Things Are a Bit Busy in the Area of Criminal Justice in Utah this Legislative Session There are several bills that relate to several areas of criminal justice in Utah. While most of these are narrowly defined, they are still important for those of us who have people we love involved in any facet of Utah’s system. These include (but are not limited to): HB 16 sponsored … [Read more...]
Guidelines for Mailing Holiday Cards and Letters
In preparation for the upcoming holiday season and the UPAN Holiday Card Program, I called the Mail Room in Draper to learn about any new mailing rules or recommendations the prison has to expedite our incarcerated loved ones receiving their holiday mail. I spoke with Lynette, who was very helpful and informative. This information will apply to both Draper and Gunnison prisons. … [Read more...]
Legislative Audit of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole is Underway
UPAN Families Can Help Gather Information The Legislative Audit Subcommittee has been assigned the task of performing an audit of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. We have no idea when the Board was last audited, or if it ever has been. But we are pleased this is occurring now! The audit process began in July and will take a few months to complete. The audit committee has … [Read more...]
Hunger Strike at Utah State Prison
There's been a media frenzy over the past few days about a current hunger strike happening at the Utah State Prison. UPAN organizers have been hard at work fielding questions and interviews with reporters on the matter as well as gathering the facts. On Friday, July 31st a group of 42 inmates housed at the maximum-security Uinta 2 facility at the Utah State Prison refused … [Read more...]
A Proposal for Meaningful Reform
During our June 8th UPAN Monthly Meeting held at the Hunter Library in West Valley City, our guest speaker Miriam Greenland and her husband shared their experience with the Utah criminal justice system and the proactive steps they've taken to advocate reform. She also covered methods of evidence-based computerized assessments other state board of pardons are using to form … [Read more...]