Previous: First Amend This!: An IDOC Newsletter, Apr. 2020
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This publication provides a reliable source of information for issues affecting our Idaho Department of Correction’s community.
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THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION HAS ANNOUNCED ITS FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS
An employee of Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna was identified as having contracted https://www.idoc.idaho.gov/content/careers/covid-19 over the weekend. The post is said to have since disappeared.
IMSI staff, who will remain nameless, confirm a First Shift employee did test positive, but self-quarantined upon suspicions of contracting the virus. Suspected of posing minimal risk, their duties entailed patrolling outside perimeters.
Coats shared by offenders in Administrative Segregation were removed the same time the post disappeared. The coats, which are used to protect IDOC’s most isolated population from weathered rec cages, give an idea of how many other opportunities the virus will have to infiltrate items of communal living once inside IDOC-secured perimeters.
It’s unclear why the post would have been redacted from a government-run website.
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HEY JOSH, WTF?
Remember when you said we’d hear it from you first?
Your need to control panic levels is understandable, and we appreciate the efforts you’ve made up to this point to keep us informed and safe, but how do you expect families and inmates to react when you redact a public announcement like that?
Please explain your decision.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
04/03/2020
Hi all,
It’s been another busy week in the fight to curb the spread of COVID-19. As of yesterday, the Department of Health and Welfare was reporting 891 cases, with 9 deaths, throughout the state. We’ve been fortunate so far in our facilities and have no known cases. Thank you for doing your part to practice good hygiene and facility cleaning. It helps!
COVID-19 Testing: Here are our testing stats: we’ve tested 16 people incarcerated in Idaho and have received 14 negatives, and we’re waiting on the results from the last 2. In Eagle Pass, Texas, 3 people have been tested. One was negative and we’re waiting on the results from two. We’re now sharing the daily testing statistics on our website (called COVID-19 Tracking), so please direct your family and friends there for up-to-date information. Were also updating the website with information on any units/tiers operating under a medical quarantine.
Release Dates: Next week, the Parole Commission will begin its hearings for the month of April and some of you may have questions about your parole date. If you were previously scheduled to have a parole hearing in April, but you’re not yet parole eligible, your hearing is being rescheduled. Don’t worry, your rescheduled hearing will still happen before your parole eligibility date, just not quite yet.
For those of you who have already been paroled and are past your tentative parole date, we’re working to try to get you released as quickly as possible. We are also working with the parole commission to systematically review people who have already been granted parole and are parole eligible now. For people in this category, you may see your release date move up.
Additionally, the commission will be re-reviewing people who are parole eligible but without a parole date to determine if they can be safely returned to the community. Whats most important to take away from all this is the following:
1) People leaving on parole still need to participate in necessary programming and have an approved parole plan
2) People who are not yet parole eligible wont be held longer as a result of changes in the schedule and
3) There is a systematic review occurring for those who are already parole eligible that ensures everyone is evaluated the same way. On this last point, I cant stress enough that we are not taking requests. Our offices, the Governors, and the Parole Commissions are all being inundated with calls about this right now and responding to friends and family takes us away from the important work of screening people.
Video/Telephonic Hearings: You’ll soon be noticing that we’re moving all parole hearings to video conferencing and almost all court hearings to the phone. [I said almost b/c of the paper hearing option]. This reduces your possible community exposure to COVID-19 and allows processes to happen with minimal, if any, delay.
Process Changes/Staff Changes: As you can see, COVID-19 is changing how we do our business and it’s requiring a lot from staff. Case managers and programming staff are being asked to facilitate release planning, video hearings, telephonic court hearings, and keep up with their day jobs. We are asking a lot and will do everything we can to keep programming going. There are going to be hiccups, but please know we’re working hard to figure things out. We’ll try to minimize your frustrations, but I’d also ask for your patience.
Rumor Control: We’ve been seeing rumors fly on social media about plans to move people to out-of-state facilities during this health crisis. That’s simply not true. Colorado has yet to define the criteria they would allow for placement of out of state prisoners in contract facilities in Colorado. The discussion has been tabled for the time being, so we can deal with the COVID-19 crisis, but when we restart conversations know that we remain committed to ensuring anyone placed out of state is afforded the same opportunities for employment, education, and programming as what is provided in Idaho. While we cant ease the hardships created by distance, we also will work with the provider to facilitate as much phone, email and video visitation to keep people connected to their loved ones.
For those of you staying in contact with friends and family, I’m sure you’ve heard: this is a crazy time! The public health crisis has created a sense of uncertainty for all of us. The calls, emails, and social media posts are through the roof with people who are concerned about you. I know I can’t necessarily give the people you care about peace of mind, but I promise to give them the most accurate and up-to-date information we have. Please have them keep checking our social media and website for the latest news.
Thanks again to all of you who are pitching in to keep our facilities clean and looking out for each other. I know these are difficult times, and I hope you know they’re difficult for us as well. But we’ll get through it together.
Thanks–
Josh
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Next: First Amend This!: An IDOC Newsletter (Special Corrector’s Edition)