ISCC AGAIN LOCKED DOWN DUE TO COVID SCARE - EXCEPT OF COURSE THE PRIVILEGED INMATES

In a memorandum provided to inmates late Friday (1/14/22) Warden Randy Valley informed prisoners they would again be locked down due to Covid concerns - not that anyone has tested positive mind you - but because counties in which the prison is located has seen a recent rise in cases.

Warden Valleys' memorandum followed closely an email to prisoners from Bree Derrick, Deputy Director of Prisons received 1/14/22 stating Idaho prisons (including ISCC) would be on a "modified-secure status". Typically this means prisoners in units with cells would have access to the dayroom, but could not leave the tier. Instead, Warden Valley makes it clear there will be only 20 minutes of dayroom, per day, per inmate - the time in which any phone call, shower, commissary orders, heating of meals or other activities must be completed.

Of course, this does not apply to those privileged inmates who make money for prison administrators to skim from the blind and deaf or belong to the administration-backed gang that is allowed special dispensation for jobs and property, receive outside food brought in by staff and other amenities not available to other prisoners

Inmates who work "critical" jobs will also be allowed to co-mingle with prisoners/staff from all over the facility throughout the day, then return to their cells where they will be in direct contact with their cell partner. Of course, dayroom time in dormitories will be unaffected.

While there will be no academic or vocational classes, guards do allow one specific inmate to go to work (without staff supervision in a unit in which he is not housed), to a job that is supposed to be an academic/vocational class (though there are no instructors and no students) and where - under the table - he makes money for both himself and select administrators under the guise of helping the disabled.

Wanna do it right Warden? Fix the damned TV channels (correctly this time). Make guards change gloves between tiers (not currently done/required). Stop allowing foyer janitors to handle/distribute our food. Move the off-tier workers to their own dorm and leave the dayrooms open for all units. It will be much more effective and result in a calmer prison than if units are celled for weeks on end - again.