Image of Richard Piatt, UDC Director of Communications and Government Relations

RIchard Piatt
Director of Public Affairs
[email protected]
1.801.560.7608

Welcome to the Utah Department of Corrections press shop. Here you can stay up-to-date on press releases, blog posts and more communication coming directly from our office.

UDC News

Featured image for “UDC Continues to Address Issues with Transition to New Electronic Medical Records System”
August 24, 2022

UDC Continues to Address Issues with Transition to New Electronic Medical Records System

On August 1, Fusion (a vendor contracted with the Utah Department of Corrections) launched a new Electronic Health Records system to help manage care in correctional facilities. Within a matter of days, it became apparent that there were some problems with the roll-out. The scope of those issues is still being uncovered, but a glitch that initially seemed to cause
Featured image for “UDC addressing technical challenges in transition to new electronic records system”
August 19, 2022

UDC addressing technical challenges in transition to new electronic records system

The Utah Department of Corrections was slated in February to migrate to a new electronic records system that will improve operations overall; however due to delays with the contractor, the data migration began during the move to the new prison. We are now experiencing some technical challenges with that transition. Our medical team is working around the clock to address
Featured image for “UDC Completes Transition From Utah State Prison to New Utah State Correctional Facility”
July 15, 2022

UDC Completes Transition From Utah State Prison to New Utah State Correctional Facility

Today, the Utah Department of Corrections completed a historic transfer of incarcerated individuals from Utah State Prison in Draper to the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, marking its official opening.   We are grateful for the law enforcement agencies and other organizations who offered support in making this historic move to the new Utah State Correctional Facility
Featured image for “June 1, 2022: Property matrix for move to USCF released”
June 1, 2022

June 1, 2022: Property matrix for move to USCF released

In preparation for the once-in-a-lifetime move from the Utah State Prison in Draper to the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, the Utah Department of Corrections has created a General Order to cover what incarcerated offenders can bring with them during the transport to the new location. The General Order – a copy of which can be
Featured image for “April 15, 2022: Update on Move to New Utah State Correctional Facility”
April 15, 2022

April 15, 2022: Update on Move to New Utah State Correctional Facility

The Utah Department of Corrections is just a few months away from moving the prison population at the Utah State Prison in Draper to the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. We have received recent questions from the incarcerated and their families regarding their physical property. As the date approaches and details are finalized, we are dedicated
Featured image for “Employees honored at UDC awards banquet”
September 20, 2021

Employees honored at UDC awards banquet

  The Utah Department of Corrections celebrated the 2021 Department Awards event Wednesday at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. More than 150 gathered at the event center to celebrate those who have gone above and beyond in their quest to make the corrections department one of the best in the nation. Jim Hudspeth, executive deputy director, led the presentation of the
Featured image for “Birds of prey make an appearance at Utah State Prison”
September 10, 2021

Birds of prey make an appearance at Utah State Prison

Incarcerated individuals housed in Timpanogos and Promontory got a couple of special visitors recently. Bob, an American kestrel, and Phoenix, a red-tailed hawk, made an appearance at the two facilities thanks to the conservation group The Peregrine Fund. Erin Katzner and Chris Parish showed off the two while being peppered with questions from attendees about the birds. Yes, the American kestrel is
Featured image for “Gingerbread houses created in Timpanogos culinary”
February 25, 2020

Gingerbread houses created in Timpanogos culinary

There are gingerbread houses. Then there are gingerbread stories. These are the latter. Two massive gingerbread houses were created by inmates in the Timpanogos Womens Facility’s culinary program. Each reflected a story – one of toys and one of the season. The theme for the first house was based on the quartet of “Toy Story” movies. It featured characters from
Featured image for “UDC K-9 teams excel in real world, competitions”
February 25, 2020

UDC K-9 teams excel in real world, competitions

Well, there’s the slobber. It’s just everywhere. “There’s no getting away from it,” said Brian Asay, a K-9 sergeant with the Utah Department of Corrections. “You just have to accept it.” For Asay (pronounced A-see), that completes the list of drawbacks to working with Anubis, his super sniffing, four-legged bundle of energy. Anubis is one of a number of canines
Featured image for “Special students get their own pumpkins thanks to Utah inmates”
February 25, 2020

Special students get their own pumpkins thanks to Utah inmates

Students with special needs at Jordan Valley and Kauri Sue Hamilton schools were treated to their own private pumpkin patches this month, provided by the Utah Department of Corrections’ Correctional Industries. The pumpkins were grown by inmates at the Utah State Prison as part of the Green Thumb Nursery Program. “The kids come down, and you can see the joy