DARK DAYS, DARKER NIGHTS - ISCC's PRETEXTUAL LOCKDOWNS, Part 1
On Sunday October 17, 2021 at 6:49 am, after prisoners had picked up their breakfast meal, guards unexpectedly entered Unit F at the ISCC and ordered all prisoners to return to their cells and lock themselves in for the rest of the day due to staff shortage, or "dark day". After all prisoners on the unit were secured in their cells, the doors were opened 17 minutes later (at 7:07 am) - the dark day was cancelled. Frustrations and nervousness on the unit were evident throughout the rest of the day.
On May 7, 2021 ISCC Captain D. Martinez issued a memorandum (see entire memo below) introducing "Dark Night", effectively locking (some) prisoners in their cells on Wednesday and Saturday nights from 6 pm through 6 am the next morning so as to reduce the number of staff necessary to cover the posts throughout the facility, including the housing units.
From the beginning, these day-certain lockdowns made no sense (even to staff) unless it was known by administrators the facility would be short staffed only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Based on the 3 days on, 4 days off rotation work schedule of staff, that makes absolutely no sense.
Dark Nights soon turned to Dark Days. While north-wing prisoners (approximately half the population at the ISCC) are locked in their cells sometimes for several days (and nights) at a time (except for a few "privileged" inmates or KAPOS who are allowed to go to work and wander about the facility without staff supervision) west-wing and H Block prisoners who live in dormitory style housing are allowed to continue to use showers, telephones, kiosks and dayrooms as usual, thus staffing levels in those areas do not - or should not change.
During these dark periods, it is not unusual to see just as many, if not more staff than are usually posted on the locked down units sitting in housing unit pod control talking and watching movies, music videos or online gaming on state computers, or on their personal telephones, calling into question the necessity of the lockdowns.
Several valid arguments could be made as to the need for the dark periods, if this meant only that prisoners were limited to day room access. Officers leaving work for sickness or injury, prisoner escorts to hospital, or other emergency. Each of these instances would be logical and legitimate arguments were available staff utilized effectively.
As revealed in the post PRISON TEACHERS ACTING AS SECURITY STAFF - WHY IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN (AGAIN) on this site, the ISCC is no stranger to using education staff as security personnel. When dark days are declared, there are no academic or vocational classes, thus all teachers and other education department personnel are available to work in unit pod controls and other posts which do not require direct (security) contact with prisoners, such as food service. Case managers - who are not security staff - also work pod control in some units and nursing staff have been observed operating panels in pod controls - officially or unofficially.
Among the psychological consequences of the UNSCHEDULED dark days/nights is the toll it takes on the prisoners - not so much the fact of being locked down - but the not knowing when the next lockdown will occur, just as a victim of domestic violence waits nervously to again be slapped without warning or provocation. Video visits, phone calls, showers, use of toilet and other daily routines cannot be planned or maintained where dark periods loom, to be implemented without warning - for an unknown length of time - even where it seems obvious that it is not necessary for reasons of staff shortage.
Even a first-year criminal justice student knows that maintaining routine in a jail or prison setting is the cornerstone of reducing frustrations, discord and violence in the inmate population. Despite that knowledge, ISCC administrators continue to knowingly and unnecessarily stir the pot in the name of security, then decry the widespread violence, frustration and discontent in the prisoner population.Tack on the unfairness of allowing Kapos to go to work or on walkabouts while others penned in a cage watch them swagger out the door, and you have your answer to the question of why there are so many problems of late with the inmate population.
The memo authored by Captain Martinez is recreated below as written and posted.
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TO: ISCC Resident Population
FROM: Capt. D. Martinez
DATE: May 7, 2021
RE: Notification of a Dark Schedule
The Idaho Department of Corrections mission is to protect the public, our staff and the residents in our custody. Starting May 5, 2021 ISCC implemented a modified Dark Schedule. This Dark Schedule is in affect [sic] Wednesday and Saturday evenings starting at 1800 and ending at 0600.
At 1800 the residents in your unit will be required to be secured in their cells for the remainder of the night until the following morning. This is not ideal for staff or our resident's [sic] but it is crucial in order to keep ISCC at safe operating levels.
This is intended to be temporary and not long term, so we will be evaluating the need for this periodically and we will adjust as needed.
Thank you for your cooperation.