A student's segue into corrections pays off.

In his early days as a student at the University of Iowa, Lowell Brandt's goal was to become a history teacher. Earning a teaching certificate meant he had to take many courses in sociology and a few in criminal justice--all of which he found interesting. Those courses inspired and informed Brandt, who would later pursue a career in corrections rather than teaching. Brandt tells an interesting story of setting up a meeting with an education professor, only to be "stood up" and left waiting in a hallway where he met a criminal justice professor with whom he had a fascinating conversation.

Brandt has been warden of the medium-security Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) since June 2004. He has received praise from Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) Deputy Director Larry Brimeyer for his accomplishments at the facility, especially for his efforts in helping the facility achieve American Correctional Association accreditation, "bringing evidence-based practices to IMCC" and making it "the first DOC facility to complete a staffing analysis for security." Brimeyer also credits Brandt with helping IMCC's education department become "the first in [the] Iowa DOC to be accredited by the Correctional Education Association."

With an average population of between 850 and 900 offenders, IMCC functions as a reception center for Iowa's male and female adult offenders. The intake process takes four to six weeks, during which time offenders undergo testing and classification before being assigned to institutions. IMCC also has a unit for high-risk females and cooperates with the University of Iowa Hospital to provide a medical services clinic for women who need primary hospital care and for women in their last trimester of pregnancy. The facility recently added a 178-bed, three-ward medical wing and special needs and behavior unit, adding 290 employees and bringing its full-time employee count to more than 600. The center also houses a 23-bed psychiatric unit and provides services to other Iowa prisons.

Brandt began his career with the Iowa DOC in 1973, after completing his education at the University of Iowa with a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. He began as a correctional officer at IMCC--where he now serves as warden. Known at the time as the Iowa Security Medical Facility at Oakdale, IMCC functioned as an 80-bed psychiatric facility. From there, Brandt quickly moved to work at the Iowa Men's Reformatory in Anamosa (now known as Anamosa State Penitentiary) where, in 1975, he became a correctional counselor, managing a caseload of about 100 offenders.

In 1984, Brandt returned to IMCC as treatment program administrator at its reception center. His responsibilities included developing and delivering counseling treatment programs, managing contracts for psychological services provided by the University of Iowa College of Education, and managing the provision of special education services and literacy and GED programming at the facility.

Fifteen years later, in 1999, Brandt moved to the DOC central office as deputy director for offender services and took responsibility for developing policy and programming for the treatment of offenders. He also, according to Brimeyer, "partnered with state agencies, universities, local treatment providers and others in the delivery and evaluation of treatment services to offenders statewide." Brandt served in this position until his appointment as warden of IMCC.

An ACA member for more than 29 years, Brandt also has been active in the Iowa Correctional Association (ICA), for which he served as president from 1982 to 1983. Brandt was recognized by ICA as an Outstanding ICA Member in 1982 and was one of six institutional treatment directors to receive the ICA Outstanding Women's Issues Award in 1996. Other professional organizations that have played an important role in his career are the American Counseling Association and the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association. Brandt has served on the advisory board of the University of Iowa Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation Counseling from its inception in 2000. He was honored as the program's Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2007.

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Brandt grew up on a farm in Iowa and says many of his family members are still in the farming business. He and his wife Paula, who were high school sweethearts, live in Iowa City. Brandt mused that 2008 holds two important 35-year landmarks for him: April marked his 35th year in corrections, and May brought the celebration of his 35th wedding anniversary.

Glenda Beal is a contributing editor for Corrections Today.