Families of people serving time say a change inside Utah’s prison system has led
to -violent consequences. KSL
Investigator Daniella Rivera
has been digging into whether
the decision was backed by
data.. as some worry their
loved ones won’t survive
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It was no secret then...
Juanita: THEY KNEW THE RIVALRY
BETWEEN THEM. THEY KNEW. And
it’s no secret now. Juanita:
HE WAS AN ACTIVE GANG MEMBER,
I’M NOT GONNA DENY THAT.
Juanita Martinez says her
son’s gang affiliation cost
him his life. Juanita: THAT’S
WHY HE GOT KILLED. But she
believes, Jeffrey Vigil’s
death should have been
prevented. GFX In MARCH,
2016, corrections officials
moved him to a different
housing area inside the Utah
State Prison. According to a
lawsuit filed by his family --
Jeffrey went to guards twice
with concerns that he would
not be safe there... out-
numbed by rival gang members.
Just hours after he was moved
-- Juanita says her son was
stabbed and stomped to death.
Juanita: MY SON SUFFERED
TREMENDOUSLY Danie: IF UTAH
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WAS
BETTER MANAGING ITS GANG
POPULATION YOU BELIEVE YOUR
SON WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY?
Juanita: YES, DEFINITELY. She
says Jeffrey’s death, at the
hands of rival gang members,
should have served as a
warning. That’s why she was
shocked when she learned about
a significant change to how
the department manages prison
gangs just a few years later.
GFX In an August, 2019 memo --
officials announced the
elimination of the A/B
schedule... which kept two
rival gangs apart. The A/B
schedule was implemented in
2014 after a spike in violence
-- but officials said, it was
always supposed to be
temporary... and ending
segregation would allow more
offenders to participate in
rehabilitative programs.
Juanita Martinez: I FEEL LIKE
THIS IS LIKE THE GLADIATOR
DAYS IN THERE. I FEEL LIKE
THEY’RE DOING... OPENING DOORS
AND POPPING DOORS AND LETTING
THEM GO AT EACH OTHER.
Spencer Turley: WE HOUSE
PEOPLE DIRECTLY BASED ON THEIR
BEHAVIOR, NOT BASED ON THEIR
CRIME. The Department of
Corrections agreed to talk to
us about certain approaches to
housing gang members, but not
about A/B. Danie: WHY
IS THE DEPARTMENT NOT
ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
A/B SCHEDULE CHANGE?Spencer
Turley: WE’RE NOT ANSWERING
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE A/B
BECAUSE THERE’S PENDING
LITIGATION, THERE’S BEEN A
LAWSUIT THAT’S BEEN FILED.
Spencer Turley is the Director
of Prison Operations. He says
housing decisions are now
based on several factors.
Spencer Turley: WE’LL TAKE IN
A BIGGER PICTURE VIEW THAN
JUST GANG INVOLVEMENT. GFX
Turley also points to this
policy -- revised in 2020 --
allowing people who voice
safety concerns to be
considered for housing
changes. According to the
department, more than 4
thousand safety concerns have
been filed since January 1st,
2017. Spencer Turley: WE’LL
TRY AND MAKE PROACTIVE MOVES
TO PREVENT THINGS FROM
HAPPENING. But Juanita says
that proactive approach failed
her son. And the KSL
Investigators found several
documented incidents of
violence, since the A/B
schedule ended. Chris
Manberg: AS SOON AS HE EXITED
HIS CELL, A RIVAL GANG MEMBER
WAS STANDING RIGHT AT THE
THRESHOLD WITH A LARGE, HEAVY
BLUNT OBJECT. Last October,
defense attorney Chris Manberg
told a judge the 2019 decision
put his client in danger. Joe
Perales Jr. was charged for
his involvement in a fight
that broke out in January,
20-20. Manberg: HIS
FRUSTRATION IS THIS JUDGE,
WHAT WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?
Perales claims he was attacked
-- and had no choice, but to
fight back.
Joe Perales Jr.: IF I HADN’T ACTED AS I DID, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A HOSPITAL OR EVEN
DEAD. PRISON CAN BE SCARY,
YOUR HONOR. Perales escaped
serious injuries... Perales:
I’M JUST TRYING TO GO HOME,
YOUR HONOR. While others...
like 22 year old Yeager Gleave
-- did not. He filed a lawsuit
after he was stabbed, several
times, in November 2019. GFX
His suit claims by eliminating
the A/B schedule --
corrections officials
"anticipated, orchestrated,
and encouraged a gladiator
encounter." Lorna Gallegos:
THIS AIN’T NO JUST ANY
STABBING. IT’S NOT ANY JUST
THREAT. IT’S LIFE THREATENING.
And just last month -- Lorna
Gallegos told the KSL
Investigators, her son was
stabbed inside the Draper
prison, and flown to the
hospital for emergency
surgery. Guadalupe Cazares’
family believes he was
attacked by rival gang
members. Joshua Martinez /
Cazares’ brother: YOU HAVE TO
DO YOUR TIME JUST LIKE ANYONE
ELSE, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT THAT
DOESN’T MEAN SIGNING YOUR
DEATH WARRANT. David Pyrooz:
IF YOU PUT TWO GANGS WITH LONG
STANDING CONFLICTS TOGETHER,
YOU’RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO
HAVE A PROBLEM.David Pyrooz is
a prison gangs expert -- who
says there are pros and cons
to both segregating gangs and
letting them mingle. David
Pyrooz: THERE’S NO EVIDENCE
THAT SUPPORTS WHETHER THE A/B
SCHEDULE IS BEST, WHETHER
INTERMINGLING IS BEST, OR
SOMETHING ELSE.But he says
there áis a way to find out if
the current prison strategy is
working... David Pyrooz:
I’D WANT TO SEE DATA.
Daniella Rivera: THE KSL
INVESTIGATORS FILED A PUBLIC
RECORDS REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS
RELATED TO VIOLENT PRISON
INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST
DECADE, HOPING SEE IF THERE
HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN VIOLENCE
TRENDS AS POLICIES SHIFTED.
BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS -- DENIED THAT
REQUEST. David Pyrooz: THAT
SHOULD BE UP TO THE UTAH
PRISON SYSTEM, TO BE ABLE TO
SHARE THAT INFORMATION, AND TO
BE FORTHRIGHT ABOUT IT,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT’S THEIR
POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE TO
DEFEND. Spencer Turley: WHEN
IT COMES TO A DATA STANDPOINT,
WE HAVE TO GET INTO THE WEEDS
ON EVERY SINGLE INCIDENT AND
SAY, OKAY, WHAT WHAT WAS THE
DRIVING FACTOR BEHIND THIS?
WAS THIS GANG RELATED? Danie:
IS THE DEPARTMENT DOING THAT?
Turley: WE DO DO THAT. Danie:
SO THAT DATA EXISTS, AND YOU
WOULD KNOW IF GANG VIOLENCE
HAS GONE UP OR DOWN OVER THE
YEARS, RIGHT? Turley: SO, DO I
HAVE A REPORT ON MY DESK THAT
TELLS ME THAT? NOT
NECESSARILY, NO. Danie: WHAT
WOULD IT TAKE TO GET A REPORT
LIKE THAT? Turley: I DON’T
KNOW THAT THAT REPORT
CURRENTLY EXISTS. Turley said
he receives weekly reports on
the prison’s drug testing
program... but in the year
that he’s been in this
position, he’s only received
one formal report related to
violence -- and it was not
specific to gangs. Turley:
BUT I WOULD TELL YOU THAT
WE’RE EVALUATING THE GANG
ACTIVITY AND THE OTHER JUST
THE OTHER ACTIVITY WITHIN THE
PRISON ON A DAILY BASIS. Those
with family on the inside
worry that’s not enough to
make sure their loved ones
survive their sentences.
Lorna Gallegos: I’M WORRIED
ABOUT MY SON’S LIFE. Danie:
SERVING TIME SHOULDN’T BE AN
AUTOMATIC DEATH SENTENCE.
Juanita: NO, IT SHOULDN’T BE
Turley: OUR HEART GOES OUT TO
THEM Turley says the challenge
-- is keeping people in the
state’s custody safe... while
also preparing them to
re-enter Utah communities.
Spencer Turley: WE’RE DOING
OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TO FIND AND
STRIKE THAT PROPER BALANCE
Decorations at Jeffrey’s
grave... remind Juanita her
son didn’t get that chance.
Juanita: I STILL PUT IT
BECAUSE UH, THAT’S WHO HE WAS
AND ULTIMATELY WHAT HE DIED
FOR. She believes -- the
change the department of
corrections says they cannot
discuss... continues to put
people at risk.
Juanita: THEY’RE STILL DOING IT. THEY’RE STILL POPPING DOORS, THEY’RE STILL LETTING
THEM GET AT EACH OTHER. THEY
GOT AWAY WITH IT. WHY WOULDN’T
THEY?
The department’s move to allow
rival gangs to mingle came
after an outside group
recommended changes to how
inmates are housed. You can
find our extended, digital
report at K-S-L-T-V dot com
now.
And if there’s something you’d
like the KSL investigators to
look into -- call or text the
number on your screen -- or
send an email to daniella at
K-S-L dot com.