TNC
12-29-2005, 12:11 AM
BOISE-On an average day shift at Idaho’s highest security prison, there are approximately 25 security staff members to supervise 552 of the state’s most violent offenders. Today, security staff at Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) provided a rare glimpse into the world of managing close (maximum) custody offenders. IMSI houses the Idaho Secure Mental Health Facility, administrative segregation offenders, offenders under the sentence of death, and general population offenders. Each of these groups offers unique challenges to the safe operation of the facility.
Protecting the public is the primary mission of the Idaho Department of Correction. The mission is achieved by providing opportunities for offenders to change. 98 percent of Idaho’s offenders will eventually be released back into communities. To better ensure an offender’s success, the Department offers programming, which helps make facilities and communities safer. The goal at IMSI is to assist the offenders with successful completion of this programming; it may also allow many of them to be transferred to lower custody facilities, which will increase their success upon release.
Managing security threat groups, often referred to as gangs, takes a combination of thorough monitoring, new technology, and aggressive investigations to keep security threat group activity from impacting offender, staff, and community safety. Offenders with suspected ties to a security threat group account for between 25 and 40 percent of the offenders housed at IMSI. It is those same inmates who account for approximately 50 percent of the reported incidents every year.
With the help of new technology, correctional professionals can monitor offender activity from unique vantage points. “With the digital video surveillance system, which was part of our recent electronics upgrade, we can monitor and archive most activity within the facility,” said Warden John Hardison, ISMI. “The system allows us a variety of tools to view and save video of activities and incidents within the facility.” Incidents that are discovered after they occur, such as assault, theft, or security threat group activity are recorded digitally, this has given the Department a greater degree of accountability for staff and offenders. “With our video surveillance we can track every move, see what led up to the incident, and who was responsible,” stated Hardison.
It also takes specially trained investigators to detect security threat group activity, often what appears to be a normal congregation of offenders, or a routine correspondence, can be an indicator of something more serious. “We are always watching, always monitoring an offenders activity; especially when we suspect ties to a security threat group. When something indicates an attempt to initiate a crime in the community, whether it’s via mail or phone, we immediately contact local law enforcement,” said Lt. Janie St. Paul, security threat group investigator.
IMSI was one of two facilities to receive a security electronics upgrade as part of a $3.6 million project funded by the Governor and legislature in 2003. The surveillance upgrade became fully operational within the past year at IMSI.
http://www.corr.state.id.us/press_releases.htm#security
Protecting the public is the primary mission of the Idaho Department of Correction. The mission is achieved by providing opportunities for offenders to change. 98 percent of Idaho’s offenders will eventually be released back into communities. To better ensure an offender’s success, the Department offers programming, which helps make facilities and communities safer. The goal at IMSI is to assist the offenders with successful completion of this programming; it may also allow many of them to be transferred to lower custody facilities, which will increase their success upon release.
Managing security threat groups, often referred to as gangs, takes a combination of thorough monitoring, new technology, and aggressive investigations to keep security threat group activity from impacting offender, staff, and community safety. Offenders with suspected ties to a security threat group account for between 25 and 40 percent of the offenders housed at IMSI. It is those same inmates who account for approximately 50 percent of the reported incidents every year.
With the help of new technology, correctional professionals can monitor offender activity from unique vantage points. “With the digital video surveillance system, which was part of our recent electronics upgrade, we can monitor and archive most activity within the facility,” said Warden John Hardison, ISMI. “The system allows us a variety of tools to view and save video of activities and incidents within the facility.” Incidents that are discovered after they occur, such as assault, theft, or security threat group activity are recorded digitally, this has given the Department a greater degree of accountability for staff and offenders. “With our video surveillance we can track every move, see what led up to the incident, and who was responsible,” stated Hardison.
It also takes specially trained investigators to detect security threat group activity, often what appears to be a normal congregation of offenders, or a routine correspondence, can be an indicator of something more serious. “We are always watching, always monitoring an offenders activity; especially when we suspect ties to a security threat group. When something indicates an attempt to initiate a crime in the community, whether it’s via mail or phone, we immediately contact local law enforcement,” said Lt. Janie St. Paul, security threat group investigator.
IMSI was one of two facilities to receive a security electronics upgrade as part of a $3.6 million project funded by the Governor and legislature in 2003. The surveillance upgrade became fully operational within the past year at IMSI.
http://www.corr.state.id.us/press_releases.htm#security