Carl Nelson’s Folly

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Marc

Douglas R. Boese #24525 MSP

This time last year the inmate population on both the high and low side of the prison watched in wonderment, the befuddled installation of the new “sprinkler system”.

This new “sprinkler system” turned out to be a simple mainline water-pipe connected to water stations from which inmates on the yard crews could drag garden hoses to those very same areas that were reached by the hydrant manifolds used for years to water the prison grounds.

The Montana State Prison’s maintenance supervisor apparently directed this contract to two of his friends, which were down on their luck. I must assume they were friends of Carl Nelson as they didn’t have any common sense either.

This two month befuddled irrigation installation ended with blown valves, broken pipes, and a system that will never operate…oh, and thanks to Carl Nelson the Montana taxpayers are out $90,000.00 in these tough economic times.

I have installed “sprinkler systems” on numerous Museums, College Campuses, and Golf Courses with everyone of them still running to this day, with minor adjustments and repairs due to general wear and tear.

Now, lets jump to present day with abandoned “sprinkler system”, Carl Nelson’s friends allegedly being escorted off prison property with the Montana taxpayers $90,000.00 in their pockets, and officials from the Montana Department of Corrections, Montana State Prison, and of course Carl Nelson wanting to sweep this irrigation fiasco under the rug.

I’m sure most of you reading this letter will remember in recent months, the newspaper articles with the Dept. of Corrections director Mike Ferriter touting reform and more accountability for contracted services to these state agencies. Well, a lot of hot air from Dir. Ferriter and $90,000.00 later neither Carl Nelson nor his friends have been held accountable for bilking the Montana taxpayers.

So, if anyone out there is looking for a slightly broken but never used “sprinkler system”, Carl Nelson has one in underground storage here at the Montana State Prison.

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Did You Know… ~Sam Johnson

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Marc

I ran across something you need to know about if you do not already. In the case of Inouye v. Kemna, 504 F.3d 705 (9th. Cir. 2007) October 3, 2007 it outlines that an agent of the state can not force someone to attend AA or NA programs against his will. Attendance in these programs may not be coerced by the state.

The moral of this case for Montana is that Probation and Parole officers may:

  • recommend that an offender attend AA/NA
  • strongly suggest that an offender attend AA/NA
  • advise an offender that AA/NA attendance may be the only way they can maintain sobriety
  • advocate AA/NA attendance as the only program that has worked for many offenders

Montana Probation and Parole officers may not:

  • demand or order that an offender attend AA/NA
  • violate an offender for the sole reason being that they have not attended AA/NA

Sam Johnson -Shelby

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~Anthel Brown -’No End In Sight’

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Casey

The U.S. is trapped in a penal tautology predicted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower four decades ago. A decrease in crime heralds the success of building prisons; and so legislators build more prisons. An increase in crime means we need more prisons; and so we build more prisons. This is exactly the corrupted reasoning on which private prisons thrive. This is exactly the corrupted reasoning that state legislatures are using tax dollars to support. And the reality is that there is NO END IN SIGHT!

Additional research has shown that the private prison trend has undermined justice for the sake of profit and once inside prisoners suffer higher rates of violence, medical neglect and are offered fewer rehabilitative programs than in public prisons. A post 9/11 homeland security budget of 615 million allocated by the federal government sent private prison vendors into an unabated feeding frenzy. Immigrants are being incarcerated at staggering numbers even though the vast majority of their crimes are non-violent.

Citizens are not faring much better. The U.S. ratio of of prisoners to population was 110 per 100,000 between 1900 and 1975. In less than thirty years that figure has increased 4-fold to 445 per 100,000 – A total of over one million caged citizens. Private prison companies often seek business by promising state legislators that they canprovide comparable services at a “reduced cost”, claims that have never been proven.

Several studies affirm and conclude that; “There is no evidence that meaningful cost savings have been achieved by prison privatization.” A study done in 2001 found that “Private prisons create illusory savings by selecting the least costly prisoners.”

sources: AFCME (Union), Albuquerque Journal, American Capital, Anchorage Daily News, Associated Press, Centre Daily Times, Corrections Professional, Dow Jones News Service, Houston Chronicle, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PR Newswire Associates Inc., Providence Journal Bulletin, The Arizona Republic, The Daily Oklahoman, The Mississippi Link, Santa Fe New Mexican, Wall Street Journal

~Anthel Brown, MSP

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poem from ~Monico Nava…

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Casey

|Untitled|

If tomorrow starts without me

Please try to understand

That an angel came

and called my name

and took me by the hand

If the Sun shall rise before your eyes

filled with tears for me

Just know my love,

You always had the best of me

for it can never be broken or taken

for what it is.

Don’t cry for me my loved ones

because there is no need

my heartache and pain

is now gone and put in the past

Just know I will always and forever

be with you no-matter-what

All you have to remember is

I’m with you inside precious heart.

~Monico Nava, MSP 2010

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May Law and Justice Interim Committee meeting postponed…

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Marc

The May 17-18 Law and Justice Interim Committee meeting has been canceled and rescheduled for June 28-29.

The June 28-29 agenda will be focused primarily on the committee’s bill draft recommendations related to the DUI study and on any recommendations to be developed by the SJR 29 DNA evidence preservation working group.

A progress report on jail suicide prevention will be provided to LJIC members in the mail prior to the meeting with an opportunity for questions and comments at the meeting.

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