Previous: First Amend This! An IDOC Newsletter, Sept. ’23
Welcome to the October 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.
Loved ones are encouraged to join the Idaho Inmate Family Support Group (IIFSG) on Facebook or contact the group’s admins at idahoinmate@gmail.com.
Looking to help improve Idaho’s criminal justice system? We ask that you contact Erica 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.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
With the exception of a few light edits, this issue is presented as it was originally censored after being sent over JPay’s messaging system for publication on October 2nd. The reason for censorship, as alleged over JPay by an IDOC employee who continues to remain anonymous, was to prevent me from passing secret messages through its contents to my father, the publisher. A funny accusation or a conspiracy down in flames? Find what you will at your own risk and expose me through comments.
In this issue:
Wrongfully convicted Joseph LaCroix to be reimbursed for his time incarcerated; Money, Inc. reopens old wounds while wafting over facts; a prison nurse and a former prosecutor are brought up on criminal charges; the Idaho Prison Arts Collective is holding a benefit fundraiser; and why the hell won’t NAMI respond to requests from residents in our facilities?
Let’s First Amend This!
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LACROIX TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION
Fourth District Judge Peter Barton has awarded Joseph LaCroix $319,297.74 for the five years and nine months he spent incarcerated after being wrongfully convicted by Bonneville County courts.
LaCroix was convicted in 2017 of failing to register as a sex offender for a criminal charge brought forth by Oregon and adjudicated without a conviction while he was a juvenile.
That charge, Seventh Judicial District Judge Michael Whyte wrote in an order to vacate on March 24, “never met the statutory requirements that require one to register on Idaho’s sex offender registry.”
LaCroix was granted an additional $3,298 in attorney fees and is the third known person to be awarded compensation under Idaho’s Wrongful Conviction Act–after Christopher Tapp and Charles Fain, who both spent decades in prison before being exonerated.
Idaho passed the Wrongful Conviction Act in 2021. The act applies only to individuals who served time after being convicted of a crime for which they were later exonerated. Those who qualify can receive $62,000 for each year they spent incarcerated, and $25,000 for each year on parole.
According to Ruth Brown with Idaho Reports, Legislative Services reported June 30 that the cash balance of Idaho’s Innocence Fund is $2,440,565.
Brown also reports that Judge Barton granted LaCroix his certificate of innocence on September 5, and that it was left to the IDOC to determine what, if any, reentry services it could provide LaCroix for up to 30 days past his release.
Source: Ruth Brown, “State of Idaho Ordered to Pay More than $319,000 to Wrongfully Incarcerated Man,” Idaho Reports (Courtesy of Big Country News).
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WEEK ONE, DAY FOUR BREAKFAST (MAINLINE)
[Fruit and whole grain bread is substituted at facilities flagged for excessively brewing alcohol.]
______________________________
3 pc — French Toast
1 cup — Farina
2 oz — Ham
2 pkt — Sugar
10 gm — Margarine
8 oz — Vitamin Beverage
8 oz — Milk 1%
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Source: IDOC Food Service Menu 7.1
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MONEY, INC. RATES THE IDAHO STATE CORRECTIONAL CENTER THE NATION’S 8TH WORSE PRISON
Earlier this year Money, Inc. published an article in which the 2,128 bed facility now known as the Idaho State Correctional Center (ISCC) was rated the eighth worst prison in the nation.
But that rating was based on how the prison was once operated by Corporate Corrections of America (CCA), and not how the facility has been operated under control of the IDOC.
CCA, the first corporation to create a profit model for modern-day imprisonment, was established in 1983. The company has since changed its name to CoreCivic.
Under CoreCivic’s care, ISCC, formerly the Idaho Correctional Center (ICC), gained national notoriety for fostering a level of violence that earned it the name “gladiator school.”
Associated Press reporter Rebecca Boone once reported that there at one point was more violence at this facility than all other Idaho prisons combined.
Sometime after the state took control of the prison in 2014, the company finally acknowledged–from the shadow of prisoner lawsuits and an FBI investigation–that it had violated its state contract by short-staffing the facility.
Once in the state’s control, gratuitous violence was allowed to continue in the facility’s close custody units, as the facility’s administrators failed for some time to invest in the same inexpensive sliding latches used to secure cell doors at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
Before the steel sliders were installed at ISCC, prison staff frequently exposed residents with safety concerns to residents prone to violence by remotely unlocking their cells (whether in error or with intention).
Those familiar with the situation credit the threat of sporadic violence with discouraging some residents from leaving their cells for recreation and dayroom.
Despite the IDOC’s sordid history with CoreCivic, the Department currently maintains a contract with the company to house prisoner overflow at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona.
Sources: Dana Hanson, “The 20 Worst Prisons in America,” Money, Inc.. Michelle Heart, “Idaho Facility Makes List of Worst Prisons in America’,” KIDOtalkradio.com. Madelyn Beck, “Why Idaho Still Depends on Private Prisons Despite Fraught History,” Boise State Public Radio.
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WEEK ONE, DAY FOUR LUNCH (MAINLINE)
[Fruit and whole grain bread is substituted at facilities flagged for excessively brewing alcohol.]
______________________________
1 ea — Fresh Fruit/ Banana
1/2 cup — Ham Salad
1 1/2 oz — Tortilla Chips
2 oz — Whole Grain Bread
1 ea — Cookie #5 (Oatmeal Raisin)
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Source: IDOC Food Service Menu 7.1
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COMPARED TO ISCC…
The 428-bed North Idaho Correctional Institution (NICI), located near Cottonwood, Idaho, provides education and treatment programs to men who have been sentenced under the terms of Idaho’s retained jurisdiction program. According the IDOC, because of NICI’s mission and its location, it feels more like a treatment center than a prison. https://youtu.be/NSd_bNi5mVo
Source: “Inside NICI,” Idaho Department of Correction News
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FORMER PROSECUTOR INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES
A man who served for 34 years as a Jefferson County prosecutor has been taken into federal custody after being indicted on multiple drug charges.
Kailtyn Hart with East Idaho news writes, “Robin Dwain Dunn, 68, was indicted on one federal count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwitt announced in a news release Friday.”
According to Hart, Dunn retired as a prosecutor in 2016 and worked as a Rigby city attorney for three decades before stepping down late last year. He was serving as a municipal attorney at the time of his arrest.
The number of people Dunn prosecuted for methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout his career remains unknown.
Source: Kaitlyn Hart, “Former Prosecutor Formally Indicted on Hard Drug Charges,” eastidahonews.com.
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WEEK ONE, DAY FOUR DINNER (MAINLINE)
[Fruit and whole grain bread is substituted at facilities flagged for excessively brewing alcohol.]
______________________________
3 oz — Breaded Fish
2 ea — Flour Tortillas
1/2 cup — Adobo Slaw
1/2 cup — Mango Salsa
1/2 cup — Roasted Sweet Potatoes
1/2 cup — Pudding
8 oz — Vitamin Beverage
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Source: IDOC Food Service Menu 7.1
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CENTURION WORKER CHARGED WITH SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Former Centurion Healthcare employee Lena Phelps, 27, was charged last month with having sexual contact with a resident of the Idaho State Correctional Institution.
According to Idaho law, prison contractors and employees who engage in sexual acts with residents can be charged with a felony that is punishable with up to life in prison.
Boise’s KTVB news reports that Centurion currently controls the healthcare options of 7,500 IDOC residents. The company replaced Corizon Health, Inc. as the healthcare provider for Idaho prisons in Oct. ’21 and is currently contracted for a minimum of five years.
KTVB contacted Centurion to follow-up on Phelps’s arrest but the company failed to respond by the time the story ran.
Source: Tracy Bringhurst, Morgan Romero, “Contracted Healthcare Worker at Idaho Department of Correction Arrested with Having Sexual Contact with Inmate,” KTVB.com.
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SUICIDE AWARENESS DESERVES ANOTHER MONTH
The IDOC shared last month on its website the importance of reaching out to individuals experiencing crises and some of the many resources available to those in need.
Learn to recognize risk factors and learn more about the five step you can take to help: https://www.betheoneto.com/risk-factors
Information and resources specific to Idaho: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov
Resources specific to veterans, youth, LGBTQI+ and others: https://988lifeline.org
[Shared here in addition:]
The Idaho Association of Free and Charitable Clinics provides a range of assistance to any and all uninsured Idahoans who walk through their doors. Locate their clinics and learn more @ https://www.idahoafcc.org.
To find resources made available through the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, please visit https://www.nafcc.org
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IDAHO PRISON ARTS COLLECTIVE FUNDRAISING BENEFIT
The Idaho Prison Arts Collective, a non-profit organization that works closely with the Department, will be holding a benefit fundraising event on October 7 at the Boise Rock School. The funds raised will be used to cover the costs of the transformative art programs the collective offers IDOC residents.
Founder and executive director of the Collective, Michael Richardson, discussed the event September 30 on Victory Over Sin, a Christian radio show hosted by former IMSI resident Mark Renick on Boise’s KBXL 94.1fm .
Richardson, an avid community volunteer, says that he conceptualized the Collective after volunteering to teach a prison writing class. That class, he says, evolved into a collage class, and from there he was inspired to identify more ways to introduce creative opportunities to IDOC residents.
The Collective currently spreads music, mindfulness, painting, dance, writing and computer coding programs across several IDOC facilities.
The benefit fundraiser will include an auction and raffle with multiple prizes donated by community members and businesses, including gift baskets, a Boise “staycation,” a cabin stay in the Sawtooths, gift certificates and more.
People are welcome to pledge their support at the $1 and $5 level, and those who can’t make the event are welcome to contribute throughout the rest of the year.
View https://idahoprisonarts.org for more information.
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RENICK ON THE RADIO
With six 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 then come out of incarceration and live on parole.
9.23.23 Rene Book with Rising Sun (sober living) has personal experience with addiction and incarceration. She is now using that experience to partner Rising Sun with other services that can help to better meet their client needs.
9.30.23 — Founder and executive director of the Idaho Prison Arts Collective, Michael Richardson, discusses the transformative arts programs that his nonprofit organization provides in Idaho prisons. View http://idahoprisonarts.org for more information.
Contact Mr. Renick at 208-477-1006 or https://svdpid.org/advocacy-systemicchangeofid. Visit www.svdpid.org for more information on reentry resources in Southern Idaho.
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RECENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED
Statewide — 32 graduates of Correction POST Academy Session 93A.
IMSI — Ofc. Bryce Martin with the POST Academy Tactical Edge Award, Sgt. Jonathon Riley with the POST Academy Top Instructor Award, Ofc. Riley Ashbaugh as Employee of the Month.
ISCI — Ofc. Christopher Spathelf with the POST Academy Top of Class Award.
ISCC – Ofc. Jose Martinez with five years of service.
Nampa CRC — Residents for donating $1,620.21 to the Valley Women & Children’s Shelter.
ICI-O — Special Projects Ofc. Adam Few and Sgt. Cody Burger, both for earning the status of Certified General Topics Instructor with POST High Liability Endorsement; Sgt. Scott Knuteson with 10 years of service.
Districts 1 and 2 — a P&P staff for completing Effective Practices In Community Supervision (EPICS) end-user training.
District 5 — P&P Ofc. Allan Raffs as Certified General Topics Instructor with Post High Liability Endorsement.
Sources: Idaho Department of Correction on Facebook
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RESIDENT AUDITING 101
Our requests for the following public records have yet to be filled:
1) The log of public records requests for June, July and August ’23.
2) The complete list of deputy wardens and wardens by facility, the names of IDOC’s deputy chief of prisons, chief of prisons and deputy director.
3) The End of Pilot Reports for the trauma management, pilot programs that took place earlier this year.
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RESOURCES FOR INCARCERATED PERSONS
The Prison Journalism Project (PJP) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan initiative that works to educate and empower incarcerated writers and train others impacted by incarceration in journalism. PJP counts among its membership an expansive vault of talent. In addition to sharing their stories through PJP publications, the initiative also publishes their work through collaborations with mainstream media.
Prison Journalism Project
2093 Philadelphia Pike #1054
Claymont, DE 19703
www.prisonjournalismproject.org
[Editor’s Note: Proud PJP contributor here.]
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INMATE SERVICES AT WORK
[This message has been forwarded from a resident of the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.]
To: National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI),
CC: NAMI-IDaho
9.14.23
Hello there,
I’m currently writing a story for [a national organization] and I’m having a difficult time reaching Idaho’s NAMI chapters. I’ve now sent a total of 21 letters to addresses listed online for NAMI-Idaho, requesting information that would be used to educate the public. Three to the same Boise address were delivered back to me marked “Return to Sender,” the rest received no response and I’m trying to understand why.
Below is a copy of the most recent letter that I sent to each chapter.
*8.10.23
Dear NAMI,
My name is Patrick Irving. I am a credentialed prison journalist who is currently exploring the need for trauma intervention services in Idaho.
I am writing to ask for information on the current public demand for behavioral health and mental health services, and what recommendations, literature or exercises you would offer to individuals without access to the Internet or professional, quality care.
I would appreciate being able to exchange with a spokesperson or representative. Please reach me through…*
Can you please help me to understand why all my communications thus far have been ignored?
Thank you,
Patrick Irving
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SUGGESTION BOX
I suggest that all wardens and deputy wardens introduce themselves to the residents of their facility and stop by to visit each unit and its residents at least once a year.
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Shout out to my dude Kai in Ashland!
“If I Can Dream (from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elvis)”
— Maneskin