Idaho Corrections Director Kevin Kempf is defending Idaho’s prison system, in response to a scathing ruling from U.S. District Judge David O. Carter that extended sanctions against the state in the long-running Balla case, a class-action lawsuit filed by inmates over the quality of health care at the Idaho State Correctional Institution. “We have more work to do,” Kempf wrote in a guest opinion sent to Idaho newspapers today. But, he wrote, “As we go forward, please know this: The actions that Judge Carter ruled IDOC took with ‘improper purpose’ occurred in 2011 and 2012. We now have new people and new policies in place. In fact, Judge Carter and even the inmates’ attorneys acknowledge the department has made progress over the past three years.”

Kempf, who became director in December of 2014, wrote, “Over the past nine months, IDOC has made a renewed commitment to being open and transparent. As proof, we invited the ACLU to see how we operate our most restrictive housing units at our two highest-security prisons – Idaho Maximum Security Institution and Idaho State Correctional Center. The day-long tour included a visit to IMSI’s death row.” The department also invited the ACLU, which represented the inmates in the lawsuit, to its recent annual strategic planning meeting, Kempf wrote. “We want to work with our critics instead of continuing to wage expensive legal battles against them in court.”

“I am disappointed of course that the Balla case will now continue for at least another two years,” Kempf wrote; the lawsuit has been running for 34 years. “I remain determined to bring it to a close. To do so, we will need to work closely with lawmakers, inmates and the organizations that represent them. We must prove to them through our actions that we are worthy of their trust.” You can read his full article here, which includes a list of changes IDOC has made to its inmate health care system in the past three years.