Thirty-one-year-old Deon Johnson of Washington will be released early from prison after serving partial time for his original sentence. In September 2019, Johnson was convicted of Delivery of Cocaine, a Class C Felony, Tampering with a Witness, an aggravated misdemeanor, and was ordered to serve ten years in prison with no minimum. In January 2020, Johnson was convicted of Delivery of Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony, and he was ordered to serve 25 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 4.167 years. In August 2021, Johnson was convicted of Delivery of Marijuana, a Class D Felony, and was ordered to serve five years in prison with no minimum.

In a press release, Washington County Attorney John Gish called for another prison to be built to address overcrowding issues or for changes to the Iowa criminal code to allow for stiffer penalties for drug dealers, sex offenders, and other violent criminals.