AMERICAN LEGION USES RECOGNITION AWARD TO INFLUENCE ISCC PRISON WARDEN TO ALLOW SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO INMATE MEMBERS

In an effort to influence decisions of Idaho prison administrators in favor of special privileges, housing and other considerations to specific inmates, American Legion "officials" - comprised primarily of prisoners and parolees - have taken to presenting recognition awards and other accolades to ISCC Wardens, creating a conflict of interest and a clear violation of professional responsibilities.

During his tenure as the warden of the ISCC, Jay Christensen began receiving several plaques, parchments and other bobbles from the prison Post (prisoners), the state and even the national offices of the American Legion for works - real, exaggerated or imagined - said to have been in service to the Legion and/or the community.

With each ceremony - as was the plan - the inmates associated with the American Legion organization at the ISCC received even more special treatment. Before retirement, Christensen had heaped upon these inmates, many of whom aren't even eligible to be members of the Congressionally Chartered community and veteran service organization, special privileges that are unprecedented in virtually any other prison in Idaho or anywhere else in the United States.

Now that Christensen is gone, Legion prisoners have lobbied the State Legion officials to target ISCC Warden Randy Valley III with an award, the most recent issued annually to persons associated with law enforcement. These recognitions and awards are nothing more than a means to grease the skids on allowing the inmates at the ISCC who are part of the Legion (and the Sons of the American Legion) to have low friends in high places, keep the ear of the Warden, and stay in his good graces. For the Warden, these awards look good on the wall and in his curriculum vitae.

For the past several months, ISCC administrators have given American Legion / Sons inmates at the prison special (segregated) housing, outside yard areas, jobs, extra pay, food and other privileges/activities unavailable to other prisoners. In a case of unintended (but certainly foreseen) consequences, these special privileges and treatment have made the Legion inmates targets for violence.

While other prisoners walked to the chow hall to receive mediocre holiday fare on the 4th of July (2023), inmates associated with the American Legion and Sons of the American Legion (non-veterans) are outside (in full view of other prisoners) in a special yard with special food, including barbeque, sodas, and chips. Some laid out, tanning themselves in the newly mown grass, while others sat at picnic tables with sun shade umbrellas basking in the warm summer sun, while yet more played corn hole and tossed Frisbees.

The authority granted to some of these prisoners by ISCC administrators and staff is incredible. For example, the inmate Post Commander and his inmate Sergeant-at-Arms literally conducted an official count of other inmates who attended the Independence Day festivities on the special yard. These inmates used official count sheets, on staff clipboards to perform the duties of correctional officers.

These very same inmates are authorized by staff to discipline other prisoners, decide which prisoners can or cannot become members of the Legion or Sons of the Legion based not on the applicants qualifications, but based solely on prison politics and the likes/dislikes of the "leadership" of the inmate only Post 201.

What is also notable is that according to the American Legion Constitution AND the Congressional Charter, an individual is eligible for membership in the American Legion only if the individual was honorably discharged or separated from military service or continues to serve honorably in the military (36 USCS §21703 (2)).

The majority of the inmates in the Legion at the ISCC do not meet even that basic standard, including the inmate Commander of Post 201, himself having been dishonorably discharged from the military. This means that despite minimum eligibility having been determined by the Congress of the United States, the ISCC is allowing these inmates to be part of a corporation in violation of the law. As the Congress had mandated that the American Legion is not a political organization, playing politics with the Warden too is a violation of the Charter.

As noted, the American Legion is a corporation, as is each individual Post. By establishing a Post in the prison, the inmates are 'doing business' within the state, and therefore have not only subjected themselves to the jurisdiction of state courts, they have also violated IDOC SOP which prohibits prisoners from doing business while incarcerated.

Allowing the perverted and mutated version of the American Legion to continue operating inside an Idaho prison is an all around bad idea, but allowing awards and other honors to bestowed upon IDOC administrators as incentive to allow special privileges to these inmates in violation of non-fraternization policies and common sense is criminal.