2007 Press Releases

December 30 , 2007 -- Work Center Inmate Back in Custody
December 29 , 2007 -- Work Center Inmate Fails to Return from Dental Appointment
December 28 , 2007 -- 55 Idaho Inmates Temporarily Relocated
December 20 , 2007 -- Reader's View/Mental Health Treatment
December 11 , 2007 -- IDOC Investigates Incident at Texas Prison
December 10 , 2007 -- Inmate Dies of Natural Causes
November 29 , 2007 -- Inmate Dies at ISCI infirmary
November 28 , 2007 -- Work Crew Worker Caught
November 28, 2007 -- Work Crew Escapee Surrenders to IDOC Sergeant
November 23 , 2007 --IDOC Testing New Drug & Alcohol Screening System
October 29, 2007 -- Probation & Parole Officers Across Idaho Plan Operation Lights Out
October 9, 2007 -- IDOC Staff & Inmates Collect Blankets For Needy
October 3, 2007 -- Investigators Probe Inmate Assault at ISCI
September 26th, 2007 -- Dog bites Probation and Parole Officer
September 26th, 2007 -- Emergency Team Response
September 24, 2007 -- IDOC Inmate Escapes from Gooding County Jail
September 12 , 2007 -- IDOC Henry Named Employee of the Year
September 11 , 2007 -- IDOC Names New Management Services Chief
September 5 , 2007 -- IDOC Moves 120 Inmates to Oklahoma Prison
August 2, 2007 -- Name of Inmate Found Dead at ISCI Released
July 31, 2007 -- IDOC Increases Oversight of Contract Facilities
July 13, 2007 --IDOC Completes First Phase Of Inmate Move
July 10, 2007 -- Idaho Correctional Experts to Train Counterparts in Mexico
July 9, 2007 -- Maximum Security Institution Honors Five Inmates
July 5, 2007-- IDOC Moving 125 Inmates From Texas Prison
June 26, 2007 -- Prison Inmates & Staff Save SICI Employee’s Life
May 4, 2007 -- Idaho Department of Correction Salutes Security Staff
May 3, 2007 -- Search on for Fugitive
April 5, 2007 -- Inmate Captured Following Escape
April 5, 2007 -- Escapee Caught in Nampa
April 2, 2007 -- Inmate Walks Away from Community Work Assignment
March 20, 2007 -- Inmate Suicide, Lindley
March 16, 2007 -- First Lady Addresses Graduates
March 8, 2007 -- Escapee Caught
March 8, 2007 -- New PIO selected
March 8, 2007 -- Stockman to Oversee Inmate Health Care Contract
March 6, 2007 -- IDOC Employees Honor Beloved Colleague
March 4, 2007 -- Inmate Suicide, Payne
February 27, 2007 --IDOC Van Accident
February 16, 2007 -- Office of Drug Policy Receives CJC Support
February 7, 2007 -- Inmate Attempts escape

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Text of 2007 Press Releases

Work Center Inmate Back in Custody , December 30, 2007

BOISE – An Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) inmate who failed to return from a dental appointment in the community on Friday is back in custody.

IDOC Probation & Parole officers found 43-year-old Wayland Buckskin, IDOC #21155, in a bar in downtown Boise Saturday night.  He was arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail without incident.

“This is the kind of alert, pro-active correctional work we’ve come to expect from probation and parole officers in Idaho,” said IDOC Division of Community Corrections Chief Kevin Kempf.  “Every day, around the clock they help keep Idaho safe.”

Buckskin was assigned to South Idaho Correctional Institution’s Community Work Center south of Boise.  He was serving a five-year sentence for two convictions of driving under the influence in Power and Bingham Counties. 

Buckskin was eligible to be considered for parole in May 2008.  His full sentence would have been completed in May 2009.

Work Center Inmate Fails to Return from Dental Appt. , December 29, 2007

BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) is seeking an inmate who failed to return from a dental appointment in the community Friday.

43-year-old Wayland Buckskin, IDOC #21155, was assigned to South Idaho Correctional Institution’s Community Work Center south of Boise.  He was serving a five-year sentence for two convictions of Driving Under the Influence in Power and Bingham Counties. 

Buckskin was eligible to be considered for parole in May 2008.  His full sentence would have been completed in May 2009.

Buckskin is 5’ 10”, 200 pounds with a light brown complexion, brown eyes and black hair.   Anyone with information about Buckskin’s whereabouts should call their local law enforcement agency.

55 Idaho Inmates Temporarily Located, December 28, 2007

BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) has temporarily relocated 55 Idaho inmates who were incarcerated at Dickens County Correctional Center in Spur, Texas, to Bill Clayton Detention Center in Littlefield, Texas.  The inmates are expected to be there for about two weeks.  They eventually will be moved to Val Verde Correctional Facility in Del Rio, Texas.

IDOC decided to remove all its inmates from the Dickens County facility after an investigation into the March 4, 2007, suicide of an Idaho inmate. The investigation revealed a number of concerns, including the physical condition of the facility and the level of professionalism of the Dickens County staff.

An IDOC deputy warden and an IDOC contract monitor will remain with the 55 inmates while they are at the Bill Clayton Detention Center to make sure that IDOC standards are being met.  IDOC representatives also are calling inmates’ families and briefing them on the move.

Reader's View/Mental Health Treatment, December 20, 2007

What happens when a state has inadequate mental health resources?  People suffer.  Research has clearly demonstrated that a person experiencing mental illness is much more likely to be victimized than to perpetrate any kind of violence on another. 

This is even greater for women with mental illness.  Individuals diagnosed with mental illness usually come to the attention of the criminal justice system for “petty” crimes such as public nuisance, disturbing the peace and such. 

Parents rightly have the primary responsibility for addressing their children’s mental health needs. However, some say they are forced to use the criminal justice system to get services and often are frustrated that their children still don’t get the care they need.

Currently, approximately 30 percent of our inmates are identified as experiencing mental illness.  For some people, their mental illness played no role in their crimes. For others, appropriate treatment may have prevented their criminal behavior. 

Currently, we house acutely mentally ill inmates and those identified as being “dangerously mentally ill” in our maximum-security prison. They are segregated from the rest of the prison population and we try to treat them like patients and not prisoners. 

But prisons are not designed to create an environment that fosters healing.   In fact, they can serve as incubators for mental illness, turning serious disorders into full-scale psychiatric breakdowns.  The reality is that without a continuum of care in the community, people who could have functioned as productive citizens face a real risk of ending up in our custody.

We are taking steps to address this issue in Idaho.  In December, we will be opening the Behavioral Health Unit at Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise.  It will provide a sheltered living environment for 236 vulnerable mentally ill offenders.  Staff will have specialized training to maintain a therapeutic environment that will help improve the chances of offenders successfully re-entering society. We also are asking for a 300-bed secure mental health facility to be operated by the Department of Correction and Department Health and Welfare.  Lawmakers agreed to get the project started during the last legislative session. 

You can expect more discussion during the 2008 session of the Legislature on how best to help mentally ill patients and inmates take responsibility for their mental health and function in society.  I hope you will join that discussion, because the decisions that are made this winter will affect the health of our families, our neighborhoods and our state for years to come.

Inmate Died of Natural Causes, December 10, 2007

BOISE – An autopsy has revealed that the inmate who collapsed Friday, December 7, 2007 at Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino died of natural causes.

40-year-old Roy Pritt was serving time for forgery out of Twin Falls. He complained of feeling ill around 10:40 AM Friday. Correctional officers called for medical help.  An ambulance took Pritt to an Orofino hospital where he was declared dead at 11:18 AM Friday.

ICI-O opened in April of 1984.  About 540 offenders of all custody levels are incarcerated at the facility.

IDOC Investigates Incident at Texas Prison , December 11, 2007

BOISE – The Idaho Department of Correction has dispatched a deputy warden to Bill Clayton Detention Center (BCDC) in Littlefield, Texas to investigate an incident involving Idaho inmates.

The company that operates the prison, GEO Group, Inc., says at about 7:30 PM Monday a BCDC lieutenant was assaulted by two Idaho inmates.  After the lieutenant was assaulted, about 10 to 15 other Idaho offenders refused to return to their cells.   They complied when BCDC’s response team arrived on the scene.

The Littlefield Police Department is investigating the incident, and the inmates involved in the assault may face new criminal charges.  Other inmates who refused to comply with staff orders will likely face disciplinary sanctions.

Inmate Dies at ISCI Infirmary , November 29, 2007

BOISE – Jerry James Morales, IDOC inmate #79449, died Tuesday at the Idaho State Correctional Institution infirmary south of Boise.  Since then the Idaho Department of Correction has been attempting to contact his family.  Today his next of kin was finally located and notified.

Morales was 22 years old.  He was serving a 1½ - 3½ year sentence for burglary out of Bannock County.  He arrived at ISCI Monday night from the Bannock County Jail. 

IDOC has asked the Ada County Sheriff’s Office and the Ada County Coroner’s Office to assist with the death investigation.

ISCI is a medium security prison.  About 1,500 inmates are incarcerated at the facility. 

Work Crew Worker Caught, November 28, 2007

BOISE – An inmate who walked away from a work crew at the Idaho Transportation Department shop in New Plymouth is back in custody.

Tony Eugene Garren, IDOC #54218, turned himself in today at about 11:15 AM at the Canyon County Jail.  He was serving time for burglary, possession of a weapon, and substance possession convictions in Canyon County and grand theft and eluding an officer convictions in Ada County.   

Mr. Garren surrendered after talking by phone with South Idaho Correctional Institution Investigations Sgt. Amo Angeletti.  He worked with the escapee’s family to establish contact with Mr. Garren and make arrangements for his surrender.

“Sgt. Angeletti did an outstanding job talking with the inmate’s family to quickly bring this matter to a successful conclusion,” SICI Warden Gary Barrier said.  “We are also grateful for the help we got from Idaho Department of Correction’s District 3 and 4 Community Corrections offices and the Payette and Canyon County Sheriff’s Offices.”

Mr. Garren has been returned to SICI where he now faces disciplinary sanctions as the result of his escape.  The Payette County prosecutor will decide if Mr. Garren will face new criminal charges.

BOISE – An inmate who walked away from a work crew at the Idaho Transportation Department shop in New Plymouth is back in custody.

Tony Eugene Garren, IDOC #54218, turned himself in today at about 11:15 AM at the Canyon County Jail.  He was serving time for burglary, possession of a weapon, and substance possession convictions in Canyon County and grand theft and eluding an officer convictions in Ada County.   

Mr. Garren surrendered after talking by phone with South Idaho Correctional Institution Investigations Sgt. Amo Angeletti.  He worked with the escapee’s family to establish contact with Mr. Garren and make arrangements for his surrender.

Mr. Garren has been returned to SICI where he now faces disciplinary sanctions as the result of his escape.  The Payette County prosecutor will decide if Mr. Garren will face new criminal charges.

BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction is testing a new drug screening system that reveals if a probationer or parolee might have used drugs or alcohol in the preceding two days by simply scanning their eyes.

The device is called Passpoint. It measures involuntary eye reflex reactions to light.
If Passpoint detects a reaction that is slower than what was measured in a baseline exam, the offender will be asked to provide a urine sample.

“This new system would allow us to screen more offenders more often,” says IDOC Community Corrections Chief Kevin Kempf.  “We anticipate it would be a valuable tool in our mission of keeping Idaho safe and providing offenders with an opportunity to change.”

A Passpoint screen can be conducted faster and cheaper than a urine test.  The offender simply looks into a goggle-shaped eyepiece for 25 seconds and sees a series of flashing lights.  Because different substances affect eye reflexes in different ways, Passpoint can reveal not only if an offender has is likely to have used an illegal drug but what type it might have been and when.

Passpoint is not considered to be a drug test.  It is a screening device intended for use in conjunction with traditional drug and alcohol tests.  The device is manufactured by Streetime Technologies (streetimetechnologies.com).

Probation & Parole Offecers Across Idaho Plan Operation Lights Out, Oct. 29, 2007

(BOISE) - Idaho Department of Correction’s Community Corrections Division is teaming up with law enforcement agencies statewide to help keep trick-or-treaters safe on Halloween.

Probation and parole officers, along with police officers and sheriff’s deputies, will be visiting supervised sex offenders to make sure their porch lights are off and that they are doing nothing to encourage children to approach their homes for candy.  That includes displaying pumpkins or any other type of Halloween decorations.  Offenders must also comply with a 5 PM-to-sunrise curfew, which means they are forbidden from accompanying children as they go trick or treating.
 
“We monitor supervised sex offenders year round, but we make a special effort on this holiday to try to give parents a little piece of mind,” says IDOC Division of Community Correction’s Chief Kevin Kempf. “Our officers will be quite strict, they don’t even want to see an offender keeping a bowl of candy by his door.”

Probation and parole officers have no authority over registered sex offenders who are no longer on probation or parole.  More information on them is available through Idaho’s Central Sex Offender Registry at www.isp.state.id.us.

IDOC Staff & Inmates Collect Blankets For Needy, October 9, 2007

BOISE – Idaho Department of Correction volunteers have collected more than 500 blankets statewide to help keep women and children warm this winter.

“The whole department got involved,” says organizer Kathy Caldwell who serves as a correctional specialist at South Boise Women’s Corrections Center. “Even the inmates pitched in by donating blankets, their time and even money.”

About 360 blankets were donated in Ada County alone.  Today Caldwell, with help from inmate workers, delivered the blankets to the Salvation Army for distribution this winter.

“So many people come to us with no household goods at all, and to have a blanket to give them on site at the time that they come in is great,” says Salvation Army family services assistant Connie Lupton.

In addition to distributing the blankets to women and children at the Salvation Army’s shelters, Lupton says her organization is thinking of giving the blankets to senior citizens during the holiday season.

The blanket drive continues through the end of the month at Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center, Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino and St. Anthony Work Camp.  Caldwell says the blankets will be given to local organizations to assure that the blankets benefit people in the communities in which they were donated.

Investigators Probe Inmate Assault at ISCI, October 3rd, 2007

BOISE-The Ada County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho Department of Correction are investigating an assault on an inmate at Idaho State Correctional Institution south of Boise.

At about 9:20 PM Tuesday, inmate Christopher M. Conaty,l #81797 was attacked by several other inmates. He suffered cuts to his back and neck. The wounds are not life threatening.

Conaty is 21 years old.  He is serving a seven-year sentence for burglary and grand theft from Canyon County.

Investigators are questioning suspects and possible witnesses.  As a result no other information on the assault is being released at this time.

Dog bites Probation and Parole Officer, September 26, 2007

LEWISTON –  Three dogs surrounded a probation and parole officer as he arrived to visit a parolee’s home in Winchester on Tuesday night. The officer shot one of the circling dogs after it lunged and bit him on the hand. The officer was shook up, but suffered only minor injuries.

As part of their duties, the Idaho Department of Correction probation and parole officers visit homes of the felony offenders under their supervision. Probation and parole officers also visit places of employment and perform other checks to help enhance community safety.

Henry Atencio, deputy chief of the department’s community corrections division, says this incident reminds us of the dangers these officers face daily. “We’re concerned for the officer’s health and thankful he wasn’t more seriously injured. This demonstrates the dangerous job our officers perform. We’re glad he was able to prevent further injury to himself or others,” Atencio said.

Other facts:

*Winchester is approximately 20 miles southeast of Lewiston.

*The Department of Correction’s Community Correction Division manages 12,735 probationers and parolees across Idaho.

Emergency Team Response, September 26, 2007

BOISE---The acting warden at Idaho’s highest security prison deployed the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) this morning to stop a planned inmate disturbance.

Staff at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) asked inmates to return to their cells while they moved another inmate off the tier. Twelve inmates refused the order and subsequent orders to cell-up.

The Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) was sent in to remove the inmates. The CERT effort was successful. The 12 inmates involved will be placed in segregation cells.

Prisons Chief Pam Sonnen says , “We use the minimum amount of force possible to control situation. Our primary mission is to keep staff the public and inmates safe.”

IDOC Inmate Escapes from Gooding County Jail, September 24, 2007

BOISE-Area law enforcement officers are searching for a 39-year-old Idaho Department of Correction inmate who escaped from the Gooding County Jail.

Scott Howard Holmes #21470 escaped from the facility about 4 AM Saturday, September 22nd.  Gooding Police found him a short time later and took him to the receiving area of the police department.   During the booking process, Holmes assaulted an officer and escaped again.

Holmes is white, with brown hair and brown eyes.   He is 6’1”, 220 lbs. and has a fair complexion.  He was serving time for burglary, forgery and aggravated assault out of Twin Falls and Minidoka counties.

IDOC Names New Management Services Chief, September 11, 2007

BOISE-Idaho Department of Correction Director Brent Reinke has named Tony Meatte (ME-at) chief of IDOC’s management services division. He will oversee the business side of an organization that supervises more than 20,000 offenders and employs more than 1,500 people with an annual budget of $164 million.

Meatte has worked for the State of Idaho for 23 years, most recently as Administrative Services Administrator for the Department of Juvenile Corrections. Prior to that he worked in the Office of the State Controller. While there, he helped launch the state’s computerized accounting system known as STARS (Statewide Accounting and Reporting System).

“I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Tony for ten years in juvenile corrections,” says Director Reinke. “His experience in state government and his passion for investing in people is the reason I asked Tony to join us in our critical, Department of Correction mission of protecting the public.”

As chief of the management services division, Meatte will be responsible for fiscal operations, information and technology systems, contracts, review and analysis and construction.
Meatte’s first day with the department was September 10th.

IDOC Henry Named Employee of the Year, September 12, 2007

BOISE - A longtime Idaho Department of Correction officer, who worked for more than 20 years in Idaho prisons and now supervises probation and parole officers, has been named the department’s employee of the year.

District 3 section supervisor Jeff Henry was presented with the award Tuesday at the 20th annual joint congress of the Idaho Juvenile Justice Association and Idaho Correctional Association in Boise. 

"He has earned the respect of every single probation and parole officer in his district because of his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get to work on learning everything he can about community corrections,” said IDOC Director Brent Reinke.

Henry has worked to increase cooperation between IDOC and Canyon County law enforcement agencies by getting the department linked a Canyon County computer system that provides information on offenders.  He has also worked to team probation and parole officers with police officers and sheriff’s deputies.

“This is an exciting venture that has already improved our relationship with law enforcement agencies,” said Director Reinke.

Along with Henry, the department also honored two North Idaho Correctional Institution employees.  Emmett Wilson received the Community Contribution and Partnership Award for his involvement in many community activities including his operation of the Cottonwood Community Library Recycling program. Renee Warnacutt received the  Distinguished Service Medal for her work as a pre-release specialist. Over the past ten years she’s helped more than 7,500 offenders prepare for their return to society.

.IDOC Moves 120 Inmates to Oklahoma Prison, September 5, 2007

BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction has completed the transfer of 120 inmates from Idaho to a prison in Oklahoma. The transfer is the latest in a series of steps by the department to accommodate a growing inmate population in a correctional system that already exceeds capacity.

The inmates arrived at North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre, Oklahoma Wednesday afternoon. The facility is owned and operated by a private company, Correctional Corporation of America, which also operates Idaho Correctional Center south of Boise.

“We’d prefer that these inmates do their time here in Idaho,” says IDOC Director Brent Reinke. “But the fact is there is simply no more room.”

429 other Idaho inmates are already serving time at two prisons in Texas operated by the GEO Group, Inc. IDOC plans to enter into contracts for more out-of-state beds before the end of the year.

“We need to be pro-active and get out in front on this issue,” Director Reinke says. “We’re currently in discussions about how to bring a private prison to Idaho. We want to make certain we do it right to ensure Idaho’s interests come first.”

An internationally respected correctional planning firm, Carter Goble Lee, predicts Idaho will need beds for 5,560 more inmates at a price of $1 billion over the next ten years unless the state aggressively seeks alternatives to incarceration. The firm estimates that every bed the department can avoid building saves taxpayers $75,000 to $160,000 in capital costs alone.

Name of Inmate Found Dead at ISCI Released, August 2, 2007

BOISE-The inmate whose body was found in a restroom at the Idaho State Correctional Institution gym was 21-year-old Peter William Curtright, #69513.

Curtright was found unconscious at 7:14 PM Wednesday. Correctional officers say when they found Curtright he had a pulse but was not breathing. Correctional staff along with medical staff immediately initiated life saving measures but Curtright was pronounced dead a short time later.
Curtright was serving a life sentence for convictions in Ada and Twin Falls counties. His convictions include aggravated battery, three counts of assault, witness intimidation and robbery. Curtright was eligible to be considered for parole in 2014. All questions about the status of the investigation should be directed to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
ISCI is a medium custody facility south of Boise at which approximately 1,500 male inmates are incarcerated.

IDOC Increases Oversight of Contract Facilities, July 31, 2007

Idaho Department of Correction Director Brent Reinke has announced the appointment of Idaho State Correctional Institution Warden Randy Blades to the newly created position of Warden of Contract Bed Operations. He will be charged with monitoring all aspects of operations at county jails and privately run facilities where Idaho inmates are incarcerated.

“Randy is a proven correctional professional, and in this new post he’ll be taking on the biggest challenge of his career – managing a virtual prison made up of more than 2,400 inmates,” says Director Reinke.

IDOC contracts with jails and private facilities for beds because Idaho’s prisons and work centers are at capacity. In the months and years to come the department expects to rely even more on contract bed providers. A recent study by a South Carolina-based consulting firm, Carter Gobel Lee, found that if present trends continue over the next decade Idaho will need to build facilities for 5, 560 more inmates at a price of about $1 billion.

Warden Blades will report to Division of Prisons Chief Pam Sonnen. He and his staff will oversee all aspects of contract bed operations including security, health care, programming and food services. They will do so by conducting frequent, announced and unannounced, on-site facility inspections.

“Times have changed and we simply need to get in front on this issue,” says Director Reinke. “We must be proactive. We need to make sure inmates are being treated adequately and taxpayers are getting what they are paying for.”

Director Reinke has appointed Idaho Maximum Security Institution Warden John Hardison to succeed Blades as warden of ISCI, South Boise Women’s Community Center Warden Johanna Smith to succeed Hardison at IMSI, and ISCI Deputy Warden Terressa Baldridge as acting warden of SBWCC.

IDOC Completes First Phase Of Inmate Move, July 13, 2007

BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction has completed the transfer of 69 inmates from the Dickens County Correction Center in Spur, Texas to the Bill Clayton Detention Center in Littlefield, Texas. The transfer of the inmates took place over the past three days and occurred without incident.

56 Idaho inmates remain at the Dickens facility and will likely be relocated by fall. On Tuesday, Idaho’s Board of Examiners gave IDOC permission to conduct a site visit at Val Verde Correctional Facility and County Jail in Del Rio, Texas and consider initiating a contract with the facility’s operator GEO Group, Inc.

IDOC is removing its inmates from Dickens because of concerns about the physical condition of the facility, the level of professionalism shown by Dickens’ staff, and the lack of work and educational opportunities offered to Idaho inmates.

The challenges the department is facing in Texas reflect the tough choices Idaho has as a result of a growing inmate population. Fiscal year 2006 saw a 5.5% increase in inmates over the year before. On July 1, 2007, 7,357 inmates were incarcerated under IDOC jurisdiction. That’s up by 381 inmates from the year before.

The inmates who were moved from Dickens to Bill Clayton this week will be allowed to call home within 48 hours of their arrival and inform their families of their new location. In addition, family members can visit IDOC’s website (www.idoc.idaho.gov) to learn more about the move.

Idaho Correctional Experts to Train Counterparts in Mexico, July 10, 2007

BOISE-Six Idaho Department of Correction employees are in Guadalajara, Mexico this week teaching emergency response tactics to their counterparts in the state of Jalisco.

“We are honored that Jalisco’s Secretary of Public Security has invited us to share what we know,” says IDOC Director Brent Reinke. “It’s a reflection of the professionalism and caliber of the men and women of the Idaho Department of Correction.”

Jalisco is Idaho’s sister state in Mexico. The idea to have IDOC offer training in Mexico stems from a visit a Jaliscan delegation made to Idaho last year. During that visit, an IDOC correctional emergency response team put on a demonstration.

“They were rather impressed with what they saw and decided they could benefit from having some of our representatives provide the same training for their troops,” says IDOC’s emergency coordinator Shannon Cluney.

The IDOC team is providing training on a variety of subjects including mob and crowd control, use of less lethal munitions and hostage rescue tactics. The team expects to train 60 Jaliscan correctional professionals during the two-week visit.

The State of Jalisco is paying for all costs associated with the July 7 through July 21 visit.

*Editors and producers please note, the team’s visit is reportedly receiving substantial news coverage in Guadalajara. Photos and video may be available from news outlets there.

Maximum Security Institution Honors Five Inmates, July 9, 2007

BOISE-Five inmates at Idaho Maximum Security Institution will receive certificates during a ceremony on Tuesday for their participation in education and substance abuse treatment programs.

The programs teach anger management, communications skills and strategies for combating drug and alcohol addiction through cognitive and spiritual development. The offenders have options to choose the programs they want to attend. The programs are taught by staff assigned to the institution, volunteers from Prison Fellowship Ministries, Soul Zone Motorcycle Club, T.H.U.G Ministries and Calvary Chapel.

The graduation ceremony is open to the news media. Please arrive at the facility at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, July 10th. The ceremony begins at 9 AM and will last about 40 minutes. Inmates and staff will be available for interviews. Idaho Maximum Security Institution is at 13400 S. Pleasant Valley Rd south of Boise. The Idaho Department of Correction enforces a dress code at its facilities. Please do not wear blue denim clothing, low necklines or shorts. In addition, you will be asked to show your driver’s license. No tobacco is allowed in IDOC correctional facilities.

IDOC Moving 125 Inmates From Texas Prison, July 5, 2007

Boise-The Idaho Department of Correction is relocating 125 Idaho inmates incarcerated at Dickens County Correctional Center in Spur, Texas. Because of security concerns, the location of the facility to which the inmates will be transferred and the date of the move will be withheld until the relocation is completed. IDOC staff will be on site to assist with the move.

The relocation of the inmates is the result of concerns IDOC has about the operation of Dickens. Following the March 4th suicide of an Idaho inmate at the facility, the new director of the Idaho Department of Correction, Brent Reinke, dispatched a team to investigate what happened. The team reported a number of concerns including the physical condition of the facility, the level of professionalism shown by Dickens’ staff, and the lack of work and educational opportunities offered to Idaho inmates.

As a result of IDOC’s concerns, the company that operates Dickens, GEO Group Inc., installed new management at the facility. While improvements have been made, IDOC remains concerned about Dickens’ operation and has been working hard over the past four months to find alternatives.

“The problems we’ve had in Texas reflect the challenge of managing out of state,” says IDOC Director Brent Reinke. “We believe Idaho inmates are best managed at home in Idaho.”

In addition to relocating Idaho inmates from Dickens, IDOC’s new leadership is overhauling the way it manages out-of-state inmates. The department is developing a more robust, team approach to managing the increasing number of inmates in contract beds to make certain taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and inmates are treated appropriately.

Idaho inmates have been incarcerated at Dickens since August 7, 2006. IDOC sends inmates out of state because of a shortage of space in Idaho. A recently completed study by a South Carolina-based consulting firm which specializes in prison planning, Carter Goble Lee, found that if present trends continue IDOC will need room for 5,560 more inmates over the next decade at a price of about $1 billion dollars.

Family members wishing to know more about the move can call (208) 658-2122.

Prison Inmates & Staff Save SICI Employee’s Life, June 26, 2007

BOISE-Three inmates and eight staff members at South Idaho Correctional Institution are being honored for helping save the life of a staff member who suffered a heart attack.

On June 7, 2007 SICI construction foreman Mike Kunter (KOON-tur) collapsed inside the motor pool maintenance office. Inmates Mitchell Banks, Kenny Runkle and Scott Wren immediately called for help and performed CPR until medics arrived.

“If it were not for the quick action of these three offenders and our staff, it’s likely Mike would be dead,” says SICI Warden Gary Barrier.

Banks performed chest compressions, Wren performed rescue breathing and Runkle tilted the employee’s head to keep his airway open. When the inmates began the lifesaving procedures, they say Kunter had no pulse. He started breathing, developed a strong pulse and became responsive after SICI medic Dustin Sutherland, with assistance from SICI medic Alex Francisco and SICI maintenance staffer Nick Mayes , used an Automated External Defibrillator to shock the victim’s heart.

Sutherland and Francisco are employees of Contract Medical Services which provides medical care to IDOC inmates.

Several other IDOC employees helped with the lifesaving effort. Motor pool staffer Bob Tawney dialed 911 and SICI officer Jesus Martinez called the Code White (which puts the institution on a higher level of alert for a medical emergency). SICI sergeant David Lee transported the SICI medics to the site, and SICI officer Robert Powers directed the ambulance to the site.

SICI is a transitional facility south of Boise where minimum and community custody offenders who are nearing their release are incarcerated. All of the staffers and offenders will be honored at the Idaho Board of Correction meeting on July 19, 2007.

Idaho Department of Correction Salutes Security Staff, May 4, 2007

BOISE-As states across the country celebrate Correctional Professionals Week the Idaho Department of Correction is paying special tribute to its security staff for operating some of the safest prisons in the United States.

“We are Idaho’s premier black hat agency,” says IDOC Director Brent Reinke. “Other agencies are viewed as wearing white hats because of the positive nature of what they do. We wear black hats, but our mission to protect the public is a noble service.”

This year Correctional Professionals Week runs from May 6th through May 12th. Here in Idaho it is celebrated with barbecues and awards ceremonies around the state.

In addition to saluting correctional officers, the department is hoping correctional officers’ week will prompt more people to consider a career in the correctional field.

“I know I’m never going to be bored,” says Lt. Noel Barlow-Fell. She started as a correctional officer with the department in 2001. In just six years she has as emerged as a leader at South Idaho Correctional Institution south of Boise.“Working in the correctional environment isn’t about being physically stronger or bigger than an offender,” she says. “It’s about being a good example of pro-social behavior, being a positive role model, and having a positive impact on someone’s life.”

The department is presently hiring dozens of correctional officers. So far 27 candidates have been hired in the Treasure Valley, five in Orofino and five in Pocatello. About 12 positions remain open.

With the state’s prison population growing at a rate of about 39 inmates a month, the demand for security staff is expected to remain strong. And, As Lt. Barlow’s career path shows, the correctional field offers individuals many opportunities to quickly advance their careers.

Search on for Fugitive, May 3, 2007

BOISE-The Idaho Department of Correction is asking for the public’s help in locating a fugitive.

Korey Steven Loveland is a parolee who has failed to check in with his parole officer since April 14th and is in violation of the terms of his release. Loveland is considered extremely dangerous and is known to carry firearms.

Loveland has a lengthy, violent criminal record that includes convictions for Burglary, Battery, Grand Theft, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Forgery, Assaults, Escape,
Battery on Law Enforcement, multiple DUIs, and Possession of a Controlled
Substance with Intent to Deliver.

Loveland is white, 30 years old, 6’1”, 185 lbs with blue eyes and brown hair. He has numerous tattoos including the words “Stone Cold 1-87” on the back of his neck and the words “Only God can Judge Me Now” on his chest.

Loveland’s last known address was the 4300 block of St. Andrews in Boise. He may be driving a 2004 silver Mitsubishi Galant with a license plate of 1A MD268 and staying at Treasure Valley area hotels or motels.

If you see Loveland, do not approach him. Dial 911. If you have information that could help find Loveland, call the Idaho Department of Correction’s District Four Probation and Parole office at 334-2249.

Escapee Caught in Nampa, April 5, 2007

BOISE - The Nampa Police Department has captured a man who escaped from the Nampa Community Work Center on December 27, 2006.

Chad Nathan Butherus, 25, was captured Wednesday for Resisting and Obstructing Officers and False Personation.

Nampa Police say when they arrested Butherus, he gave a false name and claimed to be from Canada. Fingerprints revealed his identity and his status as an escapee.

Butherus was serving a 4-10 year sentence for Forgery, Grand Theft by Possession and Burglary out of Ada County. He was eligible to be considered for parole on July 19, 2010.

At the time of his escape in December, Butherus walked from the work center to a waiting car.

Butherus is now facing an escape charge. He is being held at the Canyon County Detention Center.

Inmate Captured Following Escape, April 5, 2007

BOISE-An inmate who walked away from a welding class at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston is back in custody.

Acting on a tip, Clarkston Police found 26-year-old Michael Dean Boley at 3:30 AM today. He had walked away from the class at about 7 PM Wednesday.

Boley began serving a 3-8 year sentence for Grand Theft and Forgery on September 9, 2005. He was eligible to be considered for parole on April 12, 2008.

Boley has been returned to the Idaho Correctional Institution in Orofino. He will now face an escape charge.

Inmate Walks Away from Community Work Assignment, April 2, 2007

BOISE – An offender assigned to the East Boise Community Work Center has escaped while on a job in the community.

49-year-old Nora Ann Barkey was discovered missing Sunday at about 10:15 pm when she failed to meet a driver who was to return her to the work center. Barkey was working as a food server at a Boise restaurant.

Barkey is white, 5’8”, 165 pounds and has gray hair and blue eyes. She was serving a 3-10 year sentence for grand theft and forgery out of Kootenai County.

Anyone with information about where Barkey is should contact local law enforcement.

Inmate Suicide, March 20, 2007

BOISE—An inmate housed at the Idaho State Correctional Institution committed suicide by hanging overnight. Deloy Marion Lindley (#83413) was found unresponsive in his cell shortly before 2am. Staff performed CPR but were unable to revive him. Ada County paramedics responded but halted CPR efforts.

Lindley was serving 2 to 6 years for possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced on October 26, 2006 in Franklin County. Lindley was 45 years old.

First Lady Honors Graduates, March 16, 2007

BOISE-Idaho’s First Lady Lori Otter saluted 42 female offenders for their commitment to furthering their education and living drug free at a ceremony Friday at the South Boise Women’s Correctional Center.

“Right now you are at another pivotal moment in your life,” Otter told the graduates. "You have learned the power of setting a goal. You’ve learned the power of applying yourself. Hopefully you have learned that you have strength.”

During the six-month program, 11 of the 42 women earned their GEDs. 38 completed a substance abuse program called CORE. It focuses on core life skills like drug and alcohol education, anger management and relapse prevention.

Several say their new goal is regain custody of their children or at least re-establish a relationship with them “They’re the world to me,” said offender Mandy Wade.

Many of the women consider their graduation from the center’s program to be their biggest accomplishment. But they acknowledge they will face even bigger challenges on the outside. “This is the beginning of a new phase of my life,” said class speaker Heather Hansen. “It’s not the end of anything but a bad, bad past, and I’m starting brand new today.”

SBWCC program manager Bruce Wells-Moore and other instructors and drug and rehabilitation specialists emphasized how proud they are of the women. Warden Johanna Smith says she’s proud of her staff for helping the offenders make so much progress in their battle with addiction. “It makes me feel very positive about what we do,” Warden Smith said.

Some Extra Facts:

-South Boise Women's Correctional Center (SBWCC) is home to the female retained jurisdiction program. Judges retain jurisdiction over an offender for four to six months before deciding whether sentence them to prison or release them on probation.

-42% of the women incarcerated in Idaho have been sentenced on drug-related convictions.
-85% of the female inmates who’ve been formally assessed with a drug problem indicate meth is their drug of preference.

Work Center Escapee Caught in New Mexico, March 8, 2007

BOISE- A community custody offender from South Idaho Correctional Institution, Community Work Center who escaped while on a job has been recaptured.

New Mexico State Police captured fifty-five year old Michael A. Johnson (#79302) Monday night near Socorro, New Mexico. He was sleeping in a car.

An officer also found fake identification and weapons in the vehicle.

Johnson is being held at Socorro County Jail. He will be returned to Idaho and will likely face an escape charge.

The 2003, 15-passenger Ford van that Johnson was driving at the time of his escape was found at a Caldwell truck stop on August 16th, one day after Johnson disappeared.

Johnson was serving a minimum of four years for burglary and grand theft by possession convictions out of Ada County. At the time of his disappearance he was working as a driver and transporting other offenders to and from work sites in the community. He was reported missing after he failed to complete a work site pick-up.

New PIO selected, March 8, 2007

BOISE—The Idaho Department of Correction has selected Jeff Ray as the Department’s new public information officer. Prior to joining the state, Ray was assistant news director and assignment editor for KBCI-TV in Boise. He brings 25 years of media experience to the corrections agency. Ray started on March 5th.

“One in every 36 adult males in Idaho is under the jurisdiction of the Idaho Department of Correction,” says Director Brent Reinke. “Enhancing the understanding of corrections is critical and Jeff will be a key part of our communication efforts.”

Ray’s experience in media includes reporting and anchor at stations around the northwest including KBCI, KATU, KXLY and KING. He also owns a media consulting business that provides media training.

Monday, March 5th was Jeff’s first day. His contact information is:Jeff Ray, Public Information Officer
Idaho Department of Correction
jeray@idoc.Idaho.gov


Stockman to Oversee Inmate Health Care Contract, March 8, 2007

BOISE - - The Idaho Department of Correction has hired a veteran corrections administrator to assure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely on inmate healthcare.

As Director of Healthcare Services Donald G. Stockman is charged with monitoring the medical contract between IDOC and Correctional Medical Services. CMS provides medical, dental and psychiatric care to inmates.

“Donald will be a critical part of our effort to address the mental health and medical needs of our inmates,” says Dr. Mary Perrien, Chief of the Division of Education and Treatment. “He comes to us with extensive experience managing mental health and correctional health care,” she says.

Stockman began his career in 1972 as an accounting officer at California’s Vacaville State Medical Facility. He’s served as associate warden for health care services and housing at the California State Prison/Corcoran, associate warden for business services at the Wasco State Prison Reception Center, and mental health program administrator of the parole outpatient clinic program for the California Department of Corrections’ Parole and Community Services division.

IDOC Employees Honor Beloved Colleague, March 6, 2007

Correctional officers and other staff members at the Idaho State Correctional Institution are honoring the memory of their long-time colleague Sergeant Russ LaTulippe by wearing black bands over their badges.

“Russ was a dedicated and valued employee. The state has lost a valuable public servant,” says Department of Correction Director Brent Reinke.

LaTullipe began working for the Department of Correction as an officer in August of 1989. Over the years he served as a corporal, sergeant and was just recently promoted to investigator for the Office of Professional Standards.

At the request of the family, which has asked the community to honor their request for privacy during this difficult time, the Department will be making no public comment or releasing photos.

LaTulippe and his daughter died over the weekend of asphyxiation at his Silver City cabin during a snowmobiling trip.

Inmate Suicide, March 4, 2007

DICKENS COUNTY, TEXAS—An Idaho inmate housed in a Texas facility committed suicide early Sunday morning. Correctional staff found Scot Noble Payne, #65275, slumped in a shower, bleeding and unresponsive. Medical personnel were called but were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at 2:17 am central time.

The 43-year-old Payne was serving time for lewd and lascivious conduct out of Ada County. Payne was housed in administrative segregation at the time of his death. He was isolated for a December escape from the same facility.

Payne is one of approximately 100 Idaho inmates housed at the Dickens County Correctional Center near Spur, Texas managed by GEO Group. Idaho inmates have been housed in the facility since July 2005. Payne transferred to the facility in August 2006. He escaped on December 3, 2006 and was recaptured December 10, 2006. The Department and contractor will both conduct serious incident reviews as is standard practice in any inmate death.

Some added details:
Payne was discovered in the shower around 1am. A razor was used to cause the fatal wounds. His sentence was for lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor under 16. He was sentenced to 7-20 years on 12/04/2002 and had a sentence completion date of 9/24/2022.

IDOC Van Accident, February 27, 2007

BOISE—A van carrying seven inmate workers rolled on Pleasant Valley Road this morning. An ambulance took one inmate to the hospital for treatment of rib injuries. The other six were evaluated for minor injuries.

The offenders were being driven to jobs about 6am this morning when the van slid sideways while going around a corner. The van rolled once, landing back on its wheels. The accident happened near the gravel pit where Pleasant Valley Road curves. (Pleasant Valley Road is to the south of Boise)

Lt. Kapri Zmuda is the manager of the South Idaho Correctional Institution Community Work Center (SICI-CWC). She says this is the first injury accident the CWC has experienced since it opened in 2003, and it appears to be weather-related. “Everyone was wearing their seatbelts and it appears everyone will be okay,” Lt. Zmuda said.

Facts about Community Work Centers:
The state runs five community work centers.
These beds cost $29 per day from general fund dollars.
Qualified inmates work in the community as they near release. Thirty percent of all earnings are retained by the department to help pay housing and transportation costs.
In fiscal year 2006, CWC offenders in Idaho performed more than 10,600 hours of community service.
In fiscal year 2006, CWC offenders paid $2.39 million in van fees and receipts to help pay costs.

Office of Drug Policy receives CJC Support, February 16, 2007

BOISE— Members of Idaho’s Criminal Justice Commission took formal action to support Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s proposal for an Office of Drug Policy. Criminal justice leaders agreed: “To formally support the establishment of the Office of Drug Policy and to coordinate support for the director of that office in substance abuse prevention and reduction.”

Drug Czar Debbie Field, a member of the commission, would lead the Drug Policy Office if lawmakers approve the concept. Governor Otter’s proposal to create a more coordinated approach to substance abuse treatment and prevention won approval in a house committee earlier this week.

Criminal justice leaders also heard a proposal from Representative JoAn Wood for a pilot project in District 7. The 7th Judicial District Community Corrections Treatment Program seeks to “slow the flow of inmates” into the Department of Correction. “It’s a dream, but it’s going to happen,” Representative Wood told the criminal justice panel.

The district plan proposes that selected local offenders receive treatment in District 7, rather than entering the prison system or retained jurisdiction program through the Department of Correction. The project would create treatment space in a new county jail and provide judges with local sentencing options. Representative Wood told the commission the outpouring of citizens offering to help has been overwhelming.

About the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission:
The Idaho Criminal Justice Commission has 24 members from various criminal justice agencies including the judiciary, the Commission for Pardons and Parole, Sheriff’s representatives, police, Idaho State Police, public defenders, corrections agencies and citizens. Governor Kempthorne formed the ICJC through Executive Order in 2005, members were added and the charter reaffirmed in 2006. The ICJC is chaired by Brent D. Reinke, Director of the Idaho Department of Correction.

The group’s stated mission is “Collaborating for a Safer Idaho.” More information is available at the website: SaferIdaho.com.

Inmate Attempts Escape, February 7, 2007

BOISE—An inmate on work detail at Gowen Field attempted to escape this morning. Yahmonn Dishere Corney jumped over a fence and got into a waiting car just after 8am. Security police at Gowen Field quickly responded and stopped the inmate and the driver of the car before they got away.

The 28 year-old was serving prison time for three convictions in Ada County: Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft, Possession of Forged Instruments and Forgery.

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