Previous: First Amend This!: An IDOC Newsletter, May ’22
Welcome to the June edition of First Amend This!
This publication provides an insider look at issues affecting the Idaho Department of Correction community. If you wish to assist this effort, share the link, copy and paste, or print and send this issue to another.
Friends and families are encouraged to join the Idaho Inmate Family Support Group (IIFSG) on Facebook or contact them at idahoinmate@gmail.com.
Looking to help improve Idaho’s criminal justice system? We ask that you contact Erika Marshall with the Idaho Justice Project. The Idaho Justice Project works to bring the voices of people impacted by the criminal justice system to the legislative table to work on solutions.
…
EDITOR’S NOTE
Does this newsy ever leave you with questions? Or perhaps with a view that when offered in contrast could help to pave a path toward some much-needed discourse? If so, I’d like to offer you a chance to help me further the discussion.
Reach me at the office. Details are below:
Patrick Irving #82431
IMSI
PO Box 51
Boise, ID 83707
bookofirving82431.com
Messaging via Jpay.com
Let’s First Amend This!
…
FOR-CREDIT CLASSES AT ICI-O
The University of Idaho and the Lewis-Clark State College were recently awarded grants from the United States Department of Education to participate in the third round of the Second Chance Pell Experiment (SCPE). The SCPE is a federally funded project that over the course of seven years has allowed incarcerated people to earn more than 7,000 credentials, certificates and college degrees.
As participants, both universities will collaborate with IDOC to bring more opportunities for higher education to residents of the Idaho Correctional Institutional-Orofino (ICI-O).
Pell Grants may be distributed as early as July 1, with for-credit classes expected to begin in the fall.
It’s unclear at this time how many clients will be allowed to take part in the experiment and whether any housed in other IDOC facilities will be considered as applicants prior to its start.
According to an article recently published in Prison Legal News, throughout the course of the Second Chance Experiment, more than 50,000 grants have been offered for distribution — but fewer than half have actually been used. Up to 95% of prisoners have been ineligible to participate, due in large part to the following hurdles:
-
-
- More than a quarter are housed in high-security or special-management facilities, which seldom offer opportunities for post-secondary programs.
- The lack of quality remedial instruction in prisons leaves 64% of prisoners ill-prepared for college classes.
- Requiring males to be registered for the draft has kept roughly 68% from qualifying as applicants.
- Imprisoned Pell applicants are subjected to enhanced document verification at roughly twice the rate of the general public.
- Prisoners serving longer sentences are considered low-priority; because their prospects appear to be distant, they’re seen as less worthy of funding on paper .
-
Sources: “U of I Scheduled for National Program to Help Incarcerated Individuals,” University of Idaho News Site. Richard Hahn, “What to Know about Using Pell Grants to Take College Classes in Prison,” Prison Legal News, May ’22.
….
PAROLE HEARINGS WILL NO LONGER BE STREAMED
The Parole Commission has announced it will no longer stream parole hearings over WebEx. Beginning in August, anyone wishing to be present at a hearing will be required to do so in-person in Boise.
Though the announcement was made well in advance, no reason was given for the public departure from a process that made it easy for community stakeholder attendance.
As the price of gasoline continues to climb to an all-time-high, crime victims, advocates, peer supporters and prisoners are sure to find themselves affected by the costs that come with travel, taking time away from work and finding childcare for their young ones — all to attend a hearing that typically lasts no more than minutes, and for years was made convenient through an online video option.
Because many attend these hearings as a show of support, it will be interesting to see what, if any, trends result from the Commission’s decision to make the hearings less accessible.
Please view the Hearing Attendee Page at the Parole Commission’s website to familiarize yourself with the pre-registration requirements.
Source: parole.idaho.gov
…
FOLLOWING UP ON THE RISING COST OF JPAY
Last month we contributed to the confusion caused by the announcement that JPay rates were slated to undergo a change. Along with others, we felt the announcement contradicted a message delivered in 2020 from Director Josh Tewalt. And, along with others, we felt not only somewhat befuddled but as though we were promised and then led astray. Having since reviewed the CenturyLink contract, in which JPay rates are outlined, we believe we’ve identified the source of our conundrum:
When Director Tewalt relayed there was a permanent rate reduction, he was referring to a reduction of 25% off of the pre-pandemic prices that were plaguing all before. He was likely unaware at the time that everyone had grown accustomed to a much more generous discount — one of about 60%.
And what the resident population and their loved ones didn’t know was that they were paying at that point — and from then on for nineteen months — “Special Pandemic Rates,” straight from JPay’s bleeding heart.
So, when Director Tewalt said in his Sept. ’20 announcement, “I’ve had some folks asking if the cost reductions were about to ‘expire’ soon and the answer to that is no. We negotiated a permanent rate reduction,” he likely didn’t know they were asking of the Special Pandemic Rates — the ones they’d been paying for some odd months by then — and not the ones he signed off on just one working day before.
In summary: It was a miscommunication not unlike the many others that cause confusion daily between admin, staff and residents.
But (!) it is to the Department’s credit that, prior to the start of the pandemic, someone was persuaded to increase the number of phone calls indigent residents are allowed to make each year. From two a year to two a month, they went up by a factor of twelve. And that is certainly a move that deserves some level of praise.
In addition to that praise, it deserves one humble correction: last month I got it wrong when I titled an article on the imminent price raise “…Communicate With Indigent Loved Ones No More.” My apologies for misleading, this obviously isn’t the case.
Source: “IDOC Contract Number C014-017: Concessions Services Agreement for Inmate Communication and Kiosk-Based Technology Access.”
…
GRANDPA’S FAVORITE FLAVORS BEAR THE BRUNT IN THE BATTLE OF HOMEBREW
The Department has instructed Keefe Commissary to discontinue sales of the following items to the clients it houses in Close Custody quarters: Butterscotch Buttons, Starlight Mints, Rootbeer Barrels and sugar.
It’s alleged that all above have been purposed as illicits and abused in upbeat celebrations, such as Russian Yom Kippur.
These contraband confections will still be made available to less aggressive residents with fewer ambitions in chemistry; those residents, however, will from here on out be limited to purchasing three bags of candy every sixty days.
Residents experiencing issues with alcoholism are encouraged to attend their facilities’ AA meetings — with the exception, of course, of those condemned to Close Custody, who are welcome instead to dial this number during the days in which they’re given access to phones:
Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline – (208) 398-HELP (4357)
…
IDOC STAFF AWARDS
St. Anthony Work Camp Ofc. Jason LaBeck and Pocatello Women’s Center Ofc. Kyle Wright were in the process of transporting a correctional client to Boise when the client suffered an emergency requiring immediate medical care. Thanks to the officers’ attentive response, the client was treated before succumbing to serious injuries. For their actions, the pair were awarded IDOC’s Silver Cross.
Idaho State Correctional Institution Sgt. Brian Klingensmith was also recently awarded the Department’s Silver Cross. Klingensmith is credited with helping to save the life of a resident who was suffering serious injuries.
IDOC’s Silver Cross is awarded to correctional professionals who perform life-saving actions or prevent serious injuries, and also to those who are seen to demonstrate an exceptional level care.
District 3 Probation & Parole Ofc. Vito Kelso has been awarded the 2022 Mental Health Advocate Award by the Region 3 Behavioral Health Board and Empower Idaho. Kelso, who serves on the Canyon County Mental Health Court team and the Region 3 Behavioral Health Board, was recognized for his “tireless and consistent efforts in managing mental health clients and connecting them with services in the community,” according to P&P District Manager Cary Barrier.
During the Mental Awareness Month of May, each of Idaho’s seven regions select recipients for this award based on their community advocacy, residency, and dedication to the advancement of mental health in Idaho.
Sources: “PWCC’s Wright, SAWC’s Labeck Awarded Silver Cross,” idoc.idaho.gov. “ISCI’s Klingensmith Awarded Silver Cross,” idoc.idaho.gov. Probation & Parole District 3 Manger Cory Barrier, “D-3’s Kelso Honored for Advancing Mental Health in Idaho,” idoc.idaho.gov.
…
A MESSAGE FROM MOURNING OUR LOSSES
Mourning Our Losses was launched by a group of educators, artists and organizers committed to the release of incarcerated people. In 2020, we began publishing memorials to honor the lives of our siblings dying from COVID-19 in jails, prisons and detention centers. As our platform continues to grow, so too do the opportunities we’re able to offer others to grieve, heal, and reflect on the loss of loved ones who needlessly perished due to poor prison conditions: Negligence, Violence, and Mental Health Crises — the unfortunate byproducts of mass incarceration.
We are driven by our prison experiences. Our crowd-sourced memorial site depends on our ties to you, our siblings inside. Our goal is to inform conversations about the dangers of mass incarceration by sharing stories of those we’ve lost. We teach the public that we’re people — not numbers or “inmates.” We don’t use dehumanizing language in memorials, nor do we talk about the crime for which a person was convicted.
You can help by submitting a memorial for a loved one who died while incarcerated, or by submitting related writing, photos or artwork ( which we may not be able to return to you safely). When submitting, please include the name the person you wish remembered went by, and also your name (or if you wish to remain anonymous). Please let us know if it’s okay to edit errors. In many cases we’re able to offer follow-ups. Write us at:
Mourning Our Losses
c/o Texas After Violence Project
P.O. Box 15005
Austin, TX 78761
mourningourlosses@gmail.com
…
COVID NEWS
Since the start of COVID, the IDOC has administered over 69,000 tests to those of its residents it houses in-state. More than 6,400 of those tests have returned some form of positive.
Those who have received their initial vaccination are encouraged by the Department to follow up with booster shots.
Because CoreCivic is suspected of cutting corners during COVID, all clients currently held in the corporation’s Saguaro facility are cautioned to inspect their needles before boosting.
As Idaho’s positivity rate continues to climb, the visiting situation is expected to remain fluid. Please check the Department’s website for the latest in cancellations.
Those experiencing issues related to COVID are invited to forward their grievances to:
ACLU Idaho
PO Box 1897
Boise, ID 83701
View IDOC’s COVID report here.
…
RENICK ON THE RADIO
With five years of episodes available for streaming, Mark Renick hosts Victory Over Sin on Boise’s KBXL 94.1FM, Saturdays at 12:30 pm. The program, funded by an advocacy arm of St. Vincent de Paul, shares what it’s like to live incarcerated in Idaho and come out of incarceration to live life on parole.
Last month Mark hosted criminal justice advocate Kristy Laschoeber. Kristy discussed the importance of building coalitions and amplifying voices from within prison walls. As founder of the Freedom Exchange Project in Oregon, she works to share the talents of people incarcerated and familiarize the public with how its prisons work. Kristy can be found at kristylaschober.com.
Mr. Renick would like to remind all of the new Recovery Roundup, where every Saturday afternoon the formerly incarcerated discuss over pizza issues faced during reentry. From 1:00 – 2:30 pm at 5256 W. Fairview Ave., Boise.
Visit svdpid.org for more reentry resources.
…
RESIDENT AUDITING 101
IDOC Business Manager Cindy Lee has informed us that she will make the Centurion Scope Of Work available at all IDOC facility resource centers. We appreciate the move and applaud her effort.
Last month we followed up on questions from IMSI about tuberculosis tests results and how they’ve been recorded. Of those administered between October and April, medical staff reported returning to residents 100% of the time they were tested to check for the reactions that signal TB. Those who experienced otherwise are encouraged to write IDOC Health Services and request their medical records be corrected to reflect the truth.
Discovered in Contract Number C014 – 017 (Concessions Services Agreement for Inmate Communication and Kiosk-Based Technology Access): CenturyLink kicks the Department back six figures for every month the company provides its services to prisoners. The payment is based on IDOC’s Average Daily Population and meant to be added to an Inmate Management Fund (IMF). The IMF, according to the contract, is used to “promote the welfare of Inmates through services, programs and physical purchases.”
The Department has refused our request to view IMF activities and is suggesting that the fund is exempt from public record. This, we believe, is grossly inaccurate. Based on our understanding of Idaho Code, in the case of IDOC, the only financials to be protected from disclosure are those tied to executions and prisoners’ personal trust accounts.
Expect this matter to evolve as we reach out to local press.
The following public record requests have yet to be filled:
-
- May’s request for all notes, documents and written requests submitted to the Keefe contract monitor prior to the most recent Commissary Review Committee Meeting.
- March’s request for the medical standards by which the Department states they abide (those set forth by the National Commission of Correctional Healthcare).
- March’s request for information pertaining to IDOC’s involvement with the “The Preseason” Hustle 2.0 Program.
…
A RECOMMENDED RESOURCE FOR INCARCERATED PERSONS
The Prison Activist Resource Center (PARC) is an all volunteer organization that remains largely funded by small donations from individuals. Twice a year it publishes the 24-page National Prisoner Resource Directory and distributes it freely to all who request one.
PARC does its best to respond to individual letters but is unable to provide legal advice or referrals, or perform individual advocacy for prisoners experiencing rights violations.
The organization asks their directory be shared with as many as possible, to help spread out the resources prisoners find within.
Prison Activist Resource Center
PO Box 70447
Oakland, CA 94612
…
INMATE SERVICES AT WORK
Chuco’s Justice Center
7625 South-Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90001
5-8-22
Dear Youth Justice Coalition friends,
I’d like to introduce you to an advocacy project that I currently run from my cell in a maximum-security prison, in hope it might inspire some ideas among your network. Enclosed is a newsy I write and publish every month, after sending it to my father over our prison messaging service. Having developed my advocacy model so that it can run on a shoe-string budget, I’m now able to introduce criminal justice issues to stakeholders at county, state and international levels; and I’ve made it my goal to help others do the same.
I hope you’ll take the time to see all I’ve made available and feel welcome to write me with questions or feedback.
Truly,
Patrick Irving 82431
…
SUGGESTION BOX
I suggest hiring the staff needed to open up the bathroom on the IMSI ballfield. It’s only a matter of time before we all call a Code Brown. Last week it got hectic. I almost burst a retina.
…
That’ll do it for June, folks. We’ll see you in July, when we hope to be back on schedule.
Shout to Veronica from Shy Boy! He says he was born first, you’re still his little sister, stop being a big old butt, and he loves you all the same.