The Public Version Of:
Part Two:
The Rise And Fall Of The Nevada Boot Camp, Twice!
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
November 2019
Part Two:
The Rise And Fall Of The Nevada Boot Camp, Twice!
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
November 2019
I had been back on the prison yard at the Southern Desert Correctional Center (SDCC) for a good many years. I had forgotten all about the Nevada Boot Camp
.
But, when I saw a story on a local news station about the widespread corruption at the Indian Springs Conservation Camp (ISCC), somehow, I just knew the Nevada Boot Camp located right next door, an extension of ISCC, was involved.
I laughed seeing Lieutenant Carlyle, the conservation camp supervisor being taken away by authorities in a pair of handcuffs.
This was a hot topic for several days, but soon enough I gave that place no more thought.
Then, I got a call from an old friend who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was taking over in a dual capacity as both the camp supervisor for the ISCC conservation camp and the supervisor of the Nevada Boot Camp.
I congratulated him, and told him, “Good luck”. I thought, because you are certainly going to need it.
Politely, I terminated the conversation. But, seconds later Lieutenant Kennedy called me back. He asked me to come to the camp with him and run the operations in the culinary. Laughing, I politely declined. But, he was persistent. Finally, he admitted that the camp culinary was thousands of dollars over budget, stealing was out of control, and the state health inspector had given a notice of intent to force shutdown the ISCC culinary. Lieutenant Kennedy's promotion was supposedly contingent on straightening out both the Indian Springs Conservation Camp and the Nevada Boot Camp.
Lieutenant Kennedy was almost begging me to come and takeover the ISCC culinary. So, against my better judgment I accepted his request. But first, before anything, I informed the lieutenant, “You know what I’m going to do there, people are not going to be happy.” He replied, “This is exactly what this place needs.”
Within a couple of days the orders were cut. I decided to conduct a walk-through inspection so that I would know what I’d be facing. The results of that inspection of the ISCC culinary were much worse than I ever thought imaginable.
In the dining area, roaches were crawling across food counters, tables, and the floor. Trash was adrift. There was a nasty scent to this dining area. For, dirty serving trays with spoiled food were scattered across the hall. Black mold was taking over this entire facility. Forty percent of refrigeration units in the kitchen were inoperable, but still had food stored inside. Meat cutters were filthy dirty, and the drains in the kitchen area were backed up with stagnant water. The list of health code violations just went on and on. The list seemed endless.
My first day on the job at the ISCC culinary was horrible. But, I had a plan. I went to Lieutenant Kennedy and detailed it to him.
I wanted a work crew of boot camp trainees for the purposes of scrubbing down this entire dining facility with bleach. I had an extremely large list of cleaning supplies, detergents and disinfectants. I wanted the order filled immediately.
I fired the entire classified inmate culinary crew after finding a heroin syringe taped underneath one of the dining tables. The ISCC caseworkers were in a tizzy. I searched conservation camps statewide for inmates who were experienced chefs and restaurant workers before coming to prison.
I violated department policies by taking these well qualified inmates from fire crews to work in my new ISCC culinary. I now had chefs preparing nutritious meals in my dining hall that had a slight smell of both bleach and vinegar. No one cared, because now it was apparent the culinary was sanitized and therefore safe to eat in.
All refrigeration systems were repaired. Food was properly labeled and stored. I had installed diluted bleach water stations in strategic areas of the kitchen. There was not a dirty area in the entire facility.
What a massive turnaround! And, I had my work detail of boot camp trainees to thank for it. They did a remarkable job in the transition of the ISCC culinary. I rewarded them with extra portions of fine tasting food.
But, I also increased food portions for the entire camp population while going more than a couple of thousand dollars a month under budget. We were all proud of our dining facility.
Where contracting food poisoning at the camp culinary was once the norm, it became unheard of in the new ISCC culinary.
I got along quite well with the senior officer from the Nevada Boot Camp. I thought Lieutenant Kennedy made a very good choice in putting this former Marine in a leadership slot.
And then, the state health inspector arrived at the ISCC culinary. He too was amazed at the transformation of the dining hall and kitchen areas. The ISCC just several months previously was on the verge of being shut down by the health department. On this day, the camp culinary scored a perfect zero demerit.
And then the health inspector said to me, “In all my years in this business, I’ve never once dined at any place I have inspected. But, this place is different. May I eat lunch here?” Of course I said, “Yes”. The inspector loved our food too.
But, everything was to come crashing down. Lieutenant Kennedy had just up and resigned. It was a crushing blow.
The next ISCC and Boot Camp supervisor arrived. Identified as Lieutenant Burson, there was serious friction between us right from the beginning.
With the transition in leadership I began to notice changes in attitudes and behavior on the part of certain boot camp drill instructors. Instead of departing the culinary after their trainees had consumed their meal, two drill instructors, in particular, began standing on top of dining room tables, showboating. They acted out hanging some trainees with towels and items of clothing as props. While I didn’t think that any trainee was in any danger of physical harm, I was very much agitated of the drill instructors dirty boots on my sanitized dining room tables. Also, since the meal was completed, the drill instructors had no proper business to remain on my post.
After tolerating several days of this conduct, I called the two the drill instructors into my office. I voiced my displeasure at their actions, and I requested that they not do this in the future on my post. They both laughed and walked out of my office.
The next day they continued with the same behavior. This time, I filed a report to AWO Hooper at the Southern Desert Correctional Center (SDCC). An investigation was launched, and the two drill instructors were, at least temporarily, relieved of duty.
Unexpectedly, I lost my daily boot camp work detail. I had heard from several boot camp trainees that drill instructors were trying to solicit any information which might reflect misconduct on my part, such as, excessive use of force, or horseplay, regarding the trainees.
A few weeks later, I was summoned to the Inspector General’s Office at High Desert State Prison (HDSP). I was mirandized and informed I was under investigation for excessive use of force on several boot camp trainees at the ISCC culinary.
At this point I decided to leave the culinary and transfer back to the SDCC prison yard. But, there were no openings. So, I then was reassigned to graveyard working at the main control center of the conservation camp.
The department decided they had probable cause to put me through a disciplinary process charging me with excessive use of force.
A short time later the Attorney General’s Office called me in to question me related to the excessive use of force charges. I was not allowed to bring my representative into this hearing. However, I was surprised to see the boot camp senior officer, Guy Brown sitting next to the deputy attorney general when I walked into the hearing room. The senior said not a word throughout the entire meeting. And, in fact, would not even make eye contact with me.
I felt reasonably assured the boot camp senior was there to support the charges against me.
There were several reasons to question the charges against me. All allegations referred to prior time periods, and nothing was current. However, no accusations had ever been made against me by these trainees at the supposed actual time of the alleged offenses. Additionally, there were no corroborating witnesses in the form of officers, free-staff, or other minimum custody inmates. The only charges brought were by trainees whose very existence and success in the boot camp program depended upon the drill instructors who were being investigated.
Evidently, in the end the Attorney General’s office did not find substantial reason to affirm the charges and prosecute me criminally. The department now reduced the charges to horseplay and recommended a five day suspension.
I was then summoned to face the AWO of High Desert State Prison. This hearing officer was held by High Desert AWO Baca. He upheld the charge of horseplay. I later discovered that the reviewing officer in this case matter was in disagreement with this conclusion, and that none of the charges had been substantiated. He was at the time the AWO of SDCC, and his name was Jeffrey Patterson.
Shortly after his decision he was transferred from his position at SDCC.
The Nevada Boot Camp when first opened, was anticipated to be the Department of Corrections shining star. The recidivism rate in the beginning was only three percent. But, as the years progressed its effectiveness greatly decreased. By 2012, a report from the Department of Corrections itself revealed a recidivism rate at the boot camp of forty-four percent.
When scandals, at a minimum, twice hit the Nevada Boot Camp, their staff failed to re-examine their approach and implement necessary reforms that would have brought major improvements to the program. Instead, boot camp officials opted to make things look good on paper. But finally, when the real truths came out, it was apparent the Nevada Boot Camp was unable to deliver, in any form, honorable results.
.
But, when I saw a story on a local news station about the widespread corruption at the Indian Springs Conservation Camp (ISCC), somehow, I just knew the Nevada Boot Camp located right next door, an extension of ISCC, was involved.
I laughed seeing Lieutenant Carlyle, the conservation camp supervisor being taken away by authorities in a pair of handcuffs.
This was a hot topic for several days, but soon enough I gave that place no more thought.
Then, I got a call from an old friend who had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was taking over in a dual capacity as both the camp supervisor for the ISCC conservation camp and the supervisor of the Nevada Boot Camp.
I congratulated him, and told him, “Good luck”. I thought, because you are certainly going to need it.
Politely, I terminated the conversation. But, seconds later Lieutenant Kennedy called me back. He asked me to come to the camp with him and run the operations in the culinary. Laughing, I politely declined. But, he was persistent. Finally, he admitted that the camp culinary was thousands of dollars over budget, stealing was out of control, and the state health inspector had given a notice of intent to force shutdown the ISCC culinary. Lieutenant Kennedy's promotion was supposedly contingent on straightening out both the Indian Springs Conservation Camp and the Nevada Boot Camp.
Lieutenant Kennedy was almost begging me to come and takeover the ISCC culinary. So, against my better judgment I accepted his request. But first, before anything, I informed the lieutenant, “You know what I’m going to do there, people are not going to be happy.” He replied, “This is exactly what this place needs.”
Within a couple of days the orders were cut. I decided to conduct a walk-through inspection so that I would know what I’d be facing. The results of that inspection of the ISCC culinary were much worse than I ever thought imaginable.
In the dining area, roaches were crawling across food counters, tables, and the floor. Trash was adrift. There was a nasty scent to this dining area. For, dirty serving trays with spoiled food were scattered across the hall. Black mold was taking over this entire facility. Forty percent of refrigeration units in the kitchen were inoperable, but still had food stored inside. Meat cutters were filthy dirty, and the drains in the kitchen area were backed up with stagnant water. The list of health code violations just went on and on. The list seemed endless.
My first day on the job at the ISCC culinary was horrible. But, I had a plan. I went to Lieutenant Kennedy and detailed it to him.
I wanted a work crew of boot camp trainees for the purposes of scrubbing down this entire dining facility with bleach. I had an extremely large list of cleaning supplies, detergents and disinfectants. I wanted the order filled immediately.
I fired the entire classified inmate culinary crew after finding a heroin syringe taped underneath one of the dining tables. The ISCC caseworkers were in a tizzy. I searched conservation camps statewide for inmates who were experienced chefs and restaurant workers before coming to prison.
I violated department policies by taking these well qualified inmates from fire crews to work in my new ISCC culinary. I now had chefs preparing nutritious meals in my dining hall that had a slight smell of both bleach and vinegar. No one cared, because now it was apparent the culinary was sanitized and therefore safe to eat in.
All refrigeration systems were repaired. Food was properly labeled and stored. I had installed diluted bleach water stations in strategic areas of the kitchen. There was not a dirty area in the entire facility.
What a massive turnaround! And, I had my work detail of boot camp trainees to thank for it. They did a remarkable job in the transition of the ISCC culinary. I rewarded them with extra portions of fine tasting food.
But, I also increased food portions for the entire camp population while going more than a couple of thousand dollars a month under budget. We were all proud of our dining facility.
Where contracting food poisoning at the camp culinary was once the norm, it became unheard of in the new ISCC culinary.
I got along quite well with the senior officer from the Nevada Boot Camp. I thought Lieutenant Kennedy made a very good choice in putting this former Marine in a leadership slot.
And then, the state health inspector arrived at the ISCC culinary. He too was amazed at the transformation of the dining hall and kitchen areas. The ISCC just several months previously was on the verge of being shut down by the health department. On this day, the camp culinary scored a perfect zero demerit.
And then the health inspector said to me, “In all my years in this business, I’ve never once dined at any place I have inspected. But, this place is different. May I eat lunch here?” Of course I said, “Yes”. The inspector loved our food too.
But, everything was to come crashing down. Lieutenant Kennedy had just up and resigned. It was a crushing blow.
The next ISCC and Boot Camp supervisor arrived. Identified as Lieutenant Burson, there was serious friction between us right from the beginning.
With the transition in leadership I began to notice changes in attitudes and behavior on the part of certain boot camp drill instructors. Instead of departing the culinary after their trainees had consumed their meal, two drill instructors, in particular, began standing on top of dining room tables, showboating. They acted out hanging some trainees with towels and items of clothing as props. While I didn’t think that any trainee was in any danger of physical harm, I was very much agitated of the drill instructors dirty boots on my sanitized dining room tables. Also, since the meal was completed, the drill instructors had no proper business to remain on my post.
After tolerating several days of this conduct, I called the two the drill instructors into my office. I voiced my displeasure at their actions, and I requested that they not do this in the future on my post. They both laughed and walked out of my office.
The next day they continued with the same behavior. This time, I filed a report to AWO Hooper at the Southern Desert Correctional Center (SDCC). An investigation was launched, and the two drill instructors were, at least temporarily, relieved of duty.
Unexpectedly, I lost my daily boot camp work detail. I had heard from several boot camp trainees that drill instructors were trying to solicit any information which might reflect misconduct on my part, such as, excessive use of force, or horseplay, regarding the trainees.
A few weeks later, I was summoned to the Inspector General’s Office at High Desert State Prison (HDSP). I was mirandized and informed I was under investigation for excessive use of force on several boot camp trainees at the ISCC culinary.
At this point I decided to leave the culinary and transfer back to the SDCC prison yard. But, there were no openings. So, I then was reassigned to graveyard working at the main control center of the conservation camp.
The department decided they had probable cause to put me through a disciplinary process charging me with excessive use of force.
A short time later the Attorney General’s Office called me in to question me related to the excessive use of force charges. I was not allowed to bring my representative into this hearing. However, I was surprised to see the boot camp senior officer, Guy Brown sitting next to the deputy attorney general when I walked into the hearing room. The senior said not a word throughout the entire meeting. And, in fact, would not even make eye contact with me.
I felt reasonably assured the boot camp senior was there to support the charges against me.
There were several reasons to question the charges against me. All allegations referred to prior time periods, and nothing was current. However, no accusations had ever been made against me by these trainees at the supposed actual time of the alleged offenses. Additionally, there were no corroborating witnesses in the form of officers, free-staff, or other minimum custody inmates. The only charges brought were by trainees whose very existence and success in the boot camp program depended upon the drill instructors who were being investigated.
Evidently, in the end the Attorney General’s office did not find substantial reason to affirm the charges and prosecute me criminally. The department now reduced the charges to horseplay and recommended a five day suspension.
I was then summoned to face the AWO of High Desert State Prison. This hearing officer was held by High Desert AWO Baca. He upheld the charge of horseplay. I later discovered that the reviewing officer in this case matter was in disagreement with this conclusion, and that none of the charges had been substantiated. He was at the time the AWO of SDCC, and his name was Jeffrey Patterson.
Shortly after his decision he was transferred from his position at SDCC.
The Nevada Boot Camp when first opened, was anticipated to be the Department of Corrections shining star. The recidivism rate in the beginning was only three percent. But, as the years progressed its effectiveness greatly decreased. By 2012, a report from the Department of Corrections itself revealed a recidivism rate at the boot camp of forty-four percent.
When scandals, at a minimum, twice hit the Nevada Boot Camp, their staff failed to re-examine their approach and implement necessary reforms that would have brought major improvements to the program. Instead, boot camp officials opted to make things look good on paper. But finally, when the real truths came out, it was apparent the Nevada Boot Camp was unable to deliver, in any form, honorable results.
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