[The following article appears without attachments in the March ’22 issue of First Amend This!]
For decades, Idaho’s prison population has been offered the option to donate their personal property to charity. From electronics and clothing to art products and food, all of which were purchased in prison at extremely inflated costs. Mountains of gear, following confiscation, have allegedly found homes with unspecified charities. The total worth of which, after years of accumulation, can safely be estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Oddly, no record of this charity has been kept by the Department, making it impossible to distinguish which organizations are recipients, the criteria by which they’re chosen and at what frequency they benefit.
It’s a matter recently discovered by way of public records request, when transactional proof could not be produced to show that resident donations reach a charitable cause. Unable to offer charities by name, the criteria by which they’re chosen and at least one receipt showing a transaction was made, a grievance was lodged to compel the Department to begin keeping some record of charitable of charitable donations. Several months later, all appeals exhausted, the Department’s refusal to keep records was final. To collect even a signature from charitable recipients would amount, in their words, to a monumental task.
IDOC clients are confident that they know better. By combining their experiences in businesses and education, they find it simple to surmise that either someone is being lazy or the charities they’ve been giving to aren’t charities at all. With the weight of the latter a heavy concern, they’re now calling for attention from the Department of Justice, investigative journalists and Idaho policy groups. Seeking to inspire either audit or injunction, they’d also like some say in who they give to moving forward.
Below are copies of the public records request, the grievance resulting, and a follow-up letter to the Deputy Chief of Prisons.