The 2023 Spring Quarterly Commissary Bags are now available from the Utah Department of Corrections’ commissary. You can find more details about the program here. Once on the site, enter the number of the incarcerated individual or use the search function to find the person by name. From there, you can compile a commissary bag. Please complete your order before March 19, 2023. For questions regarding the process, please reach out to customer service at 469-936-0214.   Communications Office, March 9, 2023...

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWuT7dvIz-U[/embedyt] The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) provided an update today regarding an in-depth, ongoing review of safety and security at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City. UDC noted several areas where improvements have already been made, and outlined short-term and long-term goals to ensure safety and security. “The safety of our staff and those we supervise is paramount,” said Brian Nielson, executive director with the Utah Department of Corrections. “We will continue to closely review our operations, ensure process improvements, and be diligent in our efforts to accomplish our Department’s mission. I cannot express in words how passionate, dedicated, and talented our team is in ensuring the safety of our operations and helping individuals find success.” The Department continues to review all areas of USCF. Short-term goals include improving facility infrastructure and security devices, increasing training, focusing on staff wellness, expanding programming, and focusing on gang interventions. Long-term goals include training and certifying staff in security audit practices. The Department will also work to identify clear incident reduction tracking mechanisms. And finally, we will continue to emphasize recruitment in order to eliminate mandatory overtime. Immediate areas of note include enhancements to the Antelope Facility, which is a restricted housing facility at USCF. Areas of improvement within this facility include addressing any blind spots, hiring additional control point operators, and identifying areas for improved communications....

We're excited to announce the appointment of Irv Hale as the Deputy Director for Adult Probation and Parole. Irv most recently served as the Region Chief for AP&P in Region IV. He began his career with the Department in 1990 at the Draper prison as a Correctional Officer. He worked in several areas, particularly South Point, and was promoted to Sergeant, where he served in internal and external security for two years. In 1997, Irv accepted the position of Adult Probation and Parole Agent in the Provo office. He started in the intake unit for two years and then worked as an Agent supervising a caseload for the next three years. Irv was assigned as a Field Training Officer, and one year later he was promoted to supervisor. As a supervisor he supervised probation, parole, sex offender, and intake teams. During this time Irv took advantage of the Department’s educational reimbursement program and graduated from UVU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. In 2017, Irv was promoted to Assistant Regional Administrator in Region III and served as the Director of the Orange Street Community Correctional Center and later worked in the main Fremont office of Region III supervising the parole and support staff teams....

On March 1, 2023, the Utah State Correctional Facility will change the length of in-person visiting from one (1) hour to two (2) hours. Though there will be fewer visiting sessions, the additional visiting length will allow more visiting hours during the day. More visiting spots per session may be opened as needed due to demand. All offenders will still receive the same number of visits per their privilege level attached below: ANTELOPE LEVELS: a – 1 barrier visit every 60 days b – 1 barrier visit per month c – 2 barrier visits per month d – 2 barrier visits per month e – 3 barrier visits per month f – 3 barrier visits per month GENERAL POPULATION LEVELS: g – 2 visits per month (1 In person and 1 video visit) h – 3 visits per month (1 In person and 2 video visits) i – 4 visits per month (2 In person and 2 video visits) j – 5 visits per month (2 In person and 3 video visits) k – 8 visits per month (4 In person and 4 video visits) l – 12 visits per month (6 In person and 6 video visits) As we open new visiting opportunities, please remember the following rules: – All kisses and hugs must be brief. Any prolonged kisses, open mouth kisses and hugs will result in suspensions from visiting. – All visitors will be required to remove their shoes during the screening process. Visitors who refuse will be turned away....

Please join us in welcoming Armanda Mercado as the new Deputy Director of Utah Correctional Industries (UCI). Mercado began her career with Corrections in 2009 as an intern with the Sex Offender and Kidnap Registry office, assisting with registrations and the public database. She transferred to UCI in 2014 as an internal auditor and later promoted to Operations Manager, Correctional Administrator II, and Audit Manager. She also served as UDC’s PPE Quartermaster during the COVID-19 outbreak. Mercado graduated from the University of Utah with Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Social Work. She later completed a Master’s Degree in Criminal Science and an emphasis in Corrections from Weber State University. She is a licensed interpreter and lead prison auditor for the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance. The deputy director position opened when Shane Welch was appointed UCI Director, after former director Maria Shirey became an Assistant Deputy Executive Director for UDC....

The Utah Department of Corrections would like to thank Devery S. Anderson, author of the book "Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement," for speaking with incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Correctional Facility this week. The students are participating in high school education at USCF.  Anderson spoke on the history of the 1955 murder, the trial, and the 2004-2007 FBI investigation into the case. Anderson's lecture focused on the story of Till, but also touched upon the impact his story had on the civil rights movement in the United States. After the talk, students asked questions directly to Anderson – who provided insights based on his dozens of trips to Mississippi and Chicago and decades of research into Emmett's story and case....

Dan Chesnut, Prison Operations Director at the Utah Department of Corrections, provided an update today following three recent assaults against staff at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City. It was followed by a live Q&A via Zoom.  "Let me be clear: Staff assaults are not acceptable. Ever," said Chesnut on the live broadcast. "As we’ve reviewed these incidents, it's been apparent that these individuals were determined and sought opportunities to carry out these acts. The individuals involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." You can find the full press conference recording here: https://youtu.be/vLUvOjZ5pJM...

Agents from the Utah Department of Corrections’ Division of Adult Probation and Parole have located a missing juvenile girl from Arizona, arresting a Utah man in the process. On Jan. 31, AP&P agents received information from Arizona involving a missing girl and a possible connection to Jordan Sorenson, who was convicted in June 2020 of first-degree felony aggravated sexual extortion of an adult. He is on probation with AP&P and is listed on Utah’s sex offender registry. Agents began an investigation in coordination with the Utah Attorney General’s human trafficking unit. Sorenson was located at his work and transported to his residence in West Valley. Agents then searched the home, locating the missing juvenile in the basement. “Thanks to the quick actions of our agents and cooperation with the Attorney General's investigators and West Valley City Police Department, this young woman was found safe,” said Dan Blanchard, director of AP&P. “This is one of the many roles our agents take every day to help keep our communities safe. We are very grateful for the response and professionalism of these officers. Agents act on a number of tips every day, and in this situation they helped to locate this girl." Blanchard added that Arizona officials have been informed the juvenile was found safe and turned over to the care of a victim’s advocate from the Attorney General’s office. “We are grateful for the opportunity to assist AP&P and Arizona authorities in this case, and relieved the victim is now in a safe place," said Richard Piatt, communications director with the Utah Attorney General's office. "It is a priority for our office to utilize our Secure Strike Force to assist minors and to prosecute the growing number of human traffickers who are out there. These types of crimes are becoming more frequent, and we all need to continue to work together to combat these crimes.” In addition to probation violations for Sorenson, there is an ongoing investigation of new criminal charges with the AG's human trafficking unit....

Randall Honey has been selected as the new Inmate Placement Program Director at the Utah Department of Corrections. Honey began his career in 2004, working in the Uinta facility at the now-closed Utah State Prison in Draper. He promoted to sergeant, moved to the Oquirrh facility, and later became the Security Threat Group Intelligence Coordinator for the Draper facility. In 2013, Honey was promoted to lieutenant and worked in Wasatch and Transportation. In 2016, he became a captain, where he spent six years working as Shift Commander, Captain of Uinta 3, and Captain of IPP. Honey became a Deputy Warden last year and has been serving in that capacity with IPP. The director position opened when Dan Chesnut was appointed Director of Prison Operations....

In an effort to better align governmental services under those agencies best-equipped to oversee them, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will be assuming responsibility for health care in Utah’s prison system beginning July 1, 2023. The Clinical Services Bureau, a roughly 200-employee division of the Utah Department of Corrections, will transition under DHHS as its staff continue to deliver medical, dental, optical, mental health, and pharmacy services to those incarcerated in Utah’s prison system. DHHS will maintain all bureau staff positions after the transition. The state’s correctional system includes approximately 6,000 individuals housed at the Utah State Correctional Facility (Salt Lake City), Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) and those state inmates housed at county jails through contractual agreements. Gov. Spencer Cox announced the transition Friday while releasing his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The Governor’s budget priorities include additional funding for medical services in the prison system. Those recommendations will be reviewed by the Utah State Legislature during the coming session beginning in January. Because DHHS employs a number of trained and licensed medical professionals as part of its broader organizational structure and leadership team, the Governor felt the agency should oversee this specialized function. “Ensuring continued high-quality clinical outcomes for patients in state custody should be important to all of us from a humanity perspective,” Gov. Cox said. “All Utahns deserve the opportunity to live safe and healthy lives, and that does not cease upon incarceration.” When various nurses and leaders from DHHS helped UDC resolve a recent medication crisis in the prison system, it created an opportunity for dialogue around whether a team of people with such vast specialized medical knowledge should oversee clinical functions on a day-to-day basis. DHHS and UDC will be jointly represented on planning and implementation committees as part of the move to ensure a seamless transition. All clinical staff will remain in their positions under new leadership, and the agencies will work to ensure there is no interruption to services provided to Utahns experiencing incarceration during the coming months. “We are committed to working together to make this transition smooth and seamless and doing so in a transparent way,” said DHHS Executive Director Tracy Gruber. “We are no strangers to bringing diverse groups together to work for the greater good. I look forward to adding this population to our continuing mission of making all Utahns and their communities safer and healthier.” UDC Executive Director Brian Nielson thanked existing clinical staff for their dedication to serving the incarcerated population, their families, and the broader community. “We are so grateful to each of these women and men for performing one of the more difficult and important jobs in state government,” Nielson said of the clinical staff, adding his appreciation for Gov. Cox and the DHHS team. “Access to quality health care and mental health services plays a critical role in improving the lives of these women and men, and creating safer communities for all of us.”  There are approximately 2,600 men and women incarcerated at USCF, 1,750 men at CUCF, and another 1,500 men and women under state supervision assigned to various county jails. DHHS Executive Medical and Deputy Director Dr. Michelle Hofmann reiterated that good medical outcomes for people who are incarcerated translate into good outcomes for society. “As health outcomes improve, individuals who are incarcerated will have lower risks to reoffend,” she said. “Lower risk means people who eventually transition out of institutions back to their communities can do so with more certainty about their own health and well-being.”...

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