DATE: April 10, 2023
To: IMSI A-Block Resident Population
From: Warden Richardson
RE: CCGP Contact Visiting Suspension
IMSI Close Custody General Population,
Effective today, April 10th, 2023, IMSI is suspending contact visiting privileges for the Close Custody General Population (CCGP). This comes as a hard decision but action must be taken immediately to ensure the wellbeing of our residents. All visitation for CCGP will be canceled April 13th and 14th to prepare for the visitation change. Non-contact visits will resume on April 15th, 2023.
As you are aware, IMSI implemented contact visiting for this population after several years of non-contact visiting to allow you to have those meaningful contact visits with your loved ones. Everyone was informed that contact visiting is a privilege and will be closely monitored for contraband introduction, etc. Well, we have monitored for an extended period of time and have seen an uptick in contraband being introduced to the CCGP population.
We have also monitored the homemade alcohol production/consumption within this population as well. We had hoped and had explained to you that we prefer you having contact visiting with your loved ones and would be suspending the visiting restriction implementation for alcohol related [Disciplinary Offense Reports]. It is apparent this privilege is not as sacred as we believe it was as the practice of manufacturing/consuming homemade alcohol has continued.
To date, we have had many residents experience medical emergencies due to drug/alcohol consumption. In fact, we had experienced situations where residents’ lives could have ended if immediate medical attention was not provided. Some were to the extent where residents had to be intubated in an ICU unit to sustain life.
As the Facility Head, I have the duty of ensuring each resident has an environment to live in that is as safe as possible and conducive to one’s rehabilitation and success for release. With this said, I can assure you I take this matter very serious, thus the reasoning for contact visitation suspension. We will continue to monitor this mater for potential future implementations of contact visitation for the CCGP population.
Patrick Irving Responds:
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- Everyone was informed that contact visiting is a privilege and will be closely monitored for contraband introduction, etc
My unit’s population was informed only that fighting in, on the way, or coming back from Visiting would be seen as cause to discontinue contact visits completely.
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- To date, we have had many residents experience medical emergencies due to drug/alcohol consumption… situations where residents’ lives could have ended if immediate medical attention was not provided… As the Facility Head, I have the duty of ensuring each resident has an environment to live in that is safe as possible and conducive to one’s rehabilitation and success for release…
For years, IMSI’s resident population has petitioned Department heads to make programming available, and yet, in the four years that I have been housed at IMSI, never once have I been offered the following:
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- Support groups
- Drug and alcohol workbooks
- Programming opportunities
- Educational/betterment opportunities (other than GED)
- Behavioral incentives (group and individual)
- Organized activities
- Church services
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- It is apparent this privilege is not as sacred as we believe it was as the practice of manufacturing/consuming homemade alcohol has continued.
While I agree with Warden Richardson that receiving an opportunity to hug my immediate family more than once every five years is a privilege when in custody of the Idaho Department of Correction, not everyone’s family can afford to take the trip out to the desert, and it is not the responsibility of residents to police the behavior of others.
If you find the complete absence of programs and contact visits at IMSI disturbing, please take the time to express your thoughts with your district’s legislators. View their contact information here.