Idaho Department of Correction

TERMS AND ACRONYMS

AA

Alcoholics Anonymous.  A worldwide fellowship which holds meetings in IDOC facilities to help inmates stay sober.

BCDC

Bill Clayton Detention Center . A prison in Littlefield , Texas where IDOC leases beds to incarcerate Idaho inmates.  BCDC is owned by the City of Littlefield and operated by the GEO Group, Inc.

CAPP

Correctional Alternative Placement Program. A 90-day intensive substance abuse treatment program facility designed to serve probationers, parolees and inmates.

 CCA

Corrections Corporation of America . A Nashville, Tennessee-based company that operates Idaho Correctional Center south of Boise and North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre, Oklahoma where IDOC inmates are incarcerated

CI

Correctional Industries. A self-sustaining organization within the Idaho Department of Correction which educates and employees inmates for the manufacture of furniture, garments, license plates and other goods for sale to government agencies, non profit organizations and retail and wholesale distributors.

CIS

Correctional Integrated System. The computer system used by IDOC to manage information about offenders.

Close

One of five levels of custody in which inmates are classified. Close custody facilities are Idaho ’s most secure prisons and house high-risk offenders.

Community

One of five levels of custody in which inmates are classified.  Community custody is the lowest custody level.  Generally, community custody offenders are nearing a release date.  Community custody offenders can work in the community.  They may be housed at a community work center or a work release program in a prison.   They can obtain jobs in the community.  Part of their salary helps pay the cost for their housing.

CWC

Community work center. A facility which offers selected inmates who are nearing release a chance to prepare for their return to society.  IDOC operates five CWC’s.

CO

Correctional officer.  The largest number of IDOC staff are correctional officers. They ensure the safety and security of facilities through good security procedures and also through providing opportunities for offender change.

CSC

Cognitive Self Change. A program designed to teach offenders to change the patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving which lead to criminal behaviors.

DARS

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation specialist.  These staff members are essential to providing treatment to offenders in prison and the community.

DHO

Disciplinary hearing officer. A staff member appointed by the facility head to perform disciplinary hearings at that facility.

DM

District manager.  The person who oversees one of seven probation and parole districts in Idaho .

DOR

Disciplinary Offense Report.  A formal report written by prison staff to document rule violations of an offender.  A DOR leads to a disciplinary hearing.

DW

Deputy warden.  The person who is second in command of an IDOC facility.  Larger prisons have a deputy warden of security and a deputy warden of operations.

Fixed (Determinate)

The amount of time an inmate must be incarcerated before being eligible to be considered for parole.

GAIN

Global Appraisal of Individual Needs.  A standardized system used to measure an offender’s substance abuse problems.

GED

General Educational Development.  A trademark representing a battery of five tests that, when passed, certifies that an individual has high school-level academic skills. Many people also use the term GED to represent General Equivalency Diploma.

GEO

The GEO GROUP, Inc. A Boca Raton, Florida-based company that designs, builds and manages prisons, jails and detention facilities.  GEO operates facilities in Texas at which IDOC leases bed space for the incarceration of Idaho inmates.

ICC

Idaho Correctional Center.  A medium-security male facility south of Boise owned by the State of Idaho and operated by CCA.

ICIO

Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino.  A former state mental health hospital in Orofino that was converted into a prison for females in 1984. Today, it houses medium, minimum and community custody male offenders. 

IDOC

Idaho Department of Correction.  The agency’s mission is to protect Idaho through safety, accountability, partnerships and opportunities for offender change.

IMSI

Idaho Maximum Security Institution.  Also called  “Max” and located south of Boise ,  IMSI is the state’s highest security prison.  It opened in 1989 to confine Idaho ’s most violent offenders including males sentenced to death.

ISCI

Idaho State Correctional Institution.  Also called “The Yard,” ISCI is located south of Boise .  ISCI is the primary facility for long-term male, medium-custody offenders. It has special-use beds for infirmary, outpatient mental health and geriatric offenders.

Kite

Slang representing written correspondence sent to another inmate or staff member within a facility.  The actual document title is concern form.  It is the way in which inmates initiate many processes such as requesting classes and receiving medical appointments.

LSI-R

Level of Supervision Inventory, Revised.  A risk and needs assessment which measures the needs of an offender and the level of supervision of the offender.

Max

See IMSI.

Medium

One of five levels of custody in which inmates are classified.  Medium custody facilities are secure facilities where inmates’ movements are restricted and the perimeter is secured.  Medium custody houses high-risk offenders who do not require the security of a close-custody prison.

Minimum

One of five levels of custody in which inmates are classified. Minimum restricted custody offenders are housed at medium custody facilities.  Generally, offenders at this custody level follow institutional rules, but pose a risk to the community.

Minimum Restricted

One of five levels of custody in which inmates are classified. Minimum restricted custody offenders are housed at medium custody facilities.  Generally, offenders at this custody level follow institutional rules, but pose a risk to the community.

NFCF

North Fork Correctional Facility.  A medium security male prison in Sayre , Oklahoma where IDOC leases bed space for the incarceration of inmates.  NFCF is operated by CCA.

NICI

North Idaho Correctional Institution. A former military radar station north of Cottonwood .  Males housed here are in the retained jurisdiction (rider) program. They receive programming and education. “New Directions” is a substance abuse treatment program available at this facility.

North Fork

See NFCF.

Parole

The release of an inmate into the community before the completion of his or her sentence.

Inmates who are paroled remain under the supervision of a parole officer and must abide by conditions set by the Idaho Commission on Pardons and Parole. 

PED

Parole Eligible Date.  The day on which an inmate is eligible to be considered for parole.   Just because an inmate is eligible for parole, does not mean he or she will be released.  

PIE

See PIECP.

PIECP

Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program.  Created by Congress in 1979 to encourage state and local government to establish employment opportunities for prisoners that approximate private sector work opportunities.

PO

Probation and parole officer. PO ’s supervise offenders living in the community and serve as a link to a variety of social services.  Many officers meet the offenders in their homes and at their workplaces.

PREA

Prison Rape Elimination Act.  A federal law approved in 2003 which is designed to make the prevention of prison rape a top priority in every prison system in the United States .

PRC

Parole Release Center .  A 100-bed, dormitory- style, Therapeutic Community living unit at South Idaho Correctional Institution south of  Boise.   The Therapeutic Community (TC) is dedicated to treating offenders with substance abuse problems and preparing them to return to the community under the supervision of a PO .

Probation

The act of suspending the sentence of a person convicted of a criminal offense and allowing the person to live in the community under the supervision of a PO .

PSI

Pre-sentence investigator or pre-sentence investigation.  A pre-sentence investigation is a review conducted by a pre-sentence investigator prior to the sentencing of a defendant.  PSI’s examine a variety of factors including the defendant’s family history, use of alcohol and drugs, and the nature of the crime, to help courts decide if a defendant shall be paroled or incarcerated and if so for what period of time.

PWCC

Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center . A prison in Pocatello which is designed specifically to meet the unique needs of female offenders. It houses all custody levels of females including those sentenced to death.

Retained Jurisdiction

A program that provides a sentencing alternative for the courts to target those offenders who might, after a period of programming and evaluation, be viable candidates for probation and reintegration into the community. The judge retains jurisdiction in the case. When the offender is returned to court after spending approximately six months in prison, the judge determines if he or she will receive probation or serve a term in prison.

Rider

Slang for the retained jurisdiction program.

RDU

Reception and Diagnostic Unit.  The place where inmates are evaluated and classified as they begin serving their sentences.  All male inmates are sent to ISCI’s RDU.  All female inmates are sent to PWCC’s RDU.  

SAWC

St. Anthony Work Camp.  A facility designed for minimum and community custody males in St. Anthony. The focus is to provide a work therapy program. Offenders work on fire crews and other jobs. Offenders also participate in community service projects.

SBWCC

South Boise Women’s Correctional Center .  A facility that houses females in the retained jurisdiction (rider) program south of Boise . Women spend approximately 120 days in the program. Their time is focused on specialized classes and programming.

SICI

South Idaho Correctional Institution.  Also called “The Farm.”  SICI houses minimum and community custody offenders south of Boise .

SIPR

Self-initiated progress report.   A report prepared by an inmate for the parole board in which he or she requests that the board grant the inmate a new hearing.

TC

Therapeutic Community. A substance abuse treatment program offered at ICC,  ICIO, SICI and SBWCC.

TPD

Tentative Parole Date.  The day on which an inmate will be released if he or she meets conditions set by the parole commission.

VINE

Victim Information and Notification Everyday.  A free and anonymous service that victims can use anytime to determine where an offender is incarcerated. Victims can also request that VINE automatically notify them when an offender is released from prison.  To learn more call, 887-VINE-4-ID.