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Utah Prisoner Advocate Network

UPAN | A nonprofit community advocacy group supporting the families of Utah inmates.


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The Supreme Court barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks in violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs. Justices ruled that a federal law protecting prisoners’ religious rights does not allow money damages claims against individual officers.

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2 days ago
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Transparency shouldn’t be this difficult.

I recently submitted a GRAMA request to the Utah Department of Corrections asking for what I thought were basic performance metrics:

• What programs are offered?
• How many beds does each have?
• How many people are waiting?
• What is the average time to complete each program?

After 10 business days, I was told the request couldn’t yet be fulfilled because of the volume of records requested.

I’ll wait for the records. But it raises an important question.

If rehabilitation programs are central to parole, sentencing, and reducing recidivism, shouldn’t these numbers already be readily available to the department? They’re the kind of key performance indicators most organizations use to manage operations.

To illustrate the issue, consider a hypothetical example:

If the Board of Pardons requires 1,000 people to complete a program that has only 288 beds and takes 6–8 months to complete, a backlog is inevitable.

Every day someone waits to enter a required program is another day taxpayers continue paying for incarceration. According to the Utah Department of Corrections’ FY2024 cost report, housing an incarcerated person costs approximately $63.97 per day, or about $23,000 per year.

The questions worth asking are:

• Does the Board consider program capacity when ordering treatment?
• How does UDC forecast demand versus available program space?
• How are waitlists and completion times monitored?
• If demand exceeds capacity, who is responsible for addressing the backlog?

This isn’t about criticizing the staff doing difficult work. It’s about whether Utah is using taxpayer dollars efficiently while ensuring timely access to court- and Board-required programming.

I’ll continue sharing the records as they’re produced so the public can examine the data with me. Transparency leads to accountability, and accountability leads to better outcomes. #Utah ... See MoreSee Less

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About UPAN

The Utah Prisoner Advocate Network (UPAN) is dedicated to supporting families and loved ones as they navigate the challenging journey of incarceration. When a friend or family member is incarcerated, it can be an overwhelming experience, as supporters face the complex rules, regulations, and restrictions of life separated by bars. UPAN works to make this transition less complicated and isolating by providing resources and support for families while also advocating for better conditions and fairness within Utah’s correctional facilities. Please visit our About Page to learn more.

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All of our important links are now in one place! https://linktr.ee/utahprisoner

Associations

UPAN is a proud coalition member of People Not Prisons, a group of advocacy groups working on behalf of people with mental health conditions, people recovering from substance use disorders, and men and women caught up in Utah’s criminal justice system.

Donate | Federal EIN Number: 90-1021189

The Utah Prisoner Advocate Network (UPAN) is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contributions are tax-deductible and directly support our mission to create positive change. Information about an UPAN’s tax-exempt status and filings can be found on the IRS website. To make a donation and join our efforts, please visit our Donations page.

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P.O. Box 464
Draper, UT 84020

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