IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state watchdog agency says Iowa Department of Corrections officials unfairly lengthened an offender’s sentence by excessively punishing him for bumping a guard.
In a report called “Neither fair, nor impartial,” the Office of Ombudsman says the case of Randy Linderman highlights systemic problems with inmate disciplinary hearings.
The report says Linderman’s punishment of 180 days in isolation and 180 days of lost earned time was harsher than allowed under department policy. Investigators say a prison judge issued the punishment after being privately pressured by the warden for a stiff sanction, and revised her decision after-the-fact when investigators noted it violated policy.
The report says department officials gave “dubious and contradictory answers” in seeking to justify the punishment.
Corrections officials are rejecting the report’s recommendations and standing by their actions.
