Updates

The Office of the Governor yesterday announced a change in leadership at the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC). Former agency director Josh Tewalt left to join the private sector. His replacement, Bree Derrick, was promoted from her position as the department’s deputy director.

Over the last five years, I have attentively watched Tewalt and Derrick tiptoe the IDOC through a gauntlet of landmines while balancing on their shoulders public safety and the humanity of others. I have also collected personal accounts from prison staff and residents, and briefly spoken in person to both Director Derrick and former Director Tewalt. Whatever impression I may have given in the past, I view Tewalt and Derrick as extraordinarily talented individuals.

There is currently a lot of positive progress happening in Idaho corrections, much of which I am failing to cover in these posts. Mainly because most of my time is now spent working with IDOC staff and residents to change our prison culture from within–something for which I am grateful. But also because someone in the Transparency Department has been denying my public record requests, and I’m yet not comfortable moving past the interference and on to other subjects.

When it comes to improving corrections and maintaining public safety, there is at least as much work to perform at my peer level as there is in public and political spaces. Thank goodness that Idaho prisons are in the process of becoming plentiful with pro-social opportunities. These opportunities are helping people to leave in better condition than when they arrived. They are also making our prisons better places for people to live, volunteer and work.

But there is no quicker path to regression than to take the hard work of others for granted, or to confuse privileges with entitlement. Speaking as an incarcerated person, I now find it more important than ever to support those who are investing, not in our prisons, but in the people who fill them.

Director Bree Derrick and Josh Tewalt are two such people.

I wish them both luck in their new positions and hope we can be friends at the end of it all.

Click here to read the Office of the Governor announcement.

Kudos to my fellow Prison Journalism Project contributor Alex Friedmann for his latest gas of an article.

In “The Art of the Prison Fart,” Friedmann avoids the long-winds of showmanship by cutting straight through the pants of the truth and lighting up prison’s most precarious battlefield with a blue dart of beautiful reporting.

Prison writers across the nation tonight will be blowing sharp and zesty notes from their Taco Tuesday trumpets in honor of Friedmann.

View Friedmann’s writing profile at prisonjournalismproject.org.

[Delivered to IDOC residents over JPay Mar. 10, 2025.]

Memorandum

DATE: March 10, 2025
TO: Resident Population
FROM: Reentry Services
RE: Transitional Funding

Over the past few months, IDOC Reentry Services has implemented changes to the decision-making process for approving transitional funding. We would like to inform you of the updates and give some encouragement on how you can set yourself up for a smooth reentry.

Due to the need to cut back on spending to stay within our TTF budget, we will ONLY fund residents/clients for 30 days starting March 1st, 2025 — June 30, 2025. This means that if a client has received TTF in the last 12 months, they will NOT be eligible for any further funding.

Purpose of Transitional Funding

The primary purpose of transitional funding is to support residents who are genuinely in need of financial assistance for their reentry into the community. It is essential to note that transitional funding will only be allocated to individuals who meet the following criteria.

Funding Criteria

To be eligible for transitional funding, the following criteria needs to be met:

• • Riders & Parole Violators: Must not have more than $300 credited/deposited into their resident bank account in the last 6 months of incarceration.
  • Termers: Must not have more than $700 credited/deposited into their resident bank account in the last 12 months of incarceration.
  • Pocket Money: If awarded funding, the maximum amount of pocket money a resident can leave with is $100.
  • Contribution Requirement: Residents who exceed the credit/deposit limits or have more than $100 in their account must contribute towards their transitional funding. We do not have to fund clients that are over the funding criteria.

Saving Towards Reentry

Proactively planning and preparing for your reentry into the community from the very beginning gives you your best chance at success. Here are some strategies to help you achieve this:

1. 1. #Savings Support#: Encourage your loved ones and friends to save money to support your housing and other reentry needs.
   2. Utilize Resident Savings Account: Submit a withdrawal slip to transfer funds from your trust account into your Savings account.
   3. Regular Savings: Allocate a small percentage of each credit/deposit received into your trust account into your savings account.
   4. Employment Earnings: If you participate in Correctional Industries, Work Camp, or have a job while at a Community Reentry Center, save a significant portion of your earnings to ensure financial stability upon your release.
   5. Plan B: Always have a backup plan in case your primary plan falls through. Saving for Plan B ensures you have financial security even if your initial arrangements do not materialize.

Resident Account Monitoring

Reentry Services is actively monitoring the accounts of all residents who exceeded the funding criteria and were awarded transitional funding on the condition of contributing towards their housing or other reentry needs. If additional deposits are made into your account or funds are withdrawn to be sent to someone in the community after receiving funding, your approved funding may be revoked, or you may be required to contribute more. Saving towards your reentry is the best solution. If you are unable to save enough for your housing or other reentry needs, IDOC, at its discretion, may provide financial assistance to cover the remaining amount you require.

Housing Myths

Funding: We want to remind everyone that the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) does not provide gate money or any type of funds upon release from prison. Its important to plan and save money while you’re incarcerated. If you choose not to save or have spent all the money in your account (from working, family support, etc.), and this exceeds our criteria, we won’t be able to provide financial assistance for your reentry. Remember, even saving a small amount from each paycheck can make a significant difference when it’s time for your release. Reentry is a mindset, and it starts at RDU. Planning and preparing for your future now will put you in a better position for your return to the community.

Transitional Houses: Going to a transitional house is not a quicker way to get released versus going to a residence. There are multiple steps in going to a transitional house that include: completing a housing application, getting accepted by the house, getting approval from P&P, waiting for a bed to open, making payment, and then a release date can be requested. Bed availability is getting tougher to juggle for our transitional housing providers as less people are moving out and housing costs continue to rise across Idaho. I would encourage you to have discussions with your support network regarding a successful reentry.

Interstate Compacts (ISC): applications are NOT easier or quicker, upon release, for those that are incarcerated. All ISC applications are treated the same by the Interstate Compact Office.

General information:

1. 1. Interstate Compacts can be started and submitted 120 days before an ACTUAL release date. This is an ISC office requirement and regulation regarding the timeline.
   2. Once submitted, the receiving state has up to 45 days to review the ISC application.
   3. Two ideal qualifying criteria when submitting an ISC:
      1. A resident of the receiving state for 1 full year prior to incarceration and it can be validated OR
      2. Means of support in the state you will be residing. This requires a support system that includes immediate family that live in the area you are releasing to. They must be willing to support you in your reentry.
   4. The cost of living, when released, can make it more difficult to save for the ISC fee ($100) and Parole Commission bond ($500).
      1. Fee — required prior to submitting the application; nonrefundable
      2. Bond — required prior to being able to move or be released to the ISC state (if a termer or parole violator); a portion of the bond can be refunded after successful completion of supervision

Being able to reside with a positive support person has always been a better release plan and increases success. Please do not pursue a transitional house knowing you have someone you can live with that supports your reentry. This takes away from those that need a transitional house, is extra work for everyone involved, and can slow down your release process.

We are committed to supporting your successful reentry into the community. Thank you.

The three newest department memos on the upcoming switchover from JPay to Viapath.

Asterisks and end notes are mine.

***

“Resident Communications Update/Memo #3”

[Sent to facility residents over JPay Feb. 19]

Topic: Email Changes

Residents wont be able to use JPay messages.

People you talked to using JPay can still see the old messages and attachments, like photos.

If you want to keep any photos, ask the person who sent them to send them again with the new ViaPath tablets once they are available.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• •  How do we pay for media?
    • It’s almost the same as now. There will be a banking app on the new tablet to move money. More details will come later.
  • How much will it cost?
    • We are still figuring out the prices.*

IDOC will keep providing information about the switch, costs, how things work, services, and timelines every week. If you have any other questions or worries, you can fill out a Concern Form and send it to Central Office — Contracts.

*Assuming it’s the same prices that the IDOC agreed to in December, when the ViaPath arrangement was signed, they’re enough to ensure that ICSolutions pays the IDOC $1,000,000 plus a portion of every penny spent to stream content and message.

***

“Resident Communications Update/Memo #4”

[Sent to facility residents over JPay Feb. 26.]

Topic: New ViaPath Tablets

Every resident gets a free tablet to use while in an IDOC facility, but the tablets belong to the facility. You will also receive one charger and one set of earbuds (with microphone) for free.

The new tablets use the cloud. This means anything on your profile stays in the cloud, not on the tablet. These tablets belong to the facility, but your content stays in your cloud profile. If you move to a different facility, you leave the tablet behind and get a different one at the new facility. Your earbuds and charger are yours to take with you.

The new ViaPath tablets are very convenient. You can communicate with your friends and family, order commissary, submit Concern Forms (in the future), electronic HSRs, access the law library, and more all in one tablet.

There will be secure phone calling and video visits available on the tablets.

More information about the free and paid options, including prices, will be shared in another memo later.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• • Is there Bluetooth?
    • No. The new ViaPath tablets are not Bluetooth compatible.
  • Can I use an external keyboard?
    • No. External keyboards are not supported.
  • How much will the things cost that are not free?
    • We are still figuring out the prices.*
  • How do games work on the new tablet?
    • Everything is played in the cloud. Your progress is saved in the cloud based on your profile. There are no downloads of games to the tablet they are all played through streaming.

IDOC will keep providing information about the transition, costs, how things work, services, and timelines every week. If you have any other questions or worries, you can fill out a Concern Form and send it to Central Office — Contracts.

*Were I to guess, I would say “we are still figuring out the prices” means the IDOC is still mulling over the most convenient way to publicly acknowledge that it signed the following prices into effect last year:

• • Remote Video Visitation (per minute) — $0.16
  • Streaming Tablet Content (per minute) — $.05
  • Tablet Messaging (per message) — $0.25
  • Staff Messaging (per message) — Free
  • Resident Voicemail (per message) — $1.00
  • Domestic Calling Rate — $.06 per minute
  • International Calling Rate — $.06 per minute plus ICS’ underlying carrier cost based on an average rate per minute per destination calculated quarterly pursuant to 47 CFR [section] 64.6030 (e).

***

“Resident Communications Update/Memo #5”

[Sent to facility residents over JPay March 3.]

Topic: How to save things.

If you want to see your pictures and messages on the new ViaPath tablets:

1. 1. Pick the pictures and messages you want to have available on the new tablets.
   2. Ask the person who sent them to you on JPay to resend them after the new tablets are working.

This works even if you don’t have a tablet and only use the Kiosks.* Friends and family won’t lose their JPay accounts, so they will continue to have access to the messages that were sent through JPay.

If you want to save music to your JPay tablet:

1. 1. Decide what songs you want to keep.
   2.  Check your tablet’s storage:
      1. Drag down from the top right corner of the screen where the time is.
      2. Tap the gear (settings) button.
      3. Tap “Storage” to see how much space you have.
   3. To see what’s saved on your tablet, turn off the Wi-Fi**:
      1. Drag down from the top right corner of the screen where the time is.
      2. Select the Wi-Fi button and turn it off.
      3. Anything still on the tablet will be there for as long as the tablet continues to work after the JPay Wi-Fi is officially disconnected.

Please make sure to double-check your saved stuff if you use a kiosk to sync after organizing your tablet.

IDOC will keep providing information about the transition, costs, how things work, services, and timelines every week. If you have any other questions or worries, you can fill out a Concern Form and send it to Central Office — Contracts.

*But not if the original sender has died. To avoid experiencing the stress that accompanies losing irreplaceable photos and messages, have your deceased loved ones coordinate with ViaPath from the afterlife.

**Current JPay tablets lack the ability to disable WiFi.

Prison Journalism Project recently tasked incarcerated journalists across the U.S. with describing winter behind bars. Three contributors, including Patrick, shared from their experiences at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, in the desert south of Boise.

Visit prisonjournalismproject.org to read “What Extreme Cold Feels Like in Prison” by PJP contributors.

Click here to view Patrick’s PJP profile and contributions.

More evidence that corrections is growing marketplace in which transparency does not pay . . .

Last year, after coming aware of the IDOC’s intent to equip people incarcerated at the Idaho State Correctional Institution with monitoring devices, I submitted a public records request for any related legal agreements, statements of work and internal PowerPoint presentations.

The agency refused to disclose all relevant records, citing a sunshine law exemption that allows it to keep secret records that could be used to compromise security operations.

This by far was the most believable excuse that the IDOC has offered me as a reason for cloaking its business operations. But that didn’t make it any less of a slap to the face–not just to me but to Idaho taxpayers and other criminal justice researchers and writers who are right to wonder about the agency’s spending.

Tenacious journalist I am, I offered my good cheek in February:

“Hello. Back in July, I was denied my public records request for the agreement between the IDOC and the company contracted to equip residents of the Idaho State Correctional Institution with wearable monitoring devices. This request (R021592-072924) was denied on the grounds that it contained security procedures and site security records, which are exempt per Idaho Code. How about just providing me the name of the company contracted and the total cost to install and operate these services by year?”

The IDOC responded, “Based on the search criteria you provided, IDOC staff have searched for the records you requested and were unable to locate any documents that were responsive to your request other than the records you have previously requested.”

(“Ouch” once again–and now I’m down to my last two cheeks . . .)

Far be it from me to speculate on whether someone in the transparency department is just being lazy–or worse, refusing to disclose contractual information on the advice of legal counsel–but the IDOC used to disclose all contracts containing sensitive information with the sensitive bits redacted. This at least allowed interested parties to know which companies were winning government favor and benefitting from taxpayer money.

Here is where I would like to tell you that both the Idaho Press Club and the Idaho First Amendment Alliance were interested in hearing how I, their black-sheep brethren, was obstructed from performing the public service that I, for years, have provided for free. Unfortunately, neither organization has ever cared to answer my letters.

(Both southern cheeks have been hit! Where the *u** are my reinforcements?!?)

The IDOC transparency team can be contacted with questions regarding contracts, proposals and other department records at 208-658-2000.

View related posts:

“IDOC refuses public records request for winning proposal to replace JPay services, releases opaque memo.”

“IDOC refuses to disclose spending proposals/pilot programs for Idaho Opioid Settlement funds.“

I heard it first in the prison dining hall while waiting in line for lunch: the warden at the prison across the street finally had enough of Dale Shackelford, the prolific prison litigator and writer behind IdahoPrisonBlog.org.

Shackelford was transferred early February from the Idaho State Correctional Center (ISCC) to the Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI) after writing about temperatures inside ISCC reaching disturbing lows.

Despite being 62 years old and diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy, Shackelford was assigned upon his arrival to ISCI a bed downstairs from me, in the general population housing unit situated furthest away from our prison’s pharmacy and cafeteria.

This, Dale said, was a problem. And prison medical staff agreed: making him walk 1/4 mile roundtrip to the cafeteria to pick up his meals was unreasonable. So they arranged for the cafeteria to deliver his meals to our unit. Then, with no small amount of sadistic irony, they refused to deploy similar measures with his daily medications, insisting he take them at the pharmacy, adjacent to the cafeteria.

Parkinson’s UK describes Parkinson’s disease as a progressive, incurable neurological disease that effects motor and non-motor skills. “To avoid serious side effects,” states an info sheet published by the foundation, “Parkinson’s patients need their medications on time, every time — do not skip or postpone doses.” [Emphasis theirs.]

It would have been easy enough to transfer Shackelford to our prison’s medical annex, where residents with debilitating health issues receive their meals and medications on the unit, and where wheelchairs, wheelchair pushers and resident support persons operate on a regular basis.

But as the story so often goes, no one took the initiative.

After noting for several days that Shackelford wasn’t making it to the pharmacy, an unknown chain of prison staff sent a corrections officer to question his reason for refusing to medicate. Shackelford says he made it clear that he desperately wanted to take his medications but was physically incapable of walking the distance to the pharmacy.

With no further action taken, Shackelford suffered a seizure on Feb. 8 that required he be taken to a hospital by ambulance.

He returned to ISCI Feb. 11, at which time he was placed in the medical annex.

As a participant in my prison’s peer-mentor program, twice a week I’m able to volunteer in the medical annex. Which is how I was able to visit with Dale on Valentine’s Day. He showed me his bruises and shared damning details while watching yours truly eat lunch, and when I asked in what ways I could help, he said by sharing his story.

So I took notes and, after our visit, began to write it all up, only to find the next time I saw him that he’d already beaten me to it.

And with that, I’m happy to report that Shackelford appears to be doing much better. His bruises are healing and he’s back to writing, perhaps with more motivation than ever before.

He’s also opening me up to the wealth of experience he’s amassed as an advocate and writer: with 25 years incarcerated, 10 of those on death row, he’s worked hard with limited support to improve conditions and increase transparency in Idaho prisons.

When asked why he doesn’t write more about his medical struggles, he said that he doesn’t think that others are interested in reading about his health.

I strongly disagree, and I hope that you will too.

Dale’s birthday was February 19. Wish him a happy belated birthday and support his work by following idahoprisonblog.org.

Dales’s most recent posts:

CHILLIN’ IN THE BIG HOUSE

THE ANATOMY OF A PRISON DISTURBANCE – A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE

A SIMPLE TASK GONE AWRY – HERE’S THE ‘SYSTEM’ (AND YOUR TAX DOLLARS) AT WORK

IDAHO DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFERS PRISONER SERVING LIFE WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF THE STATE

[P]lease note, IDOC does not have a contract with Viapath, they are subcontractors to ICS, with whom IDOC does have a contract with [sic]. We are providing you the latest amendment to that contract which will address all the new changes. — IDOC Transparency Team

C014–017 AMENDMENT SEVENTEEN

THIS AMENDMENT SEVENTEEN to Agreement CO14-017 for Inmate Communication and Kiosk-Based Technology Access, is made by and between Inmate Calling Solutions, LLC d/b/a ICSolutions (“ICS”) and the Idaho Department of Correction (“IDOC”), collectively herein referred to as the “Parties”.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority provided in Idaho Code 67-5717 and 67-5732 (recodified at and superseded by Idaho Code 67-9205 (2016) and Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) Rule 38.05.01.032, IDOC entered into the Agreement for the provision of inmate telephone an kiosk-based services in correctional Facilities within the State of Idaho; and

WHEREAS, the Agreement was originally entered into between IDOC and CenturyLink Public Communications, Inc. (“CenturyLink”), which was acquired by ICS in August, 2020 as a wholly-owned subsidiary and all rights and obligations of CenturyLink under the Agreement were subsequently assigned to ICS; and

WHEREAS, through Amendments 1 through 16 the Parties made various changes and modifications to the Agreement, all of which are incorporated herein and made a part hereof; and

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to upgrade certain resident communications technology and further extend the Agreement term by three years.

NOW THEREFORE, for valuable consideration the Parties hereto mutually agree as follows:

1) The Agreement is hereby renewed for the period of January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027. Thereafter, the agreement may be further extended by mutual consent of the Parties.

2) ICS shall transition away from the current JPay Electronic Communication Services (ECS) program and provide each resident with a free Bridge 8™ tablet on which subscription-based entertainment can be purchased through ICS’ licensing contract with ViaPath Technologies.

o Tablets come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.

o ICS will fully cover the replacement costs of broken tablets up to 10% annually.

o Non-working tablets not covered by warranty, more than 10% annually or intentionally damaged by residents may be replaced at a cost of $250 each.

o IDOC staff will open a ticket for broken tablets and ship them back to ICS. ICS will provide a return merchandise authorization along with a prepaid shipping label to return to broken tablets.

o Each resident will also be provided with a tablet charger and set of earbuds with a microphone at no cost. Replacement chargers and earbuds will be available for purchase through commissary sales.

o ICS will be responsible for the procurement, installation, ongoing maintenance, and replacement of all tablet related hardware to include tablets, switches, servers, firewalls, and all infrastructure and network equipment and upgrade(s).

o Rolling site by site phased transition allows for existing tablets to work until cutover of the new tablet program.

o Tablet functionality to include but not limited to:

i. Secure phone calling through ICS’ Enforcer® platform with standard rates and controls applicable

ii. On-Demand Video Visitation (fees apply)

iii. Electronic forms when IDOC launches this service at a facility or statewide

iv. Messaging — resident to and from friends and family (message fees apply)

v. Friends and family photo sharing — inbound only (fees apply)

vi. Unlimited access to the Free Profile which will at a minimum include the following services at no cost to IDOC, residents, or residents’ family or friends, unless otherwise indicated: access to the messaging application (message fees apply), secure phone calling application (standard rates and controls apply), staff messaging, contacts, electronic forms, education resources, PREA resources, documents/facility information, commissary ordering, eBooks, radio, access to non-legal mail scanning, trust transfer requests, a wallet application to access resident trust account balances/usage, calculator and dictionary. IDOC reserves the right to approve or deny any and all of content that residents have access to view or listen [to] as part of this service.

vii. Access to the Premium Entertainment Profile will be provided with a rate of $0.05/minute and include access to the entire catalog of acuity games, puzzles, movies/television, music, audiobooks/podcasts, newsfeeds as well as Free Profile content. IDOC reserves the right to approve or deny and and all content that residents have access to view or listen [to] as a part of this service.

3) Scanning/Replication of Non-Legal and Legal Mail — ICS will work with IDOC to identify a scanning or replication solution for incoming non-legal and legal resident mail (“Mail”), or other similar situation for incoming legal resident mail, that meets IDOC’s needs. This solution could entail either digital delivery of a scanned copy of the resident’s Mail on the resident’s tablet or by providing residents with a printed replication of their Mail. There will be no additional cost to IDOC, reisdents, or resident friends and family for this service. ICS will contribute up to $1.89 per resident per month to offset the cost of this service. If the cost of this service exceeds $1.89 per resident per month, ICS and IDOC will renegotiate the commission payments provided in section 16.1 of this Agreement.

4) ICS will continue to provide all existing phone functionality at no cost to IDOC.

5) Exhibit 1 to the Agreement is hereby amended to reduce the domestic calling rates from $.08 per minute to $.06 per minute and the international calling rate is amended to be Cost plus $.06 per minute. For the purpose of the foregoing, “Cost” shall mean ICS’ underlying carrier cost based on an average rate per minute per destination calculated quarterly pursuant to 47 CFR [section] 64.6030 (e). No commission shall be payable on domestic or international calling.

6) Exhibit 2 to the Agreement is hereby amended to read as follows:

Other Service Fees

Remote Video Visitation (per minute) . . . . . .$0.16 No Commission
Streaming Tablet Content (per minute) . . . . . . $.05 Commission: 25%
Tablet Messaging (per message) . . . . . . $0.25 Commission: 25%
Staff Messaging (per message) . . . . . . . Free — No Commission
Resident Voicemail (per message) . . . . . . $1.00 No Commission

All other service fees free or waived.

7) ICS shall provide one additional trained and qualified field technician dedicated to supporting the services for IDOC. Increased from 3 to 4.

8) Section 16.1 to the Agreement is hereby replaced, in its entirety, with the following:

16.1 ICS agrees to pay IDOC a one-time commission of $1 million dollars [sic] due within fifteen (15) business days following full execution of Amendment Seventeen. ICS also agrees to pay IDOC, on a monthly basis, 25% of any service fees collected with respect to Streaming Tablet Content and Tablet Messaging. Each monthly payment shall be due by the 15th day of the month following the month in which it is earned and shall be accompanied by a summary report of the applicable service fees collected for such month.

9) The changes set forth in this Amendment Seventeen were based on FCC Order 24-75, released July 22, 2024, (the “FCC Order”), which, among other things, reduces cap limits on calling rates, sets new cap limits on video visitation rates, eliminates service fees and limits commissions. Should the FCC Order be overturned, the parties agree in good faith to renegotiate the terms of the Agreement.

10) Except as expressly modified in this Amendment, all other terms and conditions of the Agreement remain in full force and effect. All of the terms herein shall have the same meaning as contained in the Agreement, except as specifically defined otherwise in this Amendment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Amendment Seventeen to be executed by their respective Authorized Representative.

Inmate Calling Solutions, LLC
d/b/a ICSolutions, by

[Signed]
Barry E. Brinker, Vice President
12/20/2024

The State of Idaho
Idaho Department of Correction, by

[Signed]
Josh Tewalt, Director
12/20/2024

What’s the deal with my monthly First Amend This! newsletter? An inquiring mind recently messaged me over JPay to ask.

[T]he reason that I haven’t published anything for December and January is that I began questioning the overall utility of my newsletter while struggling to keep up with it. It’s actually quite rare that I hear from anyone who follows my advocacy efforts. Same goes for the many organizations and individuals that I reach out to. I’m disappointed to have to admit this, but that collective silence finally took a big enough toll on me that I found it necessary to redirect my time and efforts.

I’m still considering ways to keep folks informed at the local level, but I can’t predict how the switch from JPay to ViaPath will complicate things.

. . . I’ve not given up on advocacy or writing, just making a few adjustments.

In preparation for Idaho’s conscious uncoupling from JPay, Book of Irving 82431 has set up BlueSky account. From what I’m told, BlueSky is like X but without the Elon factor. With a little help from family, I should be able to use the platform to continue sharing news coverage on Idaho corrections, regardless of the capitalist messaging hell ViaPath Technologies has in store for us.

Today I’ll be linking to an Idaho Capital Sun entry on how the Idaho Department of Correction is asking state legislators for money to digitize its mail service. This will effectively prevent people incarcerated in Idaho prisons from receiving original copies of letters, pictures and birthday cards. It will also store all the personal letters from loved ones on corporate servers, where they can be used and abused without any official oversight. The Prison Policy Initiative has reported on how this growing practice runs contrary to public safety. I plan to share that link on BlueSky as well.

More updates soon…

#PrisonNews #IDOC #IncarcerationNation #WorthRises

[Posted to my dayroom 2.12.25. Link to IDOC memo post here ]

We are still planning the transition from JPay tablets to ViaPath in May 2025.

Many residents are asking if they can still use the old tablets. Yes, you can still use them. The stuff you downloaded can be used until the tablet starts working. When that happens, there will be a process to send the tablet back so the data from the tablet can be pulled and loaded to a USB drive. The tablet will be unlocked so it can be used outside the facility. Both the USB drive and the unlocked tablet will be sent to a home address. They cannot be sent back to a facility.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• • • • What are we changing to?
        • • IC Solutions has a new licensing contract with ViaPath Technologies to provide a free Bridge 8™ tablet to every resident.

• • • • What is the big difference between the old tablets and the new tablets?
        • • The old tablets are a hard drive and anything downloaded stays on them. The JPay tablets belong to the resident.
          • The new tablets use the cloud. Anything on your profile stays in the cloud, NOT on the tablet. These tablets belong to the facility, but your content stays in your cloud profile. If you move from one facility to another, you leave the tablet at the facility and a different tablet will be issued at the new facility.

• • • • What about stamps and media funds that haven’t been used yet?
        • • Transfer only what you plan to use before May 2025.

• • • • Will there be any free stuff on the new tablet?
        • • Yes! There will be things like FM radio, some eBooks, a couple of games, and other applications.

• • • • Why can’t you turn off the mortality switch on the old tablet?
        • • The mortality switch was only on the MP3 players which were sold to and used by residents prior to the JPay tablets. The tablets do not have a mortality switch.

IDOC will keep providing information about the switch, costs, how things work, services, and timelines every week. If you have any other questions, you can fill out a Concern Form and send it to Central Office–Contracts.

***

[Sent to IDOC residents over JPay 7.17.20]

MSG FROM CENTURYLINK – Syncing your tablet

In an effort to ensure you have a working JPay player during the time your unit may be on secure status, JPay has pushed a mortality switch extension for 180 days. You can only get this extension by syncing to the kiosks. If you have not had the opportunity since July 10th to connect your JPay player please do so at your next opportunity. If you do not have access to a kiosk due to temporary housing in an area that does not have a kiosk, please send a handwritten concern form to CenturyLink Box 67 so they can create a list of who needs to be synced up.

Thank you.