904.702 Deductions from inmate accounts.

904.702. Deductions from inmate accounts. 1. If allowances are paid pursuant to section 904.701, the director shall establish an inmate account, for deposit of those allowances and for deposit of moneys sent to the inmate from a source other than the department of corrections. The director may deduct an amount, not to exceed ten percent of the amount of the allowance, unless the inmate requests a larger amount, to be deposited into the inmate savings fund as required under section 904.508, subsection 2. In addition to deducting a portion of the allowance, the director may also deduct from an inmate account any amount, except amounts directed to be deposited in the inmate telephone fund established in section 904.508A, sent to the inmate from a source other than the department of corrections for deposit in the inmate savings fund as required under section 904.508, subsection 2, until the amount in the fund equals the amount due the inmate upon discharge, parole, or placement on work release. The director shall deduct from the inmate account an amount the inmate is legally obligated to pay for child support. The director shall deduct from the inmate account an amount established by the inmate’s restitution plan of payment. The director shall also deduct from any remaining account balance an amount sufficient to pay all or part of any judgment against the inmate, including but not limited to judgments for taxes and child support, and court costs and fees assessed either as a result of the inmate’s confinement or amounts required to be paid under section 610A.1. Written notice of the amount of the deduction shall be given to the inmate, who shall have five days after receipt of the notice to submit in writing any and all objections to the deduction to the director, who shall consider the objections prior to transmitting the deducted amount to the clerk of the district court. The director need give only one notice for each action or appeal under section 610A.1 for which periodic deductions are to be made. The director shall next deduct from any remaining account balance an amount sufficient to pay all or part of any costs assessed against the inmate for misconduct or damage to the property of others. The director may deduct from the inmate’s account an amount sufficient to pay for the inmate’s share of the costs of health services requested by the inmate and for the treatment of injuries inflicted by the inmate on the inmate or others. The director may deduct and disburse an amount sufficient for industries’ programs to qualify under the eligibility requirements established in the Justice Assistance Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-473, including an amount to pay all or part of the cost of the inmate’s incarceration. The director may pay all or any part of remaining allowances paid pursuant to section 904.701 directly to a dependent of the inmate, or may deposit the allowance to the account of the inmate, or may deposit a portion and allow the inmate a portion for the inmate’s personal use. 2. The director and the department shall not be liable to any person for any damages caused by the withdrawal or failure to withdraw money or the payment or failure to make any payment under this section. 83 Acts, ch 96, §34, 159CS83, §217A.4785 Acts, ch 21, §24, 54; 85 Acts, ch 195, §24CS85, §246.70287 Acts, ch 13, §3; 88 Acts, ch 1166, §1; 91 Acts, ch 219, §10C93, §904.70295 Acts, ch 167, §6; 96 Acts, ch 1165, §3; 2003 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 2, §59, 209; 2006 Acts, ch 1183, §25

Iowa Code § 904.703 Services of inmates — institutions and public service — inmate labor fund.

904.703. Services of inmates — institutions and public service — inmate labor fund. 1. Inmates shall work on state account in the maintenance of state institutions, in the erection, repair, authorized demolition, or operation of buildings and works used in connection with the institutions, and in industries established and maintained in connection with the institutions by the director. The director shall encourage the making of agreements, including chapter 28E agreements, with departments and agencies of the state or its political subdivisions to provide products or services under an inmate work program to the departments and agencies. The director may implement an inmate work program for trustworthy inmates of state correctional institutions, under proper supervision, whether at work centers located outside the state correctional institutions or in construction or maintenance work at public or charitable facilities and for other agencies of state, county, or local government. The supervision, security, and transportation of, and allowances paid to inmates used in public service projects shall be provided pursuant to agreements, including chapter 28E agreements, made by the director and the agency for which the work is done. Housing and maintenance shall also be provided pursuant to the agreement, including a chapter 28E agreement, unless the inmate is housed and maintained in the correctional facility. All such work, including but not limited to that provided in this section, shall have as its primary purpose the development of attitudes, skills, and habit patterns which are conducive to inmate rehabilitation. The director may adopt rules allowing inmates participating in an inmate work program to receive educational or vocational training outside the state correctional institutions and away from the work centers or public or charitable facilities used under a program. 2. An inmate shall not work in a public service project if the work of that inmate would replace a person employed by the state agency or political subdivision, which employee is performing the work of the public service project at the time the inmate is being considered for work in the project. 3. An inmate labor fund is established under the control of the department. All fees, grants, appropriations, or reimbursed costs received by the department and related to inmate labor shall be deposited into the fund, and the moneys shall be used by the department to offset staff and transportation costs related to providing inmate labor to public entities and to initiate or supplement other inmate labor activities within correctional institutions or throughout the state. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, interest and earnings deposited in the fund shall be credited to the fund. [S13, §5702-a; SS15, §5718-a11; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §3757; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §246.18] 83 Acts, ch 51, §3, 7, 9; 83 Acts, ch 96, §159, 160CS83, §217A.7885 Acts, ch 21, §26, 54CS85, §246.70388 Acts, ch 1165, §2; 90 Acts, ch 1251, §31C93, §904.70398 Acts, ch 1086, §6; 99 Acts, ch 182, §5; 2004 Acts, ch 1106, §3; 2005 Acts, ch 67, §1

Iowa Code § 904.704 Limitation on contracts.

904.704. Limitation on contracts. The director or the superintendent or district director, as applicable, of the institutions shall not, nor shall any other person employed by the state, make any contract by which the labor or time of an inmate in the institution is given, loaned, or sold to any person unless as provided by subchapter VIII or section 904.703. [S13, §2727-a51, 5718-a28a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §3764; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §246.25] 83 Acts, ch 51, §4, 7, 9; 83 Acts, ch 96, §159, 160CS83, §217A.7985 Acts, ch 21, §27, 54CS85, §246.704C93, §904.704 2017 Acts, ch 54, §76; 2024 Acts, ch 1182, §76

Iowa Code § 904.705 Industries — forestry nurseries.

904.705. Industries — forestry nurseries. 1. The director may establish industries at or in connection with any of the institutions under the director’s control and may make contractual agreements with the United States, other states, state departments and agencies, and subdivisions of the state, for purchase of industry products. 2. The director may with the assistance of the department of natural resources establish and operate forestry nurseries on state-owned land under the control of the department. Residents of the adult correctional institutions shall provide the labor for the operation. Nursery stock shall be sold in accordance with the rules of the natural resource commission. The department shall pay the costs of establishing and operating the forestry nurseries out of the revolving farm fund created in section 904.706. The department of natural resources shall pay the costs of transporting, sorting, and distributing nursery stock to and from or on state-owned land under the control of the department of natural resources. Receipts from the sale of nursery stock produced under this section shall be divided between the department and the department of natural resources in direct proportion to their respective costs as a percentage of the total costs. However, property taxes due and payable on the land shall be deducted before receipts of sale are divided between the two departments if land subject to this section is leased to an entity other than an entity which is exempt from property taxation under section 427.1. The department shall deposit its receipts in the revolving farm fund created in section 904.706. 83 Acts, ch 96, §47, 159CS83, §217A.6985 Acts, ch 21, §54CS85, §246.705C93, §904.7052003 Acts, ch 130, §4, 5

Iowa Code § 904.706 Revolving farm fund.

904.706. Revolving farm fund. 1. A revolving farm fund is created in the state treasury in which the department shall deposit receipts from agricultural products, nursery stock, agricultural land rentals, and the sale of livestock. However, before any agricultural operation is phased out, the department which proposes to discontinue this operation shall notify the governor, chairpersons and ranking members of the house and senate appropriations committees, and co-chairpersons and ranking members of the subcommittee in the senate and house of representatives which has handled the appropriation for this department in the past session of the general assembly. Before the department sells farmland under the control of the department, the director shall notify the governor, chairpersons and ranking members of the house and senate appropriations committees, and co-chairpersons and ranking members of the joint appropriations subcommittee that handled the appropriation for the department during the past session of the general assembly. The department may pay from the fund for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of farms and agricultural or nursery property under the control of the department. A purchase order for five thousand dollars or less payable from the fund is exempt from the general purchasing requirements of chapter 8A, subchapter III. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered or unobligated receipts in the revolving farm fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state. 2. Notwithstanding section 8.36, the department shall annually prepare a financial statement covering the previous calendar year to provide for an accounting of the funds in the revolving farm fund. The financial statement shall be filed with the legislative services agency on or before February 1 each year. 3. As used in this section, “department” means the department of corrections and the department of health and human services. 4. The farm operations administrator appointed under section 904.302 shall perform the functions described under section 904.302 for agricultural operations on property of the department of health and human services. 5. The department of health and human services shall enter into an agreement under chapter 28D with the Iowa department of corrections to implement this section. 83 Acts, ch 96, §48, 159 CS83, §217A.70 85 Acts, ch 21, §54 CS85, §246.706 86 Acts, ch 1075, §2; 89 Acts, ch 9, §1; 91 Acts, ch 260, §1221 C93, §904.706 2003 Acts, ch 35, §45, 49; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §283; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §76; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1337

Iowa Code § 904.707 Apprenticeship programs — limitations.

904.707. Apprenticeship programs — limitations. An inmate shall not be enrolled in an apprenticeship program if the inmate would be unable to obtain a necessary license to practice the profession to which the apprenticeship relates due to the inmate’s conviction of a felony. Prior to enrolling an inmate in an apprenticeship program, the department of corrections shall receive written confirmation from the appropriate licensing board that the inmate would be able to receive a necessary license to practice the profession to which the apprenticeship relates if it appears to the department that the inmate may be disqualified from receiving such a license. 2019 Acts, ch 99, §13
Source: Iowa Legislature (legis.iowa.gov)URL: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode/sections?codeChapter=904&year=2026Fetched: 10/20/2026

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