Iowa credits data tools with helping the state reach lowest recidivism rate in a decade

Iowa’s recidivism rate — the share of people who return to prison within three years — has hit its lowest level in a decade, thanks in large part to new data analytics tools that help corrections officials better manage the state’s prison population and improve safety, the Iowa Department of Corrections recently announced.

The state this month announced the recidivism rate had dropped by 3 percentage points from the previous year, to 32.8%.

Over the past five years, the state’s corrections department built four interactive dashboards with the technology company SAS to address key challenges, such as identifying candidates for release, spotting early warning signs of reoffending, flagging inmates likely to engage in violence and managing health care inside prisons.

Sarah Fineran, research director for the Iowa Department of Corrections, said the tools replaced an old system, of spreadsheets and ad hoc reports, making it easier for staff to make informed, data-driven decisions.

“When good leaders have access to good information, they make good decisions,” Fineran said.

Fineran said the dashboards are designed to improve inmate outcomes and public safety, by giving corrections staff real-time insights into risks and needs. She said a release-candidate dashboard helps parole boards assess who is ready to be released into the community, while an early-intervention dashboard helps probation officers step in before problems escalate.

“I think it’s the right thing to do to create predictive solutions that get ahead of bad things before they happen,” Fineran said. “And that dashboard, combined with the enhanced security measures in the prison, the expertise of our wardens and security directors, all of those efforts helped lower the serious assault rate within our prisons.”

She said the dashboard is also able to pinpoint the operational components at corrections facilities that should be addressed.

It’s often difficult to determine exact problems within prison systems, Fineran said, because each one is a “multi-faceted, living, breathing ecosystem.” But, she said, dashboards, and the release-candidate dashboard in particular, can help the department identify the specific operational components to address issues.

This shift in Iowa’s prison management system reflects a broader move toward technology-driven solutions across state correctional facilities, aimed at reducing recidivism and addressing issues like violence, health care and workforce stability.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Corrections and the state Parole Board jointly manage a dashboard to monitor prison population drivers like parole interviews, releases and re-admissions for parole violations. In 2024, Pennsylvania had a recidivism rate of 40.6%, according to World Population Review.

Last year, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation published dashboards containing prison population statistics, recidivism rates and parole housing statuses. Massachusetts and Vermont also publish dashboards that provide the public with information on their incarcerated populations, including demographics, offense types and security levels.

Paul Cornelius, a spokesperson for the Iowa DOC, said that beyond inmate management, the department also uses data analytics to support staff retention and provide clear answers to lawmakers, advocacy groups and families.

“Core correctional practices is a big, big thing for us, so it’s kind of helped us realize who we need to target,” Cornelius said of the dashboards.

Fineran said Iowa’s corrections department is looking to develop additional software to track “external interventions,” factors outside the prison system, such as job training, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment, along with positive social networks, which also affect recidivism rates.

“It’s actually kind of hard to get data on external interventions,” Fineran said. “They’re incredibly valuable and we’ve been talking a lot about expanding our ability to track that information so that we can continue to support people into the long term.”