2005 Press Releases
December 27, 2005 -- IDOC Career
Fair Provides New Potential for Job Seekers
December 22, 2005 -- Survey Results from Safe Communities
Project
December 6, 2005 -- Managing Security Threat Groups
in Idaho’s Highest Security Prison
November 29, 2005 -- Recently Named Administrator,
Evaluation and Compliance
November 23, 2005 -- Transition in IDOC Public Information
Office
November 7, 2005 -- New Opportunity to Launch Career
in Criminal Justice
October 27, 2005 -- Transfer of Idaho Inmates
to Minnesota is Complete
October 21, 2005 -- 300+ Idaho Department of Correction
Offenders To Be Sent Out of State
September 2,
2005 --Joint Effort to Raise Awareness: Corrections Community Meetings
Set
July 28, 2005 -- Idaho Department of Correction Marks
Training Milestone and Holds Job Fair
July 26, 2005 -- Inmate on Work Crew walks away
July 20, 2005 -- Work Crew Offender Jumps from IDOC
Bus July 14, 2005 -- Probation and Parole Officers Recognized
for Helping Keep Communities Safe
July 13, 2005 -- Work Crew Offender Walks away
June 29, 2005 -- Idaho Department of Correction
Donates Weapon to Historical Society
June 15, 2005 -- Joint Finance Appropriations Committee
Tours PWCC
June 15, 2005 -- Warden Change at Idaho Maximum
Security Institution (IMSI)
June 8, 2005 -- Offender Commits Suicide at Idaho
State Correctional Institution (ISCI)
June 6, 2005 -- North Idaho Correctional Institution
Celebrates Important Milestone
May 31, 2005 -- BSU Publication Provides In-Depth
Look at Idaho’s Prison Issues
May 31, 2005 -- Offender Treated at a Local Hospital
After Assault
May 31, 2005 -- PWCC Walk-away Recaptured
May 26, 2005 -- Volunteer Honored for Helping
Some of the Toughest Inmates Achieve Success
May 19, 2005 -- Medical Provider Selected
May 4, 2005 -- Department of Correction Prepares for
Fire Season Response
April 28, 2005 -- Events Planned Statewide to Honor
Correctional Professional Week
April 22, 2005 -- Leadership structure changes
in Pocatello
April 15, 2005 -- Offender death at IMSI
March 2, 2005 -- Board of Correction Chairman Ralph
Townsend Retires; Jim Tibbs Appointed
February 6, 2005 -- Claude Dallas Released
February 1, 2005 -- UPDATE Escapee Surrenders
January 31, 2005 -- Offender Escapes from South
Boise Women’s Correctional Center
January 14, 2005 -- Idaho Leads the Nation Through
the Mental Health Coalition
January 10, 2005 -- Annual Report FY04 Released
IDOC Career Fair Provides New Potential for
Job Seekers
BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction is holding a career fair on
Thursday, Dec. 29. The event is an opportunity for local job seekers to
determine their level of interest for a career in the criminal justice
system.
Recruitment at this event will be focused on security staff for the Idaho
Department of Correction institutions south of Boise.
The IDOC offers a career with the potential for non-traditional hours,
career advancement, and outstanding benefits. “This is an excellent
opportunity,” said Roberta Hartz, Idaho Department of Correction
recruitment and retention specialist. “The holidays are drawing
to a close and a lot of people are looking for work. At this event, job
seekers will learn about what we offer in career development for correctional
professionals, and the positive changes in correctional officer roles
in the past couple of years.”
Job seekers will be provided with immediate feedback. If the participant
meets the hiring criteria, after an on-line exam and interview process,
a conditional offer of employment will be made on the spot. (Contingent
on passing a background check.)
What: Idaho Department of Correction
Where: 1299 N. Orchard Street, Boise
When: Thursday, Dec. 29 / 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Contact: Roberta Hartz (208) 658-2020
Please consider adding this item to your community calendar.
For more information:
Melinda O’Malley Keckler
658-2141
mkeckler@corr.state.id.us
About the Idaho Department of Correction:
The Department employs 1,500 employees and manages over 17,000 offenders
in prisons and communities statewide.
- Idaho offenders are incarcerated in nine institutions and five community
work centers.
- Probationers and parolees are supervised in communities by Probation
and Parole, which covers seven regions statewide.
Survey Results from Safe Communities Project
BOISE - New data is now available regarding an Idaho Department of Correction
outreach project to raise awareness of correctional issues, and create
dialogue in the community, as offender populations grow in Idaho. The
data, collected from public forum participants, offers overwhelming support
for providing a range of treatment options to offenders.
The Safe Communities public forums held this fall drew approximately
500 citizens to four community meetings across the state. An exit survey
asked participants for feedback on correctional issues. Of the 500 participants,
162 responded to the survey and provided the basis for this data. The
Idaho Department of Correction has since analyzed and quantified their
responses. The surveys show:
Overwhelming support for community based drug treatment and for offender
treatment while in prison. 93 percent of those who responded indicated
they support treatment in the community, 94 percent of responders said
they support providing treatment for offenders during incarceration.
On the issue of prison population growth, 50 percent of those who responded
said they support rehabilitation, either as treatment, programming, education,
or in developing employment skills. According to an IDOC analysis of the
data, it appears the general response is in favor of having an alternative
sentencing program for non-violent or property crimes as a means of keeping
prison populations under control.
The goal of the Safe Communities public meetings is to enhance safety
by providing information and resources to the community. There are currently
more treatment needs than there is program capacity in Idaho¡¦s
prison system. At any given time, for every five inmates in need of treatment,
there are two positions available.
Detailed assessment of the survey data
Managing Security Threat Groups in Idaho’s
Highest Security Prison
BOISE-On an average day shift at Idaho’s highest security prison,
there are approximately 25 security staff members to supervise 552 of
the state’s most violent offenders. Today, security staff at Idaho
Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) provided a rare glimpse into the world
of managing close (maximum) custody offenders. IMSI houses the Idaho Secure
Mental Health Facility, administrative segregation offenders, offenders
under the sentence of death, and general population offenders. Each of
these groups offers unique challenges to the safe operation of the facility.
Protecting the public is the primary mission of the Idaho Department
of Correction. The mission is achieved by providing opportunities for
offenders to change. 98 percent of Idaho’s offenders will eventually
be released back into communities. To better ensure an offender’s
success, the Department offers programming, which helps make facilities
and communities safer. The goal at IMSI is to assist the offenders with
successful completion of this programming; it may also allow many of them
to be transferred to lower custody facilities, which will increase their
success upon release.
Managing security threat groups, often referred to as gangs, takes a
combination of thorough monitoring, new technology, and aggressive investigations
to keep security threat group activity from impacting offender, staff,
and community safety. Offenders with suspected ties to a security threat
group account for between 25 and 40 percent of the offenders housed at
IMSI. It is those same inmates who account for approximately 50 percent
of the reported incidents every year.
With the help of new technology, correctional professionals can monitor
offender activity from unique vantage points. “With the digital
video surveillance system, which was part of our recent electronics upgrade,
we can monitor and archive most activity within the facility,” said
Warden John Hardison, ISMI. “The system allows us a variety of tools
to view and save video of activities and incidents within the facility.”
Incidents that are discovered after they occur, such as assault, theft,
or security threat group activity are recorded digitally, this has given
the Department a greater degree of accountability for staff and offenders.
“With our video surveillance we can track every move, see what led
up to the incident, and who was responsible,” stated Hardison.
It also takes specially trained investigators to detect security threat
group activity, often what appears to be a normal congregation of offenders,
or a routine correspondence, can be an indicator of something more serious.
“We are always watching, always monitoring an offenders activity;
especially when we suspect ties to a security threat group. When something
indicates an attempt to initiate a crime in the community, whether it’s
via mail or phone, we immediately contact local law enforcement,”
said Lt. Janie St. Paul, security threat group investigator.
IMSI was one of two facilities to receive a security electronics upgrade
as part of a $3.6 million project funded by the Governor and legislature
in 2003. The surveillance upgrade became fully operational within the
past year at IMSI.
Recently Named Administrator, Evaluation and
Compliance
BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction recently named Sharon Lamm as
deputy administrator for evaluation and compliance.
Lamm’s role with the Department is to analyze business opportunities,
contract negotiations and oversight, and to develop and implement new
programs. Lamm’s division was instrumental in organizing the recent
transfer of 302 Idaho Department of Correction offenders to the Prairie
Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota.
With over fifteen years of leadership experience in areas of accounting,
financial management, and contract administration, Lamm brings a diverse
professional background to this role. She started her career in Corrections
in 2004, as contract manager for Idaho Correctional Industries, where
she managed Vocational Work Projects.
Lamm replaces Colin Conner who left the Department last summer.
Transition in IDOC Public Information Office
BOISE-To create a more efficient and effective organization, Director
Tom Beauclair, Idaho Department of Correction, restructured his office
staff to include an Administrative Support Manager. Teresa Jones has been
named to that position. Jones has served as the IDOC public information
officer since 2002. In her new role she will have oversight of the Office
of Professional Standards, senior planner, public information officer,
and assist with the Department’s policy development and coordination.
Melinda O’Malley Keckler is the new public information officer
for the Department. She will maintain both internal and external communications,
and serve as the Department’s media contact. Keckler has been working
part time in that role since April. Previously, Keckler was an evening
news anchor and executive producer for KBCI-TV in Boise. Prior to that,
she was an anchor and reporter at KHQ-TV in Spokane. She graduated from
Washington State University in 1990 with a Bachelor’s degree in
Communications.
New Opportunity to Launch Career in Criminal
Justice
BOISE-Within a two-hour period on November 9th and 10th a Treasure Valley
job seeker could begin a career with the Idaho Department of Correction.
The Department is holding a job fair in an effort to recruit new correctional
officers. “What many people don’t realize is this position
is a terrific launching point for a career in criminal justice,”
said Roberta Hartz, Idaho Department of Correction recruitment and retention
specialist. “Many employees in positions of leadership today started
with the Department as correctional officers.”
In an effort to provide job seekers at the event with immediate feedback,
a conditional offer of employment will be made, if the participant meets
the Department’s hiring criteria. The selection process will include
an on-line exam and an interview. If the criteria are met, the job seeker
will return home with a start date for a new job. (Contingent on passing
a background check.)
The Idaho Department of Correction is hiring correctional officers to
staff the institutions south of Boise.
What: Idaho Department of Correction Job Fair
Where: 1299 N. Orchard Street, Bosie
When: Wednesday, November 9th / noon-7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 10th / 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
About the Idaho Department of Correction:
The Department employs 1,500 employees and manages over 17,000 offenders
in prisons and communities statewide.
- Idaho offenders are incarcerated in nine institutions and five community
work centers.
-Probationers and parolees are supervised in communities by Probation
and Parole, which covers seven regions statewide.
Transfer of Idaho Inmates to Minnesota
is Complete
BOISE-All 302 Idaho offenders who are a part of the out of state transfer
have arrived safely at the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton,
Minnesota.
The transfer of offenders is always a high security process. Board of
Correction rules require all details of the transfer remain confidential
to ensure the safety of all involved.
As a service to those with loved ones who were a part of this transfer,
the Idaho Department of Correction has added an Out of State link to the
official Department website. Family members can find information on how
to send mail to the offender, deposit funds into inmate banking and find
answers to common questions about the transfer. The link is: http://www.corrections.state.id.us
then click on “Out of State Information” on the right hand
side of the page.
On Friday the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) signed a contract
with the Corrections Corporation of America, finalizing the agreement
to house Idaho offenders at the Minnesota facility. An IDOC team of administrators
traveled to the Prairie Correctional Facility prior to the transfer and
selected the prison, in part, because of similarities to Idaho prisons
and because the prison has enough space to insure all IDOC offenders are
housed together on the same tier. The Prairie Correctional Facility provides
education, programming and vocational educational opportunities.
Under the terms of the agreement, incarcerating inmates at the Minnesota
facility will cost $53 per offender, per day. Currently the cost of housing
an offender in an Idaho prison facility is $48 per offender, per day.
 This
picture was taken at the Boise Airport tarmac on Tuesday morning, October
25th. On that morning the second group of 150 offenders were bussed from
the Idaho State Correctional Institution, to the airport where they boarded
a chartered 737 for the flight to Minnesota.
Offenders were restrained during the entire process in strap restraints.
CERT (Correctional Emergency Response Teams) from the Idaho Correctional
Center and the South Boise Complex assisted with security during the transfer
process in Boise.
300+ Idaho Department of Correction Offenders To Be Sent Out
of State
BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) has reached a contract
agreement with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to send 302 Idaho
offenders to a prison facility in Minnesota. The inmates will transfer
from Idaho prisons to the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota
before the end of the month.
“Sending offenders out of state is not our first choice, but it
is our only choice. Idaho’s prisons and jails can no longer manage
inmate growth and our ability to stretch the system is over,” said
Idaho Department of Correction Director Tom Beauclair. “This move
creates burdens for our state fiscally and can harden our prison system,
but it is what we must do to safely manage our growing offender population.”
Two issues prompt this action. Number one, the state currently manages
an offender population of nearly 6,700 inmates. Idaho prison beds are
full and each institution has been at 100% capacity for more than three
years. County jails help manage the overflow but IDOC offenders now take
up approximately 550 county jail beds, more than 150 beds than were allocated
for such use.
The second issue necessitating this move is a recent federal court ruling
that IDOC must remove nearly 200 beds from Idaho State Correctional Institution
(ISCI), the state’s largest prison facility, south of Boise. United
States District Court Judge James Fitzgerald denied the Department’s
request to lift a population cap in several units at ISCI. The court’s
decision came at a time when the Department was already in the process
of negotiating a contract to send inmates out of state. The ruling meant
more offenders must be a part of the transfer.
Under the terms of the agreement, incarcerating inmates at the Minnesota
facility will cost taxpayers $53 per offender, per day. Currently the
cost of housing an offender in an Idaho prison facility is $48 per day.
Approximately 150 offenders volunteered to be a part of the transfer
to an out of state prison. The remaining were selected based on criteria
including no medical or discipline issues, and no pending parole or legal
hearings.
Based on population forecasts for offender growth it is expected IDOC
will be sending more inmates out of state this spring. Our population
is growing at a rate of approximately 30 offenders per month.
This is not the first time IDOC has sent offenders to out of state prisons.
-Inmates were sent out of state in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2001.
-They were returned in 1998, 2000, and 2002 as beds were made available
at ISCI, at the Idaho Correctional Center (ICC), and as the South Boise
Women’s Correction Facility was re-modeled to house female offenders.
Idaho Department of Correction Marks Training Milestone and Holds
Job Fair
BOISE – New strategy is underway for recruiting and training correctional
officers at the Idaho Department of Correction.
A unique job fair took place Wednesday July 27 from 8:00am – 8:00pm
at the IDOC Central Office, 1299 N. Orchard St. in Boise. The job fair
was a first for the Department and provided job seekers with a one-stop
opportunity to consider jump starting a career in criminal justice. Within
a two-hour period the potential employee will complete the testing and
interview process to be considered for hire, as a correctional officer
if qualified. They won’t have to wait for a call back or have to
re-schedule another interview, a process that can take weeks. Selected
applicants will be notified of a job offer within two weeks of the job
fair. More than 115 interested applicants attended the IDOC one-day job
fair.
The job fair coincided with a new training process implemented by IDOC.
Forty-five recently hired employees begin training this week at the Police
Officer Standards Training (POST) Academy in Meridian. The transition
to POST adds another level of professionalism for IDOC correctional officers,
who have more daily interactions with convicted felons than any other
area of law enforcement. The emphasis of the training at the POST Academy
is verbal de-escalation skills and risk reduction while managing offenders.
POST training enhances the training previously provided in-house.
Inmate on Work Crew walks away
Boise -- Robert Lee Brown walked away from a job crew assignment at the
South Idaho Correctional Institution today. The 34-year-old Brown was
serving time for Grand Theft by possession and possession of a controlled
substance.
Brown (#60848) was a maintenance crew worker at the minimum-security
facility and used a small tractor in his job. The small tractor was located
near Pleasant Valley Road just after noon today. Brown was discovered
missing during a routine count at approximately the same time.
The Department of Correction has notified law enforcement and requests
anyone seeing Brown contact local law enforcement.
Brown is 6’1”, 210 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing a denim shirt with a white t-shirt underneath
and denim pants. He was sentenced out of Ada County.
Work Crew Offender Jumps from IDOC Bus
BOISE---An offender jumped from an Idaho Department of Correction bus
as it was returning to the minimum-security prison after day of work on
a state road crew.
19-year-old Jess Charles Tronson (#77020) jumped out of the bus at Marigold
and State Streets. Tronson was serving a 5 to10-year sentence for a burglary
conviction out of Bannock County.
Correctional staff reported Tronson began running east, stripping off
his work crew clothing (blue jeans and a red shirt) as he ran. A correctional
officer immediately contacted the South Idaho Correctional Institution
and local authorities were notified of the escape.
Local police responded immediately. Garden City established a perimeter
and began trying to track down Tronson immediately. Ada County Sheriff’s
deputies captured Tronson as he attempted to blend in on the greenbelt.
Garden City Police took Tronson into custody and will lead the escape
investigation.
Tronson had recently moved from the medium security facility (Idaho Correctional
Center) to South Idaho Correctional Institution. SICI is a minimum-security
facility that houses 800 inmates.
Probation and Parole Officers Recognized for
Helping Keep Communities Safe
Coeur D’Alene -- During the week of July 17 – 23 probation
and parole officers will be recognized for what they do to enhance public
safety. Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne will be issuing a proclamation
acknowledging the difficult work they perform and commending the officers
for their bravery. The proclamation reads in part, “The citizens
of the State of Idaho are protected and served by the efforts of the probation
and parole officers who work with the criminal offenders sentenced and
paroled to their supervision.” A probation and parole officer’s
role in the community is one of the most important jobs in public safety.
A probation and parole officer’s job is to hold an offender accountable
while also showing care and concern for victims of crime. Probation and
parole officers are problem solvers, crime prevention specialists, motivators,
and often times the only support system an offender has. One hour they
may be a counselor, the next they are enforcing the rules of an offender’s
supervision.
Here are some specifics on Probation and Parole District Offices committed
to public safety in each community in Idaho.
District 1:
There are 1,175 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Coeur d’Alene area, as of the end of June. There are 10,922
adults under supervision in communities statewide.
In the Lewiston District Office there are five probation and parole officers.
They have implemented a quick response procedure, which allows them to
handle high-risk offenders immediately as a team. “These are generally
the offenders most likely to be violent and situations where an officer
is most likely to encounter physical force,” said Sr. Probation
and Parole Officer Clint Hoiland. “We’ve found that as a team
we can more safely manage those particular offenders while protecting
the public.”
District 2:
There are 451 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Lewiston area, as of the end of June. There are 10,922 adults under
supervision in communities statewide.
The officers work extensively with offenders as they get their lives back
on track. In many instances that intervention is a matter of life and
death. “One of our offenders is a 40 year old woman who was addicted
to heroin, dropped out of college and ended up in prison,” said
Probation and Parole Officer Raul Morin, District 3. “She’s
now the manager of a loan company and supervises 25 people, she says she’s
convinced that if it hadn’t been for our intervention in her life,
she would be dead from a drug overdose.”
District 3:
There are 1,893 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Caldwell area, as of the end of June. There are 10,922 adults under
supervision in communities statewide.
District 4:
There are 3,101 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Boise area, as of the end of June. There are 10,922 adults under
supervision in communities statewide.
“We are targeting a lot of our resources and manpower right now
toward sex offenders,” said District Manager Greg Lewis. “Our
focus has always been community safety but we are expanding our efforts
toward those offenders who represent an excessive risk to the public.”
District 5:
As of the end of June, there are 1,415 adult offenders managed by probation
and parole professionals in the Twin Falls area, including Twin Falls,
Cassia, Minidoka, Jerome, Gooding, Camas, Lincoln and Blaine counties.
There are 10,922 adults under supervision in communities statewide.
The Twin Falls Probation and Parole Office is pleased to welcome Dawn
Anderson to her new role as District Manager this year. Anderson has many
years of experience in offender management and over the years promoted
within the ranks of the department from a part time position in 1988.
“My goal is to effectively supervise offenders in the community
while they work toward behavior changes and become contributing members
of society,” said Anderson. Two often-used programs in offender
management for the Twin Falls District are cognitive self-change and relapse
prevention.
District 6:
The Pocatello Probation and Parole Office is pleased to welcome Wally
Peterson to his new role as District Manager. Peterson has many years
of experience in law enforcement including 15 years with the Pocatello
Police Department and Bannock County Sheriff’s Office. “We
are very proud of our staff and we have strong support from the courts
and the community,” said Peterson. “We are especially proud
of our team of officers who manage local sex offenders. There are many
challenges finding acceptable housing for the offenders and monitoring
their accountability. Our officers are doing an excellent job.”
There are 704 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Pocatello area as of the end of June. There are 10,922 adults under
supervision in communities statewide.
District 7:
There are 1,424 adult offenders managed by probation and parole professionals
in the Idaho Falls Probation and Parole District as of the end of June.
There are 10,922 adults under supervision in communities statewide.
“One of our most significant accomplishments is our participation
in the drug and mental health courts,” said District Manager Terry
Kirkham. “We are the first area in the state to offer this method
of accountability to offenders to help keep their lives on track.”
The media and public is welcome to attend the open house and learn more
about how these programs are helping keep the community safe.
Work Crew Offender Walks away
Lewiston -- An inmate on work release walked away from a work crew today
in Lewiston. Christopher Critchfield was doing maintenance at the Tamany
Alternative School. When the crew supervisor called for a routine check
at 10:30, Critchfield was no longer on the job.
32-year-old Christopher Critchfield (#47896) was serving time at the
Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino (ICIO) for possession of a controlled
substance and illegal possession of a weapon. He was convicted out of
Kootenai County.
The Department of Correction is working with local law enforcement throughout
the northern part of the state and the Idaho State Police to locate Critchfield.
Critchfield is 6 feet tall, 160 pounds and has green eyes and brown hair.
Currently his head is shaved. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and
a red shirt with the words Idaho Department of Correction Work Projects
by the front pocket. If you see Critchfield please contact your local
authorities.
Idaho Department of Correction Donates Weapon
to Historical Society
Boise -- The Idaho Historical Society has taken ownership of a unique
weapon. On Wednesday, June 29th at 10:00am, Idaho Department of Correction
Director Tom Beauclair presented the Historical Society with a Colt 634,
9mm sub-machine gun.
The weapon is a variation of the M-4, used by military and law enforcement
for over 30 years primarily in hostage rescue scenarios. The Colt 634
became known as a novelty item among weapons dealers because it became
extinct about as fast as it was made. The reason was its design failed
due to occasional rounds jamming in the firing mechanism. The manufacturer
discontinued making it and the Idaho Department of Correction took steps
to replace it.
Members of the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) were trained
in handling the weapon. The CERT team insures the safety of Idaho Dept.
of Correction institutions, responds to emergencies and specializes in
hostage rescue and crowd control.
The Idaho Historical Society already has a 1967 variation of it donated
by Idaho State Police.
Joint Finance Appropriations Committee Tours PWCC
Pocatello -- Today, the Department of Correction presented its plan for
managing the growing prison population to the Joint Finance Appropriations
Committee. The Department’s capital budget requests funding for
$157,250,000 to add a new pod onto an existing prison and build a male
prison and a female prison.
Director Tom Beauclair told lawmakers, “These three requests may
look ambitious. But Idaho is growing, our prison population is growing
and these beds are what we need over the next five years to manage that
population safely.”
Beauclair says Idaho inmates will have to go out of state during the
next twelve months, and will stay out of state until new facilities can
be built. “If we delay building the next prison, we’ll have
to remain out of state longer with more inmates,” Beauclair told
committee members. The Department already has 360 more inmates than beds.
County jails currently house the overflow inmates. The Department estimates
sending inmates out of state will cost between $7,000,000 and $9,000,000
in Fiscal Year 2007.
Members of the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee toured the Pocatello
Women’s Correctional Center. Director Tom Beauclair told lawmakers
that the female facility is a microcosm of the entire prison system, “Idaho
prisons are aging, and all facilities are housing more inmates than they
were designed to manage,” Beauclair said.
The women’s facility originally housed 128 inmates when it opened
in 1994. Today, the prison’s safe operating capacity is 279, but
on Monday it housed 307 inmates and was at 110% of capacity. Cots provide
places for the extra inmates.
Today, 6,502 (June 15) inmates are in IDOC custody and the Department
manages nearly 11,000 probationers and parolees in communities around
the state. Idaho’s prisons have remained at 100% capacity for more
than three years.
Director Beauclair told lawmakers that the combined efforts of the Governor,
lawmakers, partners in the criminal justice arena and business changes
within the DOC have helped reduced the current prison population by 1,200
inmates, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in operating costs.
Capital Request:
Expand ICC – 300 beds $13,900,000
Female Prison/Medical Facility – 400 beds $45,850,000
Male Prison – 1,500 beds $97,500,000
Other requests include:
Maintenance and storage facility at the Orofino prison ($800,000)
Training facility at the Orofino prison ($375,000)
Laundry facility at the South Idaho Correctional Institution ($695,000)
Warden Change at Idaho Maximum Security
Institution (IMSI)
Boise -- After a career spanning nearly 30 years with the Idaho Department
of Correction, Warden Greg Fisher, IMSI is retiring on June 15th. “I
have mixed feelings,” said Warden Fisher. “It’s been
a big piece of my life. I’ll miss the people I’ve worked,
and I’m very proud of the successes we’ve had here.”
Fisher began his career with IDOC as an adult rehabilitation counselor
at Idaho State Correctional Institution. He also spent several years working
as a Probation and Parole Supervisor in Boise and as a Manager of Community
Work Centers. Fisher’s last day is Wednesday, June 15th. Idaho Governor
Dirk Kempthorne sent a letter of thanks to Warden Fisher for his years
of service, it read in part “People like you enhance the image of
state employees. Over the past three decades you have faithfully served
in Corrections… excelling in each capacity. Please know that your
service and contributions to our state are much appreciated.”
Taking over as Warden at IMSI effective June 16th is John Hardison who
brings more than 20 years of experience in adult corrections to this key
position. Hardison hired on with the department as a Correctional Officer
in 1988 and promoted through the ranks. He was the lead investigator for
the Office of Professional Standards for IDOC before moving back to the
institutions, eventually as Deputy Warden at IMSI. “I see this as
a challenge which is something I enjoy,” said Hardison. “Having
worked through the ranks I’ve seen all elements of the department
and I’m very eager for this opportunity to help the offenders become
as successful as possible while providing a safe environment for our staff
members to reach their full career potential.”
A retirement party and potluck lunch for Warden Fisher was held Wednesday,
June 15th at IMSI.
IMSI is the state’s highest security prison. It houses Idaho’s
most violent offenders including those sentenced to death.
Offender Commits Suicide at Idaho State
Correctional Institution (ISCI)
Boise -- An offender incarcerated at ISCI committed suicide overnight.
Jack D. Porter, age 38, #26298 was serving a 15 * 30 year sentence out
of Lemhi County for burglary and rape. He was sentenced in April of 2003.
Porter was discovered unresponsive by a correctional officer just after
11:00pm last night. (He cut his wrist in a shower on the tier.) Medical
treatment was administered immediately, Porter was taken to the medical
unit and paramedics were called. He could not be revived. The Ada County
Coroner, Ada County Sheriff's Deputies and an investigator with the Ada
County Sheriff's Office were contacted which is standard procedure. Porter's
death has been ruled a suicide by the coroner and the investigator.
ISCI is south of Boise and is the state's main facility for long-term,
male, medium custody offenders.
North Idaho Correctional Institution Celebrates
Important Milestone
Cottonwood -- After more than 30 years the North Idaho Correctional Institution
(NICI) is celebrating a transfer of ownership this week, as the quitclaim
deed expires and the Idaho Department of Correction receives full ownership
of the facility.
NICI has an intriguing history. Located just north of Cottonwood, NICI
is a former military radar station and as recently as 1984 housed both
men and women. Today it is an all-male retained jurisdiction facility
focused on intense substance abuse programming, cognitive based programs,
education and vocational rehabilitation for offenders. Over the past several
decades the facility has adapted to a growing inmate population and new
methods for rehabilitating offenders. When NICI opened 30 years ago, there
were less than 500 offenders incarcerated in all of Idaho, today there
are often more than 6,400 on a given day.
Last year NICI celebrated its 30th anniversary and the staff was commended
for implementing initiatives that added up to $1.6 million in potential
cost savings for taxpayers.
Volunteer Honored for Helping Some of
the Toughest Inmates Achieve Success
Orofino -- Audrey Spence is a retired schoolteacher, but she's enjoying
her retirement in a way that might surprise or even inspire you. She's
a volunteer teacher at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino.
Spence works with offenders deemed too dangerous to even leave their tier,
offenders who are in protective custody and generally lack an education.
Spence is helping them receive their General Education Degree (GED).
But working part-time isn't enough for Spence. She spends just under
20 hours a week on the clock with the Idaho Department of Correction then
volunteers another 20 hours to teach the inmates. But it's not only the
hours that set Spence apart from the rest. She drives 30 miles each way
to reach her incarcerated students in Orofino and each Friday after a
GED test, Spence heads back to the institution on her day off just to
deliver their test scores. The reason, Spence says, is she doesn't want
them to have to wait to find out if they passed their exam.
Her dedication to educating the offenders has been recognized on two
levels. Recently she received what's known as an Adult Correctional Education
award, which has been re-named in her honor as: The Audrey Spence Award
for Excellence in Education. She also received the Extra Mile Award from
the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino for the generous contribution
of her time.
What does a retired middle school teacher think of having an award named
after her? "That's overwhelming," said Spence. "I think
that's a little over the top. Whatever these men get out of this, I get
more."
Volunteering to teach in a prison might be intimidating to some, but
Spence has never had a problem. "They treat me well, I won't put
up with foul language and they know it," said Spence. "When
someone finishes (his GED) that's a golden moment, my feet aren't even
on the floor." Her husband of 45 years fully supports her outreach
to the offenders. As for her future plans, don't expect to hear Audrey
Spence talking about a life of leisure. She plans to continue teaching
at the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino and changing lives, one
offender at a time.
BSU Publication Provides In-Depth Look at Idaho’s Prison
Issues
Boise - The Spring 2005 edition of Idaho Issues
Online takes a comprehensive and historical look at the milestones, challenges
and opportunities in managing offenders in Idaho. In this unique publication
you’ll see what steps are taken to safely manage an inmate population
of nearly 6,500 amid constant growth. You’ll also be offered a glimpse
back in time to see how managing offenders has changed from the days when
the Old Pen in Boise was still in active use.
Idaho Issues Online provides extensive research and short profiles on
some of the significant issues and people within the Idaho Department
of Correction. The gallery page shows images of what some of the issues
were many years ago for the Department of Correction and some of the health
hazards at the Old Pen. The gallery also shares memories from former prison
guards (before they took on additional tasks and became correctional officers).
It also looks at how everything from prison architecture to offender tattoos
have evolved over the years.
Web links are provided to news articles, and recent legislation affecting
the Department’s mission to protect the public.
To see Idaho Issues Online for yourself go to: www.idahoissues.com
The online public policy journal is produced by Boise State University’s
Center for Idaho History and Politics. It’s published twice a year
by the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs at Boise State. Its
goal is to foster critical thinking about political and historical problems
of vital importance to voters and policy makers.
PWCC Walk-away Recaptured
Pocatello -– Pocatello detectives arrested 22-year-old Samantha
Ann Macom (#65649) today at an apartment complex in Pocatello. Macom was
taken to the Bannock County Jail and could face escape charges.
Macom had been housed in the Pocatello Women Correctional Center’s
community custody unit. She worked in the community during the day, but
has been wanted since she walked away from her job last Thursday.
Macon was serving time for possession of a controlled substance. She was
convicted of the crime in January 2002 in Bannock County and was sentenced
to 2 to 5 years. Macom had served time on probation, in prison and on
parole.
PWCC Warden Brian Underwood thanks the Pocatello Police for their effort
in finding and returning Macom to IDOC custody.
Offender Treated at a Local Hospital After Assault
Boise– An offender incarcerated at Idaho State Correctional Institution
(ISCI) is at a local hospital today, being treated for injuries sustained
during an assault at ISCI. Three offenders are in custody and being questioned
for their possible involvement in the assault against offender Rocky Nelson,
age 25. The assault took place on May 30, 2005 at 3:02pm.
ISCI staff responded to the assault immediately and first aid was administered
to Offender Nelson at the facility. He was taken by emergency transport
to a Boise hospital shortly after the assault. His injuries are puncture
wounds to the head and face and he has a broken jaw. Nelson’s condition
today prior to surgery is described as lucid. Nelson is a medium custody
offender, serving a 2-6 year sentence out of Ada County for a forgery
conviction.
The Ada County Sheriff’s office is investigating the incident, which
is standard procedure.
ISCI is the largest prison facility in the state of Idaho. Most offenders
housed there are medium custody.
Note: The Warden of ISCI, Randy Blades will be available for media interviews
regarding this incident at 2:00pm today at ISCI on Pleasant Valley Road,
south of Boise.
Medical Provider Selected
Boise -- Idaho's Division of Purchasing has issued a letter of intent
to award a medical services contract for the Idaho Department of Correction.
Correctional Medical Services, Incorporated (CMS) of St. Louis, Missouri
was selected.
CMS will provide medical and dental care to all inmates in state-run prisons.
The cost is $9.75 per inmate per day. The Department used a point system
to measure all contract proposals. The CMS bid was the lowest per diem
bid but the company was selected based on their total score.
The cost option selected by the DOC was for a total risk medical contract.
That means the provider pays all medical costs, rather than having a cap
on costs or an option requiring the state share in certain expensive medical
cases.
Currently, medical services for state inmates are provided by Prison Health
Services. The contract with PHS expires on July 11th.
Department of Correction Prepares for Fire
Season Response
Boise –-- The Department of Correction is housing dozens of inmates
in tents to help manage the growing prison population while anticipating
a busy fire season in the west this summer and fall. The tents at South
Idaho Correctional Institution (SICI) house 64 inmates, most are men who
will be included in fire suppression efforts. “We anticipate the
fire season will be a busy one and these crews will be in the field a
lot,” says SICI Warden Ken Bennett. Placing the fire crews in tents
will help reduce the added security burden created by the temporary structures.
Some of the offenders have been on the fire crews before and say they
appreciate the opportunity. “We had some security concerns with
the tents last year,” Bennett says. “But thanks to the diligence
of our professionals and these structural changes we hope to make the
tents more secure this season.” Offenders go through fire training
while incarcerated at SICI.
Events Planned Statewide to Honor Correctional
Professional Week
Boise---The Idaho Department of Correction is planning a weeklong series
of events to honor the working professionals who enhance public safety
while simultaneously managing a growing offender population.
Governor Dirk Kempthorne has declared Correctional Professional Week
May 1st – May 7th 2005. The proclamation reads in part, “Correctional
employees risk their own well-being by continually demonstrating true
commitment to ensuring our public safety... as public servants, correctional
officers dutifully perform their work with courage, pride and true professionalism.”
The week will include a wide variety of ceremonies, celebrations and
events at prisons and community work centers and probation and parole
offices statewide to showcase the hard work and dedication by Idaho Department
of Correction employees. “We have experienced tremendous growth
in the number of offenders in prisons and our communities. The work of
correctional professionals helps keep our communities safe,” said
Idaho Department of Correction Director, Tom Beauclair.
Here are just some of the many events planned statewide at each facility
for Correctional Professional Week:
Boise: IMSI (Idaho Maximum Security Institution) Awards Ceremony - Wed.,
May 4th 2:00pm
Cottonwood: NICI (North Idaho Correctional Institution) BBQ and awards
– Friday May 6th
Orofino: ICIO (Idaho Correctional Institution, Orofino) Gifts, food, regional
awards – All week
Pocatello: PWCC (Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center) Ice cream
prepared by supervisors and delivered to staff – Friday, May 6th
St. Anthony: SAWC (St. Anthony Work Camp) BBQ – Friday May 6th
Twin Falls: TFCWC – (Twin Falls Community Work Center) Bowling for
staff – Wed., May 4th
For a more detailed schedule of events or other events in your area please
call Teresa Jones (208) 658-2138 or Melinda O’Malley Keckler (208)
658-2141.
Leadership structure changes in Pocatello
Pocatello---After three years of double-duty, Brian T. Underwood will
serve as full-time warden at the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center.
Underwood had served in joint roles as PWCC Warden and District Manager
for the District 6 Probation/Parole Office since February 2002. Today,
the Department of Correction announced it has reestablished a separate
leadership position for each of these operations.
Each of these operations is full-time in their scope. Under the leadership
of Director Tom Beauclair, steps were taken during a critical time to
save taxpayer money and work to merge field and prison operations. However,
it is time to resume the functions with two leaders due to the critical
needs of a large Probation/Parole operation and Female Correctional facility.
The Department appreciates the hard work of staff at both locations in
southeast Idaho as it made this dual leadership role possible.
The Department is currently seeking applicants for the District 6 probation
and parole manager position. In the interim, Wally Peterson is acting
District Manager for
District 6.
Offender death at IMSI
Boise---Offender Jimmie Vurel Thomas died Thursday, April 14, after suffering
a heart attack at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. The 61-year-old
Thomas was one of 21 offenders in Idaho with current death sentences.
Correctional officers found Thomas (#54667) on the floor of his cell
at 4:05pm yesterday. He was complaining of chest pains. Officers and medical
personnel assisted Thomas and called for an ambulance. Thomas suffered
another heart attack on the way to a local hospital. He was declared dead
at the hospital at 5:35pm.
Thomas was sentenced to death on August 19, 1999 for a murder and burglary
in Jerome County. He was also serving 25-40 years on a kidnapping conviction
out of Twin Falls County.
The Ada County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy and confirmed
the death was natural.
Board of Correction Chairman Ralph Townsend
Retires; Jim Tibbs Appointed
BOISE--- Chairman Ralph Townsend has retired after serving a
six-year appointment on the Board of Correction. Townsend led the
three-member board that controls the Idaho Department of Correction.
Chairman Ralph Townsend of Boise is a former Assistant State Adjutant
General and commander of the Idaho Air Guard. He retired in 1998 after
41 years in the military. Governor Kempthorne appointed him to the board
in January 1999.
The Board and Department of Correction honored Chairman Townsend for his
many contributions during the past six years. Board member Dwight Board
presented Townsend with a plaque which states, ''Your dedication to developing
a Department respected for its professional integrity has served as an
inspiration to us all.'' Townsend also served as acting director in the
spring of 2001, immediately before Director Beauclair was hired.
Governor Kempthorne appointed Jim Tibbs to fill Townsend's seat on the
Board and serve as Chairman. Tibbs served on the Boise Police Department
for 34 years, most recently as Chief of Police. Tibbs' seat on the Board
was confirmed by the Senate on February 18.
The Idaho Department of Correction is a state government agency
controlled by a three-member board appointed by the Governor. Board of
Correction members are appointed to six-year terms. Currently serving
are Jim Tibbs, Carolyn Meline and Dwight Board.
Note: High-quality digital photos of Townsend and Tibbs are available
upon request.
Claude Dallas Released
OROFINO--- Claude Dallas was released from Idaho Correctional
Institution - Orofino just before 5 a.m. PST on February 6, his
full-term release date. Dallas left through the front gate of the
facility with a gold seal signifying that his time has been served. A
family member picked him up.
Dallas completed his sentences on two manslaughter charges. He is not
on parole and was not required to state his plans upon release. Dallas
was sentenced out of Canyon County in January 1983 and spent the majority
of his sentence incarcerated in Kansas. He is 54 years old.
Dallas is among more than 3,200 inmates who are being released from Idaho's
prisons each year. Stable housing, employment and programming in the community
all increase the chances a returning offender will not commit a new crime.
Timeline:
Claude Dallas Sentenced on manslaughter charges January 4, 1983
Arrival at Idaho State Correctional Institution January 5, 1983
Escape from ISCI March 30, 1986
Returned to ISCI March 12, 1987
Transported to Nebraska September 17, 1987
Transported to New Mexico March 17, 1988
Transported to Kansas July 17, 1989
Arrival at ICIO January 15, 2005
UPDATE Escapee Surrenders
BOISE--- An offender who escaped from the South Boise Women’s
Correctional Center at 3 p.m. yesterday (Monday, January 31) turned herself
in to Ada County later that same evening. Crystal Pilant was serving a
120-day retained jurisdiction (Rider) sentence when she escaped from the
minimum custody facility south of Boise.
Pilant faces charges for escape and grand theft auto. She will not be
eligible to return to the minimum custody facility. The Department will
recommend that judges remand her to IDOC to serve her full sentences plus
any escape charges.
Offender Escapes from South Boise Women’s
Correctional Center
BOISE --- An offender escaped from the South Boise Women’s Correctional
Center at 3 p.m. this afternoon (Monday, January 31). Crystal Pilant (PUH-lahnt)
was serving a 120-day retained jurisdiction (Rider) sentence when she
escaped from the minimum custody facility south of Boise.
Pilant made it out of the facility by running out while the officer on-duty
was managing other offenders. The officer chased her onto an adjacent
construction site. Pilant stole a construction vehicle and sped off the
premises. The stolen vehicle is gray and has “Valley Construction”
stamped on the doors. It was last seen turning north onto Cloverdale road,
heading toward Boise, traveling at high speeds.
Pilant is 35 years old. She was serving time for forgery and injury to
property out of Ada County and illegal possession of a controlled substance
with intent to deliver out of Canyon County.
Pilant is 5'10", 150 pounds. She has green eyes dark brown hair.
She was last seen wearing khaki pants and a khaki shirt with a white t-shirt
underneath and driving a gray “Valley Construction” truck.
If you see Pilant please call Ada County Dispatch at 377-6790.
The rider program is a 120-day program in which judges retain jurisdiction
over the offenders while they are incarcerated. Offenders are sent to
the Department of Correction, where they are treated, evaluated and then
returned to the judge for a sentencing determination. The rider program
often is the last stop before prison.
Idaho Leads the Nation Through the Mental
Health Coalition
BOISE --- More than two dozen legislators convened at a luncheon
today to hear how Idaho is leading the nation through its creation of
the Idaho Mental Health Coalition. Idaho is the first state to undertake
a comprehensive effort addressing community safety by bridging gaps in
the mental health care system for offenders.
Idaho Department of Correction Director Tom Beauclair told lawmakers about
the impact the mental health population has on prisons, jails and communities.
He explained how policy shifts began closing many of the state's mental
health hospitals in the 1950's. ''Prisons have become defacto mental health
institutions. As a result of this shift in policy, we're often locking
up people who actually need treatment,'' Director Beauclair said.
Medical care for the mental health population costs the Department of
Correction $1.34 million each year. Nearly one out of four adult inmates
in Idaho (1,500 offenders) has a mental illness. Idaho Juvenile Corrections
says that more than 44 percent of all juveniles in the system exhibit
mental health problems. County jails repeatedly lock up the same people
with mental health issues.
Karl Kurtz, Director of Idaho Health and Welfare said, ''The coalition
is a starting point. The people coming out of the correctional
institutions will be our neighbors. How we address their needs is
crucial.'' Kurtz called the coalition's move for increased information
sharing a big start. ''We're working with lawmakers to make it easier
to share medical information,'' Kurtz said. Among other benefits, that
would prevent duplication of efforts.
Boise State University Dean Michael Blankenship and BSU students are
helping to create a database of mental health resources available
statewide. He told legislators the coalition is, ''model of how we can
work together to address a growing issue.''
In Idaho correctional facilities house more mental health patients than
mental health institutions.
Annual Report FY04 Released
BOISE---The Idaho Department of Correction released its annual report
today (Monday, January 10, 2005). The document reviews how prison population
growth filled tents, cots and county jail beds during Fiscal Year 2004.
Idaho’s prison population grew by 486 inmates between June 2003
and June 2004. Offender population in Idaho’s communities grew by
571 probationers and parolees. As June 2004 ended more than 16,300 offenders
were under IDOC supervision in communities and prisons statewide.
The Idaho Department of Correction report reviews the ways the agency
innovated ways to manage the population and better ways to enhance public
safety. The complete report is available on line at www.corr.state.id.us.
Back to Top |
