The Public Version Of:
Part One: The Rise And Fall Of The Nevada Boot Camp At Indian Springs, Twice!
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
November 2019
Part One: The Rise And Fall Of The Nevada Boot Camp At Indian Springs, Twice!
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
November 2019
The idea of a Marine Corps themed boot camp in the early 1990’s for Nevada’s youthful offenders was absolutely splendid.
Additionally, the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) had seemingly hired the right man to lead this pilot program into its infancy. The camp supervisor was a retired, highly decorated Marine Corps Sergeant Major named Pete Seagriff. With an impeccable reputation, this former Marine was as tough as they came. He also had a big heart. Especially towards taking misguided youth and turning them around in a positive direction.
The camp supervisor, was given a courtesy title of lieutenant, because he was not post certified. And, therefore, he was classified as free-staff.
The lieutenant promised to hire drill instructors for the boot camp program that were former Marines in good standing, and employed by the NDOC as correctional officers. There was an ample supply of these candidates located at the Southern Desert Correctional Center (SDCC).
I was slightly disturbed when I first interviewed for a position of drill instructor when I saw an officer from the SDCC prison yard already working as a drill instructor for the boot camp. This officer, named Dennis Augustine was not a former Marine. In fact, this officer had no military experience at all. Additionally, this officer did not even have a good reputation back at SDCC. But, I kind of shrugged it off and went on my way.
Several weeks later the boot camp supervisor hired me as one of his drill instructors.
But, we got off to a rocky start. First, I was handed a set of Marine Corps Staff Sergeant chevrons to wear on my boot camp uniform. The lieutenant did not appreciate me wearing my rank insignia as a corrections officer. I took issue with this.
When the boot camp lieutenant said that drill instructors “are better” than officers on the yard at SDCC, I then refused to wear the Marine Corps rank on my boot camp uniform.
After this disagreement settled down, I couldn’t believe that of all the drill instructors to be paired with at the Nevada Boot Camp, I was stuck with the one drill instructor that I did not trust. Dennis Augustine.
This corrupted drill instructor had already made critical errors in judgement. But, the lieutenant was protecting him, and I didn’t know why.
And then I discovered that both lived near each other in Las Vegas. Drill Instructor Augustine was driving the lieutenant both ways, to and from Las Vegas and the Indian Springs boot camp compound every work day. This told me why the drill instructor also had weekends off, just like the lieutenant. They seemed to be best buddies.
But this was only the beginning of trouble.
For, one week prior to my arrival at the Nevada boot camp, Drill Instructor Augustine had ordered a boot camp trainee to dive head first into a very small mud pit that was framed with railroad ties. As it turned out, this incident resulted in a serious injury to the trainee. It was confirmed by medical that the trainee had a fractured neck.
When the opportunity presented itself, I went into the lieutenant’s files, without permission, and read the confidential reports on the mud pit incident. It was clear, there was a cover-up. The lieutenant was lying on official departmental reports.
My respect and admiration for this once highly decorated Marine Corps Sergeant Major had instantly turned to contempt. But, for the moment, I was keeping my mouth shut.
And then, some weeks later, another incident took place with this same drill instructor. Across the street from the Nevada Boot Camp was a makeshift parking lot for visitors. There was a lone vehicle sitting in this area where suspicious movements inside a late model Chevrolet Camaro had been detected.
Drill Instructor Augustine went to investigate. I lagged well behind him. I had no plans of backing him up. For, I had warned this drill instructor that the visitor parking lot was not actual property of the State of Nevada. Again, I cautioned him not to approach this privately owned vehicle.
But, he did not listen. I heard voices being raised, and witnessed moments getting tense between the drill instructor and the unknown civilian. I then heard Drill Instructor Augustine order the driver out from his vehicle. It was then that I approached him. Again, I warned the drill instructor not to detain the driver and not to search his vehicle. Again, the drill instructor ignored my warning.
The drill instructor began stripping out the civilian’s Camaro. The civilian just stood and watched as all of his personal belongings were thrown out on to the dirt. No contraband was found. The civilian was just there waiting to meet someone coming down from the Cold Creek community farther up the mountain.
Speaking softly, I apologized to the owner of that Camaro for the drill instructor’s misconduct. I informed the driver that I would be submitting a report to my supervisor on this incident.
Lieutenant Seagriff loved to have his weekly “intel briefings” with the entire boot camp staff. In his next session, the lieutenant made mention of my report concerning the actions of Drill Instructor Augustine and demeaned the contents of that report. The lieutenant then mentioned that drill instructors who do not work as a team will be sent back to SDCC as virtual boot camp drill instructor rejects.
Now, I was angry. I told the lieutenant I wanted to see him in his office. Behind closed doors, tempers flared. Harsh words were spoken.
At the end of this hostile meeting with the lieutenant, I was immediately reassigned to graveyard shift at the boot camp. I was to only perform custody duties, such as counts, and security tours of the compound. In essence, I was no longer a drill instructor.
About two weeks later, the lieutenant told me to stay for overtime on day shift. I was told to take a work detail of boot camp trainees down to SDCC prison yard to work on the roof of certain housing units.
The lieutenant had informed me that these same trainees had already been on these work details and knew exactly what to do. I was watching them stripping copper from unserviceable solar systems. At the conclusion of the work detail, the boot camp trainees loaded the copper into an old donated prison van given to the camp by the main prison yard.
Upon my arrival back at the boot camp compound, the lieutenant ordered me to take two trainees, who had done this before, and drive to a particular junkyard in Las Vegas. I was to receive cash for the copper, and bring the money directly back to the lieutenant. I refused. Another shouting match ensued between the two of us.
I contended that this money for the copper rightfully belonged to the NDOC at Southern Desert and should not go into the coffers of a boot camp illegal slush fund which Seagriff had created and managed.
The lieutenant immediately relieved me of duty from the boot camp and was sending me back to SDCC. I got my ducks in a row, and immediately submitted a full corruption report on both Lieutenant Seagriff and Drill Instructor Dennis Augustine to the Inspector General.
Chaos at the Nevada Boot Camp took hold within the week. A full investigation of the Nevada Boot Camp operations was now underway.
I was now seen by my fellow drill instructors as a traitor. I viewed all of them as corrupt. Therefore, all friendships, communications and protocols among us was immediately terminated.
I then returned to the prison yard at SDCC.
The investigation of the Nevada Boot Camp by the department’s Inspector General’s Office revealed much more corruption than what I had listed, and / or had known about:
The following were some of the findings by the office of the Inspector General:
(1) falsifying official reports
(2) mutual cooperation and favoritism by the boot camp supervisor towards those drill instructors who were actively carrying out, or cooperating with unauthorized programs
(3) the diverting of funds from SDCC to the boot camp without authorization
(4) the creation of a boot camp slush fund for unauthorized purchases
(5) the use of boot camp trainees as personal laborers on staff vehicles, motorcycles and at the residences of boot camp personnel
(6) abusive training practices by boot camp drill instructors
(7) favoritism towards trainees whose families purchased t-shirts from a drill instructor’s girlfriend
(8) a drill instructor actively dating the sister of a boot camp trainee
(9) missing supply items and uniforms from the boot camp property room
The boot camp supervisor admitted to most of these activities and allegations, and offered his resignation. In the coming weeks it was accepted.
The drill instructors found to be participating in these offenses were either reassigned back to the prison yard at SDCC, or their employment was terminated.
More on the Nevada Boot Camp in part two.
Additionally, the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) had seemingly hired the right man to lead this pilot program into its infancy. The camp supervisor was a retired, highly decorated Marine Corps Sergeant Major named Pete Seagriff. With an impeccable reputation, this former Marine was as tough as they came. He also had a big heart. Especially towards taking misguided youth and turning them around in a positive direction.
The camp supervisor, was given a courtesy title of lieutenant, because he was not post certified. And, therefore, he was classified as free-staff.
The lieutenant promised to hire drill instructors for the boot camp program that were former Marines in good standing, and employed by the NDOC as correctional officers. There was an ample supply of these candidates located at the Southern Desert Correctional Center (SDCC).
I was slightly disturbed when I first interviewed for a position of drill instructor when I saw an officer from the SDCC prison yard already working as a drill instructor for the boot camp. This officer, named Dennis Augustine was not a former Marine. In fact, this officer had no military experience at all. Additionally, this officer did not even have a good reputation back at SDCC. But, I kind of shrugged it off and went on my way.
Several weeks later the boot camp supervisor hired me as one of his drill instructors.
But, we got off to a rocky start. First, I was handed a set of Marine Corps Staff Sergeant chevrons to wear on my boot camp uniform. The lieutenant did not appreciate me wearing my rank insignia as a corrections officer. I took issue with this.
When the boot camp lieutenant said that drill instructors “are better” than officers on the yard at SDCC, I then refused to wear the Marine Corps rank on my boot camp uniform.
After this disagreement settled down, I couldn’t believe that of all the drill instructors to be paired with at the Nevada Boot Camp, I was stuck with the one drill instructor that I did not trust. Dennis Augustine.
This corrupted drill instructor had already made critical errors in judgement. But, the lieutenant was protecting him, and I didn’t know why.
And then I discovered that both lived near each other in Las Vegas. Drill Instructor Augustine was driving the lieutenant both ways, to and from Las Vegas and the Indian Springs boot camp compound every work day. This told me why the drill instructor also had weekends off, just like the lieutenant. They seemed to be best buddies.
But this was only the beginning of trouble.
For, one week prior to my arrival at the Nevada boot camp, Drill Instructor Augustine had ordered a boot camp trainee to dive head first into a very small mud pit that was framed with railroad ties. As it turned out, this incident resulted in a serious injury to the trainee. It was confirmed by medical that the trainee had a fractured neck.
When the opportunity presented itself, I went into the lieutenant’s files, without permission, and read the confidential reports on the mud pit incident. It was clear, there was a cover-up. The lieutenant was lying on official departmental reports.
My respect and admiration for this once highly decorated Marine Corps Sergeant Major had instantly turned to contempt. But, for the moment, I was keeping my mouth shut.
And then, some weeks later, another incident took place with this same drill instructor. Across the street from the Nevada Boot Camp was a makeshift parking lot for visitors. There was a lone vehicle sitting in this area where suspicious movements inside a late model Chevrolet Camaro had been detected.
Drill Instructor Augustine went to investigate. I lagged well behind him. I had no plans of backing him up. For, I had warned this drill instructor that the visitor parking lot was not actual property of the State of Nevada. Again, I cautioned him not to approach this privately owned vehicle.
But, he did not listen. I heard voices being raised, and witnessed moments getting tense between the drill instructor and the unknown civilian. I then heard Drill Instructor Augustine order the driver out from his vehicle. It was then that I approached him. Again, I warned the drill instructor not to detain the driver and not to search his vehicle. Again, the drill instructor ignored my warning.
The drill instructor began stripping out the civilian’s Camaro. The civilian just stood and watched as all of his personal belongings were thrown out on to the dirt. No contraband was found. The civilian was just there waiting to meet someone coming down from the Cold Creek community farther up the mountain.
Speaking softly, I apologized to the owner of that Camaro for the drill instructor’s misconduct. I informed the driver that I would be submitting a report to my supervisor on this incident.
Lieutenant Seagriff loved to have his weekly “intel briefings” with the entire boot camp staff. In his next session, the lieutenant made mention of my report concerning the actions of Drill Instructor Augustine and demeaned the contents of that report. The lieutenant then mentioned that drill instructors who do not work as a team will be sent back to SDCC as virtual boot camp drill instructor rejects.
Now, I was angry. I told the lieutenant I wanted to see him in his office. Behind closed doors, tempers flared. Harsh words were spoken.
At the end of this hostile meeting with the lieutenant, I was immediately reassigned to graveyard shift at the boot camp. I was to only perform custody duties, such as counts, and security tours of the compound. In essence, I was no longer a drill instructor.
About two weeks later, the lieutenant told me to stay for overtime on day shift. I was told to take a work detail of boot camp trainees down to SDCC prison yard to work on the roof of certain housing units.
The lieutenant had informed me that these same trainees had already been on these work details and knew exactly what to do. I was watching them stripping copper from unserviceable solar systems. At the conclusion of the work detail, the boot camp trainees loaded the copper into an old donated prison van given to the camp by the main prison yard.
Upon my arrival back at the boot camp compound, the lieutenant ordered me to take two trainees, who had done this before, and drive to a particular junkyard in Las Vegas. I was to receive cash for the copper, and bring the money directly back to the lieutenant. I refused. Another shouting match ensued between the two of us.
I contended that this money for the copper rightfully belonged to the NDOC at Southern Desert and should not go into the coffers of a boot camp illegal slush fund which Seagriff had created and managed.
The lieutenant immediately relieved me of duty from the boot camp and was sending me back to SDCC. I got my ducks in a row, and immediately submitted a full corruption report on both Lieutenant Seagriff and Drill Instructor Dennis Augustine to the Inspector General.
Chaos at the Nevada Boot Camp took hold within the week. A full investigation of the Nevada Boot Camp operations was now underway.
I was now seen by my fellow drill instructors as a traitor. I viewed all of them as corrupt. Therefore, all friendships, communications and protocols among us was immediately terminated.
I then returned to the prison yard at SDCC.
The investigation of the Nevada Boot Camp by the department’s Inspector General’s Office revealed much more corruption than what I had listed, and / or had known about:
The following were some of the findings by the office of the Inspector General:
(1) falsifying official reports
(2) mutual cooperation and favoritism by the boot camp supervisor towards those drill instructors who were actively carrying out, or cooperating with unauthorized programs
(3) the diverting of funds from SDCC to the boot camp without authorization
(4) the creation of a boot camp slush fund for unauthorized purchases
(5) the use of boot camp trainees as personal laborers on staff vehicles, motorcycles and at the residences of boot camp personnel
(6) abusive training practices by boot camp drill instructors
(7) favoritism towards trainees whose families purchased t-shirts from a drill instructor’s girlfriend
(8) a drill instructor actively dating the sister of a boot camp trainee
(9) missing supply items and uniforms from the boot camp property room
The boot camp supervisor admitted to most of these activities and allegations, and offered his resignation. In the coming weeks it was accepted.
The drill instructors found to be participating in these offenses were either reassigned back to the prison yard at SDCC, or their employment was terminated.
More on the Nevada Boot Camp in part two.