April 5, 2024 – 1PM
Welcome statement
CDCR crew just came back from a three-prison tour, CIAM, CRC, & CRW. Highlights were visiting centers. Officials were impressed with the visiting centers. A new focus to make visiting more welcoming to young children for a better visiting experience. CDCR is open to ideas and will continue to push for improvements. CDCR also expanded in some visiting rooms, in hopes to minimize terminations. Lancaster increased by 10 people in each visiting room. SIFC asks if CDCR would ever consider replacing the short tables with a more comfortable height table. At this time, most tables have been replaced with adjustable tables, however because of security reasons, most visiting rooms will continue to have short tables.
Notaries
SIFC is concerned there are no notaries available in some institutions and families must pay extra costs that includes travel for an outside notary to come in. CDCR states there are notaries available at each institution but will check to make sure.
Levi’s
In some institutions, for example: High Desert and Calipatria, they do not allow incarcerated people to purchase Levi’s. CDCR is working on this to ensure that all institutions are standardized. UPDATE: the vendors are removing the Levi’s logo from the back of the jeans in order to be in compliance with the Authorized Personal Property Schedule (APPS). The Levi’s Logo they are removing violated the 3”x3” maximum outlined in the APPS.
Olsen Reviews
Olsen Reviews are done electronically, and statewide has received complaints and concerns centering around the possibility to see sensitive information on the computer such as visitors lists, social security numbers, addresses, etc. CDCR responded, there is the possibility to see that information depending on the counselor. There is an option to allow it or disallow it. CDCR is currently looking into these concerns.
AB1226 update
Policies are in place that when an incarcerated person goes into committee, he can request to be housed near family members, with the new laws, CDCR is currently reviewing this practice to decide how to better the odds of someone being housed near their loved ones. There are custodial factors that must be considered such as, but not limited to, medical factors, that play a part of the decision. There are no special forms to fill out other than the Request for Interview, form 22. SIFC asks if the conversation with the counselor is documented anywhere so that the committee would know about the request. CDCR says it will be on the B-1 form, which is the notice of committee.
ViaPath rolled out the new phone app
Done in 3 phases, phase 1. Rolled out April 8th, included RJD, Mule Creek, & SATF. Phase 2 rolled out April 10th, Ironwood, Kern Valley, High Desert, Chuckwalla, CIW, & Solano. Phase 3 rolled out April 16, and the remainder institutions were added. CDCR has received positive feedback. Phone quality has improved across the state.
Tablet contract
No update yet. SIFC asks about institutions that have no reps. ViaPath/ CDCR is continuing to work on the situation. It takes time for new employees to go through the vetting process. This issue is being worked on.
Identity Verification to ViaPath
There is an issue that exists for some people that need to verify who they are multiple times with ViaPath in order to communicate with their loved one, while other people are never asked to verify themself. The issue is, ViaPath is in other states along with California, and if a person has an account in other states, for other non-Californian incarcerated people, it presents a problem because other states have different standards. They believe the problem is fixed, but if we know of anyone this is still happening to, let us know, so the information can be relayed to CDCR, so they can fix the problem.
Tablets for Hospice patients
It was decided not to push forward with this due to different circumstances such as lack of infrastructure, lack of coherence of most patients, and CDCR would prefer to do family visits via in person and/or Webex that is set up for the patient by Hospice employees.
Shortage of Tablets
EIS and CDCR continue to get updates from ViaPath. Between 1500 – 1800 tablets are distributed each week. Currently there is a month waitlist for tablets. There is one institution that has a ticket going back to January. There are quite a few institutional tickets.
Stamps Update
Loved one’s purchasing stamps for the incarcerated is not allowed.
Free Messages Update
There was a delay in receiving free weekly messages and ViaPath issued make up messages for a few days. SIFC is asking that the messages be retro to the actual date the free messages that was not delivered. CDCR asked for specific dates.
Tablets for Fire Camps
CDCR cannot add infrastructure, so the Fire Camps will not be able to have access to the tablets at this time.
Edovo
Incarcerated people are earning stars for doing classes and programs offered on the tablet through the Edovo program[s]. There are questions asking what the incarcerated can do with all the stars they are earning. The stars are simply for personal achievement, one cannot trade their stars in for anything.
Tablet calculator and math programs
SIFC has asked if there can be a fix that would allow people to use the calculator at the same time as using the math programs, because currently one cannot use them interchangeably. You must be logged out of one to access the other. This is being investigated.