In 2019, Ashley Bryngelson, a pre-hearing investigation officer for the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole (ICPP), recommended that Sergio Castillo-Marquez, a Mexican citizen imprisoned for drug trafficking, be denied parole, deportation and reunification with his family in Mexico. Bryngelson’s husband, Matthew Bryngelson, has recently been in the news for his relationship with American Renaissance, according to official documents shared by Castillo-Marquez with this reporter.
As reported by the Idaho Statesman in November, Mathew Bryngelson, who retired as a captain from the Boise Police Department(BPD) in August, appeared under a fake name on the speaker list for the American Renaissance Conference. According to Boise State Public Radio host Samantha Wright, “American Renaissance portrays Whites as superior to Black people and says people of color commit more crimes than white people.” The Southern Poverty Law Center labels the conference as one which attracts Klansmen, neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
It has yet to be identified whether Ashley Bryngelson in any way supported the pseudonymous views Matthew Bryngelson was scheduled to espouse at the conference, or whether she may have attended others like it or promoted his posts on social media.
Three years ago, when former Parole Commissioner Patricia Young denied Idaho Governor Brad Little’s offer to continue serving past her term, she expressed concerns over racial disparities in Idaho’s correctional system.
October 27, 2020
Dear Governor Little,
Thank you for asking me to serve on the Commission of Pardons and Parole to finish a term ending in December 2020. It has been an intense learning experience and convinced me even more of the importance of universal pre-school. As I approach my 75th birthday I do not wish to serve past the end of this term.
I strongly urge you to appoint a qualified person of color. The number of Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans in prison in Idaho exceeds their percentage in the general population.
As you know I served as a magistrate judge for thirty-five years and I came to rely upon and expect excellent training in order to serve the public well. In my opinion, the position of parole commissioner requires training on risk assessments, the programming offered in the prison, how discipline issues are handled, bias, motivational interviewing, community safety, and an understanding of how the whole prison system works. I was stunned to have no orientation or training other than observing hearings when I began.
Independently, I sought information to become a knowledgeable and prepared member. I wanted to explore ways that Idaho’s high recidivism rate (the highest in the country according to the ACLU Smart Justice Report) may be reduced. Could it be by developing objective, not subjective guidelines for denial and revocation? I contacted the University of Idaho College of Law and a student volunteered to work with me to research parole trainings and practices around the country. The most helpful information we found comes from our neighbor state Wyoming. In 2019 the Prison Policy Initiative https://www.prisonpolicy.org graded the parole systems of all 50 states. It gave the highest grade to Wyoming [a B-] and Idaho an F. Grading of the parole systems of all 50 states explains Wyoming’s good policies and the basis of an F for Idaho.
Although I very much enjoy working with the other commissioners and the very competent staff, I do not want to keep working so many hours in a job that I feel is not grappling with ways to better serve the women and men in prison and the people of Idaho. As you know there are too many people in prison at a cost to the state of $25,000/year and thus insufficient funds to fully fund education Idaho is dead last in per pupil funding in the country. With what energies and insights I may have over the next few years I plan to focus on prevention, early childhood initiatives and sufficient funding for universal pre-schools.
Sincerely,
Patricia Young
A lawsuit filed in federal courts in 2021 alleges the ICPP is racially biased in granting parole. The plaintiff, Elias Custodio, a Hispanic male serving time on two manslaughter charges, claims his rights to due process and equal protection have been violated by the ICPP and its pre-hearing investigators. (Case Number 1:21-cv-00351-REP Custodio vs. Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole.)
Last month, the Boise City Council set aside $500,000 to hire the Washington D.C. firm Steptoe and Johnson to investigate whether Mathew Bryngelson’s ideologies played into his police work or tainted the department. The investigation will be led by the esteemed Michael Bromwich, who according to the firm’s website, possesses 40 years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer, federal prosecutor, special prosecutor, independent monitor, and also served as associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel for the Iran-Contra investigation.
Unfortunately, Bromwich’s firm was hired only to investigate the BPD, which makes it likely that they will only be looking for evidence of whether racist practices were deployed at the city level to place people in prison–and not by authorities at the state level with the power to release them.
Though Ashley Bryngelson’s current employment status has yet to be confirmed, she appears to have been employed by the ICPP at least into 2021.