1998 Press Releases
Sept.
30, 1998 - Board of Correction approves medical co-pay plan for inmates
Sept.
17, 1998 - Department of Correction seeks applicants for officer
registry
April 17, 1998 - Idaho
inmate dies in Boise hospital
April
16, 1998 - IMSI inmate injured in recreation yard incident
March
2, 1998 - South Idaho Correctional Inst. inmates repair bikes for deserving
kids
Feb.
27, 1998
- IDOC brings back 248 inmates housed out of state
Feb.
3, 1998
- Changes made to Idaho Department of Correction's
law library system
Jan.
28, 1998
- IDOC to bring back 248 inmates housed out of state
Jan.
23, 1998
- Correctional Officer at Orofino prison named Officer of the Year
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Releases Main Page
Board
of Correction approves medical co-pay plan for inmates
BOISE - A medical co-pay plan for offenders in the Idaho
Department of Correction system was approved by the Board of Correction
Wednesday (Sept. 30).
The new policy will go into effect Nov. 1. It is designed to promote and
encourage responsibility and accountability for inmates in the participation of
their personal health. Inmates currently do not pay for medical care.
An inmate initiating a sick call visit will pay $3. Each prescription or
prescribed over-the-counter medication will cost $2. The Department will ensure
that every inmate has access to medical, dental, optical and mental health
services whether or not he or she has the financial resources to pay for such
services.
There are numerous exemptions to the co-pay plan, including chronic care
medications (such as for diabetes and epilepsy) and subsequent medical visits
authorized by medical staff.
Idaho is among a growing number of states that have implemented an inmate co-pay
system. Several states report that frivolous doctor visits decreased by 20-40
percent after co-pay was implemented. The Idaho co-pay plan is expected to
return between $30,000 and $40,000 a year to the IDOC budget and reduce medical
costs associated with unnecessary visits.
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Department
of Correction seeks applicants for correctional officer register
BOISE - If you have ever thought about working for the Idaho
Department of Correction, now is the time to apply. There is a critical need for
qualified correctional officers to fill positions at correctional facilities
statewide.
Starting pay is $10.97 an hour, plus health, dental, life and disability
insurance. Correctional officers are covered by the state’s pension plan, and
benefits include sick and vacation leaves. Previous experience is not required;
training will be provided.
State job announcements (which list testing dates, times and locations) and
applications are available from the Idaho Personnel Commission, 700 W. State St.
in Boise or at any Job Service office. Walk-in testing for the Boise area is
scheduled for Sept. 22, Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.
Other test sites are Grangeville (Sept. 24 and Nov. 5), Orofino (Sept. 25 and
Nov. 6) and Pocatello (Nov. 12).
The immediate openings are in Boise, Orofino and Cottonwood. Contact Dave
Atkinson at 1-208-332-8218 or 332-8239 for information.
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Idaho
inmate dies in Boise hospital
BOISE - An Idaho Maximum Security Institution inmate died
Friday (April 17) night from injuries received during a Thursday morning assault
at the facility.
John Alfred Williams died at 7:11 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
He suffered massive head injuries in the assault, which occurred shortly after
8:30 a.m. Thursday on the outside recreation yard grounds. Investigators believe
Williams was hit with a baseball bat.An institution lockdown was lifted 8:30
a.m. Friday. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation
and a suspect has been identified. Institution staff also are conducting an
internal incident review.
Williams was serving a four-year sentence for two counts of assault and battery
of a law enforcement officer in Bonneville County. He was scheduled to be
released from prison May 30, 1998.
Williams’ death was the first inmate-on-inmate homicide in Idaho since 1988,
when an inmate at the Idaho State Correctional Institution was killed during a
prison disturbance.
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Idaho
Maximum Security Institution inmate injured in recreation yard incident
BOISE - An inmate at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI)
was injured Thursday (April 16) morning during an apparent assault on the
outside recreation yard grounds.
John Alfred Williams, 38, is in critical condition at St. Alphonsus Regional
Medical Center in Boise with head injuries. Investigators believe Williams was
hit with a baseball bat.
IMSI is under lockdown and is expected to remain so until at least Friday
morning. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and a
suspect has been identified. An internal incident review, conducted by IMSI
staff, was started immediately.
Williams was one of 15 inmates moved to the ballfield for recreation at 8:30
a.m. Thursday. A correctional officer noticed Williams lying on the ground at
8:41 a.m. Medical personnel at the prison treated Williams until an ambulance
arrived.
Williams was serving a four-year sentence for two counts of assault and battery
of a law enforcement officer in Bonneville County. He was scheduled to be
released from prison May 30, 1998.
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South
Idaho Correctional Institution inmates repair bikes for deserving kids
BOISE - Idaho prison inmates will play an important role in
the success of the 6th Annual Burgers for Bikes, Bikes for Kids campaign in Ada
County.
Several offenders at the South Idaho Correctional Institution south of Boise
will repair, tune-up and clean donated bicycles. This is the second year the
institution is participating in the program. Last year the inmates repaired 250
bicycles. The goal this year is 300 bicycles.
"The campaign is a perfect match for the South Idaho Correctional
Institution," said Sgt. Wes
Greer. "We are a working facility
and like to keep our inmates busy. They are raring to go."
The Burgers for Bikes, Bikes for Kids campaign will kick-off at 10 a.m.
March 3 at the Red Robin restaurant on Parkcenter Boulevard in Boise. Here's
how the campaign works: the public will be asked to bring their rideable
bicycles to Red Robin restaurants between March 3-23. Those donating bicycles
will receive a coupon for a free hamburger. The Idaho Army National Guard will
transport the bicycles to the South Idaho Correctional Institution. Employees
from George's Cycles will train
inmates in basic bicycle repair.
The refurbished bicycles will be disbursed during ceremonies May 2 outside the
Parkcenter Red Robin.
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Idaho
Department of Correction brings back 248 inmates housed out of state
BOISE - The Idaho Department of Correction late Thursday (Feb.
26) successfully completed the transfer of 248 inmates from out-of-state
facilities in Texas and Minnesota.
Forty-eight of the 248 inmates housed at the Frio County Detention Center in
Pearsall, Texas were transferred Feb. 19. All 200 Idaho inmates housed at the
Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minn., were brought back Thursday.
With the latest returns, the IDOC has reduced the number of Idaho inmates housed
in out-of-state facilities from 748 to 200 in the last five months. The main
factor contributing to recent transfers was the opening in mid-January of a
536-bed addition at the medium-security Idaho State Correctional Institution
south of Boise.
The DOC began sending inmates to Appleton in January 1996 and to Pearsall in
early 1997. An additional 300 Idaho inmates being housed in a Louisiana prison
were brought back to Idaho between October 1997 and January 1998.
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Changes
made to Idaho Department of Correction's
law library system
BOISE - Work to dismantle the law libraries at five penal
institutions is expected to be completed Tuesday (Feb. 3), the Idaho Department
of Correction announced.
The process began at 5 p.m. Monday at the Idaho Correctional
Institution-Orofino, the Pocatello Women's
Correctional Center, and the three institutions south of Boise - the Idaho
Maximum Security Institution, the Idaho State Correctional Institution and the
South Idaho Correctional Institution.
The law libraries' restructuring will comply to provisions of a recent U.S.
Supreme Court (Lewis v. Casey) decision that outlines constitutionally
adequate access to courts for prisoners. The Board of Correction approved the
restructuring plan in January.
The changes will greatly reduce the number of law books available to inmates and
eliminate inmate law clerks. The role of trained paralegals will shift from
supervising inmate law clerks to assisting inmates to fill out forms to present
the facts that they believe give rise to a claim for relief in court.
The cost of operating law libraries wasn't
a factor in the decision to dismantle them, but some savings are expected. The
exact amount of savings has not been determined. The changes will free up space
that will be used for programming, education and general library purposes.
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Idaho
Department of Correction to bring back 248 inmates housed out of state
BOISE - The Idaho Department of Correction Wednesday (Jan. 28)
notified prison facilities in Minnesota and Texas that it will bring back 248 of
the 448 inmates it houses there.
Plans are to return the 200 inmates at the Prairie Correctional Facility in
Appleton, Minn., and 48 of the 248 Idaho inmates at the Frio County Detention
Center in Pearsall, Texas, the two out-of-state facilities that house Idaho
inmates. The transfers will be completed by early March.
The deciding factor contributing to the DOC decision is the opening this month
of a 536-bed addition at the Idaho State Correctional Institution south of
Boise.
The DOC began sending inmates to Appleton in January 1996 and to Pearsall in
early 1997. An additional 300 Idaho inmates being housed in a Louisiana prison
were brought back to Idaho between October 1997 and January 1998.
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Correctional
officer at Orofino prison named Officer of the Year
BOISE - Correctional Officer Dan Prado of the Idaho
Correctional Institution - Orofino, has been named the 1998 Idaho Department of
Correction's Officer of the Year.
Prado, of Kamiah, will be honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Saturday
(Jan. 24) during the VFW Mid-Winter Conference. Formal opening ceremonies are
scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. in the banquet room of the Owyhee Plaza Hotel,
11th and Main streets in Boise. Presenting the award will be U.S. Sen. Dirk
Kempthorne, R-Idaho. Cpl. Wayne Scroggins of DuBois also will be honored as VFW
State Police Officer of the Year.
Prado has been with the DOC since February 1996. He is a member of the Special
Operations Response Team. He was chosen from several other highly qualified
nominees for his excellence in the areas of respect for staff, supervisors and
inmates, leadership, fairness, communication skills, knowledge of corrections,
professional appearance and exceptional performance of duties.
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