BOISE – A veteran correctional officer who is part of an effort to improve security at Correctional Industries recently made a big discovery – a large amount of contraband tobacco hidden in a manure pile.

Berry Mullins, a CI security officer at the South Idaho Correctional Institution (SICI), and Dairy Farm supervisor Steve Holderman found both loose tobacco and chewing tobacco Wednesday (Dec. 20) afternoon. The tobacco was packed inside four five-gallon containers buried in a large pile of manure behind the dairy barn. The barn is located west of SICI.

The tobacco find came following a lengthy investigation. One inmate has been placed in segregation and several other offenders are being questioned.

Correctional Industries, in an effort to address concerns about security raised in a State Police investigation, hired two correctional officers earlier this year. Mullins, a 20-year veteran of the Department, works at SICI while the second officer is stationed at the neighboring Idaho State Correctional Institution.
IDOC Director Tom Beauclair applauded the investigative efforts of Mullins. "We really have focused on cutting off the supply of tobacco coming in from the South Idaho Correctional Institution," Beauclair said. "We want these correctional officers to be more than supervisors. We want them to be part of our investigative efforts. We also want offenders to be held accountable for their actions"

The Idaho Department of Corrections banned smoking and the use of tobacco products in its facilities in November 1996. Since then, the trafficking of tobacco has been a problem, especially at lower custody facilities such as SICI, said Tim Higgins, an IDOC investigator. Higgins said all three prisons south of Boise have recently stepped up efforts to eradicate tobacco trafficking.

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BOISE – A resident at the South Boise Community Work Center escaped from the facility Monday (Dec. 17) morning, the Idaho Department of Correction reported.

The fugitive, Alvin Dutton Alves, 21, was discovered missing at about 6:20 a.m. from his room at the center, located about five miles south of Boise. Alves had stuffed pillows under his blanket to make it appear that he was still asleep, staff reported. He had been at the center since Nov. 27.

Alves pleaded guilty to one count of burglary (Cassia County) and was serving a retained jurisdiction rider at the work center. Alves is 6 feet tall and weighs 185 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. He was possibly wearing a white button-up sweater, brown corduroy or blue jean pants, brown leather boots, a blue wool watch cap and a faded blue denim coat.

Anyone with information about the escape is urged to contact local authorities or the South Boise Community Work Center at 334-2731.

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IDOC withdraws application for proposed work center in Hayden

BOISE - A special use permit application with the Hayden Planning and Zoning Commission to build a community work center was withdrawn Tuesday (Dec. 4), the Idaho Department of Correction announced.

The commission was scheduled to consider the permit application at its Dec. 11 meeting. The IDOC requested the permit to build a 100-bed, co-ed facility on a 4.5-acre parcel of land at the southeast corner of Atlas Road and Dakota Avenue.

IDOC Director Tom Beauclair said there were several reasons for the decision to withdraw the permit application.

"We want to pull back a bit and re-evaluate the process," Beauclair said. "We made this decision after listening to concerns expressed both by residents who live near the proposed site and Coeur d’Alene Airport officials."

Beauclair said the Department would continue its efforts to locate a work center in northern Idaho. "We currently have five community work centers in southern and eastern Idaho that are successfully preparing offenders for release back into their communities. We do need a work center up north."

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Two offenders escape Tuesday from the Twin Falls Community Work Center

TWIN FALLS - Two residents at the Twin Falls Community Work Center escaped from the facility Tuesday (Dec. 4) morning, the Idaho Department of Correction reported.

The two fugitives, Dallas Earl Fite and Cody Vealton Thompson, both 23, were discovered missing from their room at 8:10 a.m. Tuesday. A staff member who went to check on Fite after he did not report for chore duty found clothing stuffed under both of their blankets to make it appear they were still asleep.

Fite was convicted of possession of a controlled substance (Payette County) and was sentenced to 2-6 years in prison. He had a tentative parole date of Dec. 12. He is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has brown hair and eyes. He has tattoos of a tribal banner on his left arm, a flaming skull on his left leg, the word "Sabien" on the right side of his neck, the word "Renee" on a finger on his left hand and a two-inch scar on his right cheek.

Thompson was serving a 1-1/2 - 5 year sentence for burglary (Cassia County) and a 3-month – 4 year sentence for assault and battery on a jailer (Bonneville County). He had a tentative parole date of Dec. 5. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. He has a scar on his left temple and tattoos of dots and a cross on his left hand and the word "Cholo" on his right forearm.

Anyone with information about the escape is urged to contact the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office at 208-736-4040.

NOTE: Both fugitives were captured in Burley, Idaho on Dec. 10.

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Inmate at Idaho State Correctional Institution dies Monday night

BOISE - A minimum-custody inmate at the Idaho State Correctional Institution died Monday night while exercising, the Idaho Department of Correction said Tuesday (Dec. 4).

Prison staff said Ricky Leroy Mueller, 25, dropped the weights and collapsed off a weight bench in the prison’s recreation building. Medical staff responded quickly and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation until Ada County paramedics arrived. The paramedics pronounced Mueller dead at 7:32 p.m. Monday.

Mueller’s body was taken to the Ada County Coroner’s Office for autopsy. An office spokesman said Tuesday afternoon that the autopsy is done, but further studies are being performed before a final report on the cause of death is released. The spokesman said there was no evidence that Mueller was hit or assaulted.

Mueller was serving a 3-10 year sentence on an attempted robbery conviction out of Bonner County. He had been in prison since January 1998.

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BOISE – Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will be among the dignitaries participating in ribbon-cutting ceremonies Thursday (Nov. 29) morning to mark the opening of the Parole Release Center at the South Idaho Correctional Institution. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m.

The center began operating Oct. 17. It is a 100-bed, dormitory- style, Therapeutic Community living unit dedicated to treating high-risk offenders with substance abuse as their most presenting problem. Treatment lasts from nine months to a year.

Kempthorne played a large role in making the center a reality though his substance abuse treatment initiative. State legislators approved funding to hire additional treatment personnel to staff the center. The facility was built with federal funds with matching grant funds from the state.

SICI serves as the Department’s major minimum custody facility and functions as both a working compound and a pre-release center. The majority of IDOC inmates come through SICI for release and programming is targeted to maximize their successful re-integration into society.

The South Idaho Correctional Institution is located off Pleasant Valley Road about five miles south of Gowen Field.

WHAT IS IT? The Parole Release Center is a 100-bed, dormitory- style, Therapeutic Community living unit dedicated to treating high risk offenders with substance abuse as their most presenting problem. Treatment lasts from nine months to a year.

WHO PARTICIPATES? Offenders referred to the program by the Commission for Pardons and Parole, institutional staff, Community Corrections staff and judges.

WHERE IS IT LOCATED? The center is situated on the grounds of the South Idaho Correctional Institution.

WHY IS SUCH PROGRAMMING IMPORTANT? National studies have identified several treatment modalities that have proven to be most successful with incarcerated populations. The Therapeutic Community in the Parole Release Center has combined several of these modalities within the framework of the program. This integration has placed Idaho on the cutting edge of therapeutic intervention.

Therapeutic communities are highly structured and based upon the premise that an individual’s needs are best met in a pro-social group environment. Social learning theory utilizes positive peer pressure to endorse acceptable norms and belief systems within the program. Program values mirror societal norms and rules.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies have been shown to be extremely effective with the incarcerated populations. The PRC Therapeutic Community Program has incorporated this modality. Emphasis is placed on thinking errors (thinking that gets us into trouble) and members are educated to become aware of connections between thinking errors and the resulting emotional and behavioral consequences. Solutions designed to change the beliefs, attitudes and mindsets that drive this thinking are then developed to create corrective through patterns, problem-solving skills, and ultimately to realize one has choices in behavior an personal accountability.

Three components identified to be the most effective in facilitating the successful re-integration of the substance-abusing offender into the community are: 1) Basic Education, 2) 12-Step Programs, and 3) Relapse Prevention strategies. The PRC Therapeutic Community utilizes this comprehensive approach to address substance abuse issues. This modality integrates with the social learning and cognitive behavioral elements to create a holistic approach to recovery.

HOW WAS THE FACILITY FINANCED? The cost to build the center was $1.8 million. Ninety percent of that amount came from a federal VOI/TIS (Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth in Sentencing) grant. The remaining amount came from the state’s general fund. The governor’s substance abuse initiative provided the funds to hire the personnel needed to staff the center.

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IDOC plan will save the state at least $400,000 a year

BOISE - The Idaho Board of Correction on Wednesday (Nov. 14) voiced support for an inmate management plan that will make possible the return of all female offenders being housed in a New Mexico prison. This will result in an annual cost savings of at least $400,000.

The three-member board also gave approval for budget revisions that will make the plan a reality .

"We have been working hard to find a way to increase bed space for female offenders so we could bring those in New Mexico back to Idaho," said Tom Beauclair, director of the Idaho Department of Correction. "We have a plan that will accomplish this and result in substantial cost savings to the state."

The plan will eliminate a long-standing logjam affecting the flow of female offenders into IDOC facilities from county jails. The backlog has affected the Department’s ability to process offenders into its system in a timely manner. It also will remove the retained jurisdiction program from the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center.

"This plan is a good one for several reasons," Beauclair explained. "We will be placing low-risk offenders in a more-appropriate community setting. That will free up secure beds at Pocatello for higher-risk offenders. The quicker we can bring in female offenders from the county jails, the quicker we can start providing them with the necessary programming."

The plan was developed as a result of months of research. It is expected to be completed next March.

Here are the specifics:

1). The 84-bed South Boise Community Work Center, which currently houses male offenders, will be converted to house female offenders sentenced under the retained jurisdiction program. The capacity will be increased to 123 beds.

2). The loss of beds for male offenders will be made up at the three remaining work centers for males. The Nampa center will add 33 beds. The Twin Falls and Idaho Falls centers will add 25 beds each.

A critical bed shortage prompted the IDOC to begin housing female offenders out of state. Last January, the Department began transferring females to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center in Gallup, N.M. under a contract with Management and Training Corp.

There currently are 127 Idaho offenders in the New Mexico facility. They are the only Idaho offenders housed out of state on a contract basis.

A cost estimate to implement the plan is being developed. It will include the cost of bringing the female offenders back to Idaho, and modifications to the South Boise, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Nampa CWCs (i.e., adding additional beds).

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Proposed community work center the subject of second town hall meeting in Hayden

BOISE - A second town hall meeting to provide information about plans by the Idaho Department of Correction to locate a community work center in Hayden is scheduled for 4-7:30 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 1) at the Hayden Lakes Friends Church.

The meeting will be held in the church's North Multi-Purpose Room. The church is located at 251 Miles Avenue in Hayden. An Aug. 16 town hall meeting also was held at this location.

The IDOC wants to build a 100-bed co-ed facility on a 4.5-acre parcel of land at the southeast corner of Atlas Road and Dakota Avenue. The Department is currently in the process of submitting a special use permit application to the Hayden Planning and Zoning Commission.

Those attending the town hall meeting will have the opportunity to learn more about work centers, talk with center managers and an offender housed in such a facility, and visit with employment coordinators, employers and Community Corrections staff.

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IDOC director announces two administrative appointments

BOISE – Idaho Department of Correction Director Tom Beauclair announced Tuesday (Oct. 2) the appointment of two division administrators.

Joe Klauser is the new administrator of the Division of Prisons. Rudy Evenson is the new administrator of the Division of Community Corrections (formerly the Division of Field and Community Services).

"These are two solid leaders within our agency who possess a broad range of experiences and diverse backgrounds," Beauclair said. "They are well known and well respected in the corrections community."

Klauser has been with the Department for 15 years. He started work as a production manager at Correctional Industries in October 1986, promoting to administrator of CI in April 1990. He has served as deputy warden at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution and was warden at the Idaho State Correctional Institution from January 1992 until being named acting administrator of the Division of Prisons last July. He will oversee the operations of seven state-operated prisons.

Evenson began working for the Department in 1978 as a pre-sentence investigator. He has worked as a probation/parole officer, a section supervisor and programs supervisor. He was named deputy administrator of Community Corrections in February 1994. He will oversee the operations of seven District and 16 satellite probation and parole offices and five community work centers.

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Improved public records policy approved by the Board of Correction 

BOISE – An improved policy that better defines what Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) records are open to the public and media was approved by the Idaho Board of Correction on Wednesday (Sept. 26).

"This revised policy is the first of many steps that will be made to achieve one of my goals - a more friendly and open Department to the public, legislators and the media," said Tom Beauclair, IDOC director. Beauclair, a 24-year veteran of the Department, was named director on Tuesday (Sept. 25).

The revisions to the policy, Rule 108, were the result of months of work with, and negotiations between, numerous interested parties. Board Chairman Ralph Townsend said the new policy provides a better outline for what records can be released.

According to the policy, records that are not clearly exempt from release cannot be withheld from the requestor without specific review and approval by the director of the IDOC. If a request is denied in whole or in part, the requestor still has the opportunity to appeal that decision in district court.

Rule 108 will now go to the state Office of Administrative Rules for publication in its Idaho Administrative Bulletin. The policy will become effective 30 days from its publication date.

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Beauclair named new director of the Idaho Department of Correction

BOISE – The Idaho Board of Correction on Tuesday (Sept. 25) named Tom Beauclair as director of the Idaho Department of Correction. The announcement came following a four-month search by the panel.

Beauclair, 51, is a 24-year veteran of the Department. He began work as a correctional officer in July 1972. He holds a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the College of Idaho in Caldwell.

As director, Beauclair will supervise more than 1,450 employees statewide and oversee the operations of seven prisons and five community work centers. The offender population includes 5,400 felons in prison and more than 8,000 probationers and parolees.

He replaces James Spalding, who resigned in March. On May 29, the Board of Correction named Beauclair interim director. Prior to being named interim director, Beauclair was administrator of the Division of Field and Community Services.

A total of 81 people applied for the director’s post. Other finalists for the position were J.A. Fairman Jr., who has been running the California Department of Correction’s substance abuse prison facility since 1997; Vaughn Killeen, Ada County sheriff since 1984; Daniel D. Russell, criminal justice consultant since 1996; and Dora B. Schriro, director of the Missouri Department of Correction from 1993 until May 2001.

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Idaho Board of Correction announces six finalists for IDOC director

BOISE - The Idaho Board of Correction has announced the six finalists for director of the Idaho Department of Correction.

The three-member board is scheduled to interview the six finalists during the week of July 23-27. Board Chairman Ralph Townsend said the panel hopes to name a new director by the end of July.

Eighty-one people applied for the position following the March resignation of Director James Spalding. A screening committee interviewed the 12 most qualified and recommended the six finalists to the board.

The finalists are:

	Thomas E. Beauclair, acting director of the IDOC and administrator of the Division of Field and Community Services.
	Rick Day, former director of the Montana Department of Correction (1995-2000). Currently an adjunct instructor at the Helena, Mont. College of Technology.
	J. W. Fairman Jr., who has been running the California Department of Correction’s substance abuse prison facility since 1997.
	Vaughn Killeen, Ada County sheriff since 1984.
	Daniel D. Russell, criminal justice consultant since 1996.
	Dora B. Schriro, who was director of the Missouri Department of Corrections from 1993 until May 2001.