ANAMOSA, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections say a substance that could be used to make a bomb was found inside an inmate’s cell at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Media reports say intelligence gathering efforts resulted in agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Friday, interviewing inmates prison, who were suspected of planning to use an explosive device.

“In their interviews and subsequent search at the facility with the DOC, a household substance was discovered in an inmate’s cell that could potentially have been used in the creation of an explosive substance if additional materials were added,” the Iowa Department of Corrections said.

The substance will now be examined by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Authorities say there remains no danger to the public or the prison. The discovery comes two months after two employees at Anamosa were killed, allegedly by two inmates at the prison, during an escape attempt.

Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Council 61 representing Iowa’s corrections officers and staff, released a statement to the media concerning security at the prison. “In the aftermath of the murders at Anamosa in March,” he said, “I called on the Department of Corrections to lock down the prison, shake it down, and put much more rigorous safety protocols in place. They did not take our advice. Now, we find out that prisoners at Anamosa were able to secure bombmaking materials.”

“Thank god these didn’t go off,” Homan said, “ut clearly the Department of Corrections is still not taking the security of our institutions seriously. This has got to end. The Department must do a top to bottom sweep of all institutions. With their new appropriation, they must hire the staff, replace the equipment necessary, and put the proper protocols in place to make our institutions safe. Every day they don’t put the lives of both the staff and inmates at risk.”

Homan has previously said the killings at the Anamosa State Penitentiary were the result of understaffing and underfunding at the prison. This legislative session, Iowa lawmakers approved a funding increase of nearly $21 million for the Iowa Department of Corrections, but some Democrats say it is not enough.