01 Jun

Posted at 10:37h in Featured, Latest News, News Archives
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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 found here – details what is known as the “property matrix” and will be specific to those moving to the Salt Lake City site. Inmates moving from USP to the Central Utah Correctional Facility or a county jail will still be under the matrix set forth in our current property policy. Of note, inmates will be allowed to bring a television and MP3 player, along with two sets of headphones. A specific list of what is permitted is attached to the general order and will also be posted in all housing areas at USP. Each inmate will be given a tote. All items outlined in the General Order Property Matrix that an inmate can fit in their tote will be sent to USCF. Any excess property items or items not authorized for the prison move will be dispositioned and sent to the property warehouse for pickup by family members or to be donated (if applicable). In addition, inmates will be given two legal pouches for their legal documents. These pouches will be transported with the offender to the new location. The final commissary order in Draper will be June 19, 2022. It will be delivered to offenders June 26. In addition, the UDC will supply each inmate with two commissary bags after the commissary restrictions are implemented. The bags will have various hygiene and food items and will be provided at no expense to the inmate. Orders will resume once commissary is reestablished at the Salt Lake City site. Once opened, USCF will be one of the most modern, state-of-the-art correctional facilities in the country. Featuring 1.3-million square-feet of space, it can house approximately 3,600 men and women.   Communications office, June 1, 2o22...

15 Apr

Posted at 11:23h in Featured, Latest News, News Archives
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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 to providing information to the incarcerated to help them prepare for this move. In the meantime, here’s a short update regarding property of incarcerated individuals: Prior to the move to the new Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, we are requiring all incarcerated individuals be at the approved property matrix for their particular level. Beginning in July 2021, we started posting signage in each section regarding this change. As we conduct cell searches we are also reminding incarcerated individuals of the upcoming move and property expectations. Much of what incarcerated individuals can take with them will be similar to what they now take with them when moving to a county jail as part of our Inmate Placement Program; however, we recognize that this is a different type of move, and so we will be allowing electronics and other items to be taken as well. A more detailed list will be announced in the coming weeks. Upon arrival at the new prison, inmates will be issued a hygiene kit, new clothing, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and pin bags....

20 Sep

Posted at 10:00h in Invest in Staff, Latest News, News Archives
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  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 fallen officer table, followed by remarks from the Department’s executive director, Brian Nielson. "Credibility. It's something we do incredibly well in our community," he said. "Credibility is about doing good, being good and being good at what we do." Desmond Lomax provided the keynote this year. In addition to passing on career tips — "Don't retire three months before a pandemic," he joked — he highlighted the impact a person can have on another. "If you don't know what your impact is, then have the courage to understand what your impact is, whether it's asking your spouse, or at work," he said. "Ask, 'Am I impacting you in a positive or negative way.' Because if you can understand, then you can make the necessary adjustments." UDC awards chairpersons, Maria Peterson and Travis Knorr, presented the awards. A special video spotlight was given to the Executive Director Award recipient, the Civilian Employee of the Year and the Certified Employee of the Year.       Communications office, Sept. 20, 2021...

10 Sep

Posted at 10:00h in Latest News, News Archives, Strategic Plan, Work Together
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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 the smallest falcon in North America. It’s also one of the most colorful. No, red-tailed hawks are not the fastest raptor, that title belongs to the Peregrine falcon, which can hit about 240 miles per hour in a dive. Katzner said the reason for showing the animals to the incarcerated – and anyone else – is simple. “Hopefully, they will be inspired and help protect them in the wild,” she said. Communications office, Sept. 10, 2021...

25 Feb

Posted at 13:54h in Latest News
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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 the films, including Woody, Buzz and Jessie. The characters were disbursed around an exquisitely detailed carnival-like setting similar to one featured in “Toy Story 4.” The second was a gingerbread creche. It highlighted a manger surrounded by wise men and animals, detailed down to small pots and jars. The creations were shown to the public at the Festival of Trees....

25 Feb

Posted at 13:13h in Latest News
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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 working for the UDC at the state’s two prison sites. The two make a good team. A very good team. They were named to the top pair for narcotic searches at a recent K-9 trials competition in Las Vegas. Their success, and that of fellow UDC canine teams, does more than provide bragging rights for Corrections. Such events offer challenges that law enforcement agencies have previously faced. The framework offers training for the teams that can be applied on the job. “All scenarios are based on real deployments,” said Asay. “They expose the dogs to different situations. It’s a competition, but it’s real.” And the better UDC teams do in these trials, the better they become in stemming the flow of contraband into Utah’s prisons. Asay’s and Anubis’ finish marks the third time in the last three competitions that a UDC team has finished on top in the narcotics category. In 2018, Dustin Adams and Legion were tops in Las Vegas, while Jacob Waters and Ronnie lead the way at the Utah Peace Officers Association event. “It has put us on the map,” Asay said of the UDC’s growing reputation. “We get calls from other agencies to assist.” While a powerful tool in the corrections industry, the dogs are, well, dogs. And that’s a good thing. “It’s hard to be depressed or down when you’re around a dog,” said Dustin Adams. “The dogs are fun,” said Kyler Adams, Dustin’s older brother and also a K-9 officer. “They usually make people feel better anyway.” In addition to Draper, the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison also has dog handling teams....

25 Feb

Posted at 12:40h in Latest News
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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 on their faces,” said Kauri Sue Hamilton Principal Courtney Titus as she watched students pick out pumpkins with the help of UDC staff members. UCI Nursery Shop Supervisor Todd Barszcz said the inmates grew over 7,000 pumpkins this year, but the Sugar Pie and Autumn Gold varieties are not sold. “They are grown specifically for the kids,” he said. “They are the perfect size.” In addition to the schools, the program also donates pumpkins to area hospitals that treat children. Besides the fruit donated to the schools – yes, a pumpkin is a fruit – the inmates grow a number of varieties, including exotics like Cinderella and Goblin, that are sold by UCI. The sales allow the program to be self-sustaining. Barszcz said the program shows the public that the Department of Corrections provides opportunities for offenders to rehabilitate. But there is a bigger reason. “There are very few programs where inmates can start giving back while still serving their time,” he said. It’s a statement echoed by those who spend months taking seeds and turning them into gifts at Utah State Prison. “That’s the whole reason we grow them,” said Cody Nielsen, an inmate who works as the lead of the program. “It gives us a chance to give back. It’s not much, but it means a lot.” It means a lot to the students as well. Titus said students will take the pumpkins back to class for painting. Some teachers will also cut a pumpkin open to allow students to feel the insides. For many, she said, their challenges limit opportunities to go to a public pumpkin patch. So bringing one to them allows the students to participate. “It makes them feel special,” she added.   Public Information Office, Oct. 31, 2019...

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