Idaho prisons getting more violent

Idaho’s prisons are becoming more violent places, as three major prison gangs extend their membership through the system, state Corrections Director Brent Reinke told lawmakers on JFAC. That’s creating management issues, including a need for more solitary segregation cells at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Reinke showed JFAC a video Monday morning of a violent uprising staged by gang members on two tiers at the Max, after their gang leader was moved from his cell to solitary against his wishes. Committee members watched the video with dismay. “It’s a whole different environment than what we’ve become accustomed to in Idaho’s correctional system,” said Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell. You can read my full story here in today’s Spokesman-Review.