Idaho Prison Blog

I've been saying it behind your back, so I figured I should just tell you how incredibly proud we are of the way you've responded during this difficult time. From the guys in American Legion Post 202 to countless others who have stepped up to help clean and sanitize common living areas, your response has been amazing. Thank you! Phones and Email: In addition to the 2 free phone calls per week from CenturyLink, JPay is also offering 2 free e-stamps each week for email or videograms. Those stamps will be available starting tomorrow, Friday, March 20th and will reload each Friday. Commissary: Keefe also stepped up to help provide some comfort during this difficult time. Keefe will be giving everyone a complimentary hygiene kit and a snack. Additionally, we've decided to temporarily increase the commissary spending limit from $100 to $150 per week. Video Visitation/Video Calls: Facilitating more communication between you and your loved ones is a priority for us. We've been

The Commission of Pardons and Parole has been monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and considering options for hearings related to parole and revocation. On Friday March 13th, Governor Little declared a state of emergency in Idaho related to COVID-19 and later that day the first confirmed case was announced in Ada County. The Idaho Department of Correction has cancelled inmate visiting and volunteer services to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 illness to staff and the inmate population. The Commission is committed to continuing hearings to consider releases while also maintaining a safe working and living environment for the public, Commission and IDOC staff, and the inmate population. Health and safety are of utmost importance to the Commission and with that in mind the Commission is implementing the following options for parole hearings, beginning Monday March 16th: Members of the public, including victims and inmate family and supporters, are strongly discouraged from attending hearin

[Editor's Note: Since the writing of this article, the Director of the IDOC has implemented a number of program cancellations and security contingencies. See IDOC DIRECTOR SUSPENDS PROGRAMS, VISITING, ETC. IN RESPONSE TO IDAHO'S FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS on this site.] With coronavirus headed for Idaho, why is it that the IDOC has failed to have their contractor JPay get the video visitation at ISCC up and running? While video visitation at some facilities has been in service for several months, the feature so prevalent on the streets has yet to make its way to Idaho's largest prison as well as several other prisons across the state. ISCC and other facilities have the capability of hosting video visitation via JPay kiosks at any time according to 2 CenturyLink technicians who service the units at ISCC, but JPay and the IDOC cannot agree on a price-per-visit that is reasonable. According to the technicians, the infrastructure is already in place, but it's a matter of adm

03/16/2020 - A message from the Director We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 public health situation. We are committed to trying to minimize your risk by limiting movement into and out of the IDOC facilities. You should know that as of today, March 16th, everybody who enters an IDOC facility is completing a medical screening. People who have any flu-like symptoms are being turned away. While circumstances are subject to change, we expect to continue the prisons on a modified-secure status. Dayroom time, recreation, and commissary will continue as normal for the time being. We are also planning to reopen work release opportunities in cases where the companies have detailed plans to protect your health and safety. If you go out to work, you will be required to do medical screening when you leave and when you return to the facility. We also recognize that having visitation closed is hard on you and your friends and family. In the interest of protecting you and our staff, we made t

In an email sent to all IDOC prisoners on 3/13/20, Josh Tewalt, Director of IDOC has suspended several programs. That email has been copied below. The only changes that have been made is to some spacing errors in the original. 03/13/2020 Message from the Director Earlier this evening, Governor Brad Little announced Idahos first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ada County. The person confirmed with COVID-19 had recently traveled to a conference out of state, was asymptomatic while traveling, and self-isolated at the first signs of illness. This week, IDOC implemented the Incident Command System with a phased approach to prevention, preparedness and response protocols for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution, and the care and concern for staff and the people in our custody, visiting is suspended at all the departments correctional facilities statewide, including its community reentry centers, effectively immediately. IDOC has also suspended all volunteer programs. Volunteers have been a

On a bulletin board in October, 2019 at ISCC was a flyer that invited prisoners to submit a story for a contest. In that the time for notifying the first, second and third place winners has passed (and I apparently did not win, place or show), I share my story with you... enjoy The Balloon Man (By Dale Shackelford) Crawling from his cardboard home before dawn, walls weakened by the early morning dew bending at the slightest touch, he moves only as fast as his chilled aching bones and joints will allow. Again this day... the balloon man rises alone. Watched by all yet unseen, he makes his way to the boardwalk in search of a meal, hoping to best the seagulls, rats and feral dogs that patrol the piers and the sanitation workers emptying bins in preparation for a new day. Despite those all around, the balloon man walks alone. A piece of mishandled pastry covered with ants and a sour sandwich, the trash of others providing what may well be his days fare, made palatable by half a soda, the l

Prisoners are - despite the opinions of many - human, but it isn't likely any will ever be diagnosed with the Coronavirus, not because of special diets, better health or greater immunities, but because Corizon Health refuses to test prisoners - even though they have all the symptoms of the affliction. Telling prisoners they simply have "the cough that's been going around", a cold or allergies and prescribing ibuprofen, aspirin or bed rest, the virus - if contracted by an inmate - will not only spread like wildfire within the prison system as does the "regular" flu every year, it will rapidly mutate and spread to the surrounding communities within days via visitors, correctional officers and other staff, then to their families, with children moving it to the schools, etc. Failing to test prisoners for Coronavirus who present with symptoms might save a few dollars for Tennessee-based Corizon, but may well cost Idahoans their lives.