Idaho Prison Blog

While in the medical department waiting room today, I noticed a sign on the wall. I checked with the people who knew, and yep, the information was verified. On Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th from 10 am to 4 pm - at the South Boise Correctional Complex (SBC) Protestor's Lot (about 5 miles down Pleasant Valley Road from Gowen, on the left) - friends and family of prisoners housed at any of the SBC prisons can receive free eye screenings, frames and glasses. Here's how it is described on the poster: The Envolve Vision van provides free vision services. If a vision problem is found during screening, the eye doctor on the van provides a free eye exam. If you need glasses, you can choose your frames on site and receive glasses free of charge in the mail in about 3 weeks. COVID precautions are in effect. Free sunglasses for everyone. Parental/Guardian consent needed for anyone under 18 years old. First come first served This is being sponsored by Centurion, the same people th

For several years, Keefe Commissary, through their alter ego company Access Corrections sold specially made mp3 players and music to Idaho prisoners. When JPay came on board, prisoners were stuck with the players that JPay refused to have anything to do with. This meant that prisoners could no longer purchase music for the mp3, and any attempt to download could not be used even on the streets due to proprietary software. For some time there were arguments whether prisoners who owned mp3s would be allowed to keep them if they purchased a JPay tablet. It was finally decided that prisoners could keep both, and the "mortality" lock out would be set to a decade or more in the future. This way prisoners could still listen to music they had purchased on the mp3. If you have been released and want to have your mp3 unlocked, you can use the information below. (Dale) To: Property Officers and Resident Population From: Keefe Commissary Date: 5/4/22 Subject: MP3 Program Access Correction

In a recent television news broadcast, an organization called Accomplished Ventures was highlighted, an organization that is said to bring together people who are involved in the criminal justice system - on either side of the fence [pun intended] - with an eye towards healing, reentry and any number of other positive missions. Accomplished Ventures is hosting a get together under the banner "Convicted Conference" - whatever that's supposed to mean. Anyway, here is some information on the conference as the information was made available through the IDOC. [NOTE: You can also access information and resources for areas all over the U.S. at any time by clicking on the Reentry Resources link on this page. Most of the resources are available or may otherwise be useful even if you've never been incarcerated.] The Convicted Conference in the Boise/Nampa area is focused on reentry, not only for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, but also family members and loved ones.

Idaho prisoners who fight their cases in court are held to the same pleading standards as are lawyers. When cases on appeal are submitted by prisoners representing themselves, the documents are REQUIRED to contain both legal Argument and legal Authority. If both are not included (or not considered adequate by the court) the case is lost, and in most instances, the case cannot ever again move to a higher court. Unfortunately, the IDOC refuses to provide (or sometimes even allow) research materials (specifically, case law) which contain the information required to cite that argument and authority. The following list represents the totality of the official IDOC Authorized Legal Resource List: > Idaho Code > Idaho Court Rules > Unites States Code > Federal Rules of Court > Constitutional Rights of Prisoners 9th Edition > Federal Habeas Corpus Practice and Procedure > Ballentine's Law Dictionary > The Law Dictionary > Idaho Administrative Code: IDAPA 06 06.01.

A message from Director Tewalt It has been a while since I have given you a COVID update. The good news is that the COVID positivity rate has dropped dramatically in the state and based on the Department of Health and Welfares State-Assigned COVID-19 Community Levels all of our facilities fall into the low-risk or green category. Our overall statewide positivity is at 1.9%. In the last two weeks, we have conducted roughly 1,163 tests within our facilities and had only 3 positive test results that puts our overall test positivity rate at less than 1%. Green means go, so you may have noticed that over the last couple of weeks we have started our demobilization efforts in accordance with our COVID operations matrix. What that means for you is that all of our facilities are working to reopen visitation and to get our programming back to normal. Here are a few important points for you to be aware of - For facilities that are in the green, masks are only required in medical, quarantine, and

On April 5, 2022, the IDOC sent an email to Idaho inmates (now "residents") stating that JPay (now Securus) and telephone contractor ICSolutions will discontinue providing Idaho prisoners with the 2 free estamps and two (15 minute) telephone calls per week that were provided during the pandemic as of May 1, 2022. The IDOC email stated the reason the "promotional items" were being discontinued was that Idaho Gov. Brad Little had announced the end of his declaration of the public health emergency related to COVID as of April 15, 2022. In researching the matter, it is clear that in addition to the free calls and estamps being discontinued, it is probable the free (15 minute) video visits and "Free Reply Wednesdays" will end, and prices for estamps may again increase. Also, it's possible that prisoner telephone (per minute) rates will be increased starting May 1. In closing their email, the IDOC invites prisoners to "look forward to other promotional

As I wrote in a previous article on this site ( ISCC REOPENS IN-PERSON VISITATION - FOR NOW ), the ISCC has started allowing in-person visitation. Below you will find a visiting schedule for the ISCC through August, 2022 as was provided to prisoners by visitation staff on April 27, 2022. Remember, this schedule is subject to change or visits cancelled altogether without notice based on administrative decision to do so. Also remember this schedule applies ONLY to the ISCC. For information on visiting at other facilities, contact the visiting room staff at the specific institution your friend or loved one is housed. I have created a link on the left that you can use to identify all IDOC facilities and the information you will need to contact them. You can also find visitation rules on the IDOC website at www.idoc.Idaho.gov. Visits MAY be scheduled back-to-back. You may bring in debit cards or COINS only (no folding currency) for vending machines (it used to be up to $20 in coin, but I my