The Jindal administration two years ago attempted to influence parole officers and district judges throughout the state to refer violators to a private facility operated by a major Republican campaign contributor whom Gov. Bobby Jindal subsequently appointed to the LSU Board of Supervisors.
LouisianaVoice obtained a four-page memorandum through a public records request of the Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) which indicates that state probation and parole officers were directed to funnel offenders into the Academy of Training Skills (ATS) in Lacassine.
ATS, owned and operated by Chester Lee Mallett of Iowa, LA. in Calcasieu Parish, is a 200-bed transitional work program ostensibly set up to provide employment and training in various industrial trades in order to return offenders to the work force. http://www.aattss.com/
On July 13, 2012, Jindal appointed Mallett to the LSU Board of Supervisors. He was previously appointed by Jindal to the State Licensing Board for Contractors in June of 2010. Mallett and companies controlled by him have contributed more than $30,000 to Jindal personally, $242,000 to the Louisiana Republican Party and $75,000 to the Republican Governors Association, of which Jindal is currently president.
The memorandum, from Barry Matheny, Assistant Director of Probation and Parole, to his boss, Probation and Parole Director Gerald Starks, was dated Oct. 3, 2011, and noted that DOC had amended its policy to include probation violators as eligible for the program. Forwarded to parole and probation officers throughout the state, it directed them to “get with your respective judges at your earliest convenience to make them aware of this alternative program.”
Matheny further said, “I would ask that you look at all technical violators…and see if (you) can get some offenders into this program.”
What followed was an outline of the ATS program which essentially was an endorsement of Mallett’s facility which does not accept state or federal funding but rather charges a housing fee to the residents, many of whom are said to work for Mallett’s construction companies.
ATS’s website says that salaries residents receive from job placements by ATS are kept in special accounts in residents’ names. Several former residents, however, have told LouisianaVoice that upon their release from the program, they actually owe ATS money. They said ATS “forgives” any outstanding rent balances owed. But when those who work for Mallett’s companies have to use their salaries to pay Mallett for lodging at ATS, Mallett is basically getting free labor in exchange for the lodging.
Moreover, the ATS website, which apparently has not been updated for some time, says it is certified by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the American Correctional Association (ACA).
The value of the ACA accreditation, however, is somewhat suspect in that the association has come under criticism that it routinely accredited facilities which experienced charges of abuse or poor conditions, according to a 2001 Boston Globe report. http://www.prisonpolicy.org/aca.html
One of ACA’s past presidents, Richard Stalder, while serving as Louisiana State Corrections Secretary in 1993, canceled spending on psychiatric counseling for troubled teens so that he could give out $2.7 million in raises to his staff.
By 1995, ACA had accredited all 12 prisons in Louisiana, passing the last two with 100 percent scores, all while the head of Louisiana’s prison system was serving as ACA’s national president—an arrangement some might consider a conflict of interests. That same year, however, more than 125 prisoners sued Stalder for mistreatment within the prisons and a month after it accredited the state prison at Angola, it was reported that about $32 million in repairs were needed for it to meet safety requirements. Prisoners with fractures were splinted and then not seen for months.
Stalder rejected all the claims, saying that he and his staff deserved “a pat on the back” but in June of 1995, Federal Judge Frank Polozola criticized Stalder for the way in which he ran the state prison system.
In 1998, the new Jena Juvenile Center came under fire for widespread problems, including a near-riot, poor teaching and security and physical abuse and in 1999 the juvenile facility in Tallulah was taken under state control after five years of repeated problems with private ownership despite its having received accreditation and a positive report only six months earlier from ACA and Stalder.
http://www.prisonsucks.com/ACA/ACAofficers.html
In 2010, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) trumpeted the re-accreditation of five of its private prisons by ACA. But what CCA did not reveal was that it had paid ACA more than $22,000 for those five accreditations, that CCA employees serve as ACA auditors, that CCA is a major sponsor of ACA events or worse, and that accredited CCA facilities had experienced major security problems. http://www.privateci.org/private_pics/PCIACApr.htm
(CCA, it should be noted, is one of several private prison companies that have made major contributions to the campaigns of Gov. Jindal.)
Despite the memorandum from DOC, most judges and district attorneys have shied away from ACS. One judge said he threw the letter in the trash can “as soon as I received it,” and a district attorney told LouisianaVoice he wanted nothing to do with the facility.
Both Mallett and his son are major players in politics, having contributed $670,000 to assorted state and national candidates—mostly Republicans—and Jindal’s Believe in Louisiana “527” tax exempt political organization which is little more than a political slush fund used to push Jindal’s agenda such as his failed state income tax repeal last legislative session.
Lee Mallett contributed the yearly maximum of $30,800 to the Republican National Committee on three separate occasions between the summer of 2011 and the spring of 2012 and son Brad Mallett also contributed another $30,800, records show.
Following is a partial list of contributions by Lee Mallett and nine of his corporate entities:
Academy of Training Schools
• Billy Nungesser (lieutenant governor bid), $5,000, July and August of 2011;
• State Sen. John Alario Jr., $1,000, September of 2011;
• Republican Party of La., $12,000, September and November of 2011;
• Jane Smith (who lost her State Senate race but was subsequently appointed Assistant Secretary of Revenue by Jindal), $1,000, October of 2011;
Air Vac Inc.
• Bobby Jindal, $5,000, September of 2010;
• State Sen. Dan Morrish, $1,000, November 2010;
• Chuck Kleckley (La. House Dist. 36), $2,500, Feb. 8, 2011;
• State Sen. Jonathan Perry, $2,500, February 2011;
• State Sen. Ronnie Johns, $2,500, May 2011;
• Billy Nungesser, $2,500, August 2011;
• Republican Party of La., $27,000, September and November 2011;
Best Buy Industries
• Billy Nungesser, $2,500, August of 2011;
• Republican Party of La., $27,000, September and November 2011;
Caddy Shack Enterprises
• Bobby Jindal, $5,000, May 2007;
• Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, $2,500, August 2007;
• Republican Party of La., $15,000, May and September 2008;
Mallett Inc.
• Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, $2,500, November 2007;
Mallett Buildings
• Republican Party of La., $25,000, April 2011;
Nature’s Best Inc.
• Dan Morrish, $500, November 2010;
• Bobby Jindal, $1,500, March 2011;
• Republican Party of La., $12,000, September and November 2011;
Progressive Buildings
• Dan Morrish, $1,000, November 2010;
• Bobby Jindal, $3,500, March 2011;
• Bobby Jindal, $1,500, April 18, 2011;
• Sen. Ronnie Johns, $2,500, May 2011;
Progressive Merchants
• Republican Party of La., $107,000, May, October, February, 2007, December, 2009, September and November 2011, and April 2012;
• Mike Strain, $2,500, August 2007;
• Bobby Jindal, $5,000, December 2009;
• Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, $25,000, June 2011;
• Billy Nungesser, $2,500, August 2011;
Lee Mallett
• State Treasurer John Kennedy $2,500, February 2007;
• Republican Party of Louisiana, $1,000, April 2007;
• Dan Morrish, $2,500, November 2010;
• S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, $3,500, April 2012;
Federal contributions
• Republican Party of Louisiana, $16,000, April 2007, June 2008, September and December 2010, and June 2011;
• Cong. Charles Boustany, $7,200, September 2007 and October 2011;
• U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, $4,600, September 2007;
• State Treasurer John Kennedy (U.S. Senate bid), $2,300, December 2007;
• Donald Cazayoux (La. 6th Congressional Dist.), $16,100, February and April 2008;
• Kennedy Majority Committee, $28,500, April 2008;
• National Republican Senatorial Committee, $28,500, April 2008;
• U.S. Sen. David Vitter, $1,200, June 2008;
• Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachman, $2,500, July 2011;
• Republican National Committee, $61,600, August 2011and March 2011;
• Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, $2,500, October 2011;
• Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, $2,000, November 2011;
• Republican National Committee Recount Fund, $30,800, December 2011;
• Cong. Bill Cassidy, $2,500, April 2012;
• Romney Victory Inc., $14,200, June 2012;
527 contributions
Lee Mallett
• American Solutions Winning the Future, $1,100, January and December 2009;
• Republican Governors Association, $50,000, October 2010 and February 2012;
Mallett Inc.
• Republican Governors Association, $25,000, June 2009;
Air Vac Inc.
• Believe in Louisiana, $1,000, March 2012;
Academy of Training Schools
• Believe in Louisiana, $6,000, March 2012;
Nature’s Best Inc.
• Believe in Louisiana, $1,000, March 2012;
Progressive Merchants
• Believe in Louisiana, $1,000, March 2012;
Progressive Buildings
• Believe in Louisiana, $1,000, March 2012;
Brad Mallett
• David Vitter, $3,100, June 2008;
• Republican National Committee, $30,800, August 2011.
Tom, Louisiana owes you a debt of gratitude for continuing to unravel the lies and ridiculousness that have become Louisiana’s reality. Jindal and his minions belong in that jail, we can only hope your work is being noticed by the right people.
Keep it up!
Not being a lawyer, I can’t say categorically , but this program sounds to me like involuntary servitude, which, I believe, was what we fought the Civil War about… Perhaps the US attorney should get involved. Yes, I know the people referred to this “program” are incarcerated but there is a difference between incarceration and involuntary servitude.
Dick Hemmings
Share cropping is what came to mind when I read the article.
I appreciate the shady certifications, but this program is offered as an ALTERNATIVE to incarceration, right? And in doing so it saves LA the cost of incarcerating these people? If so, why is it bad for the state to notify, or even recommend it to, judges and DAs? Especially since if they’re incarcerated there almost certainly going to be put into a private, for-profit facility, anyway.
ATS owner pours money into Republican campaigns (especially Jindal’s);
ATS owner appointed by Jindal to LSU Board and votes to fire president, doctors, and board attorney—and to give away state hospitals, all as per Jindal’s instructions;
Jindal repays donor by having DOC attempt to refer business to donor (quid pro quo);
ATS owner gets free labor for his construction business.
Bottom line: it’s okay, even commendable to try to save state money but to farm the offenders out as indentured servants so that the governor’s beneficiary can profit is just bad form. I believe we call it the spoils system.
As you so accurately point out, Tom, the spoils system has returned to Louisiana in its full glory. If that magical legal line ever gets crossed, some of these people are going to have an opportunity to visit EWE’s old federal housing.
I think the offender has to agree to be diverted to the program, rather than be sent to jail. They also have to pay for their stay in the program. Mr. Aswell, I did not see a reference to juveniles other than in the title of the article. Does the documentation you refer to reflect the referral of only juveniles or all potential participants? I think a facility accepting juveniles would need to be licensed by a state agency….
The “minor” in the headline referred to minor offenses. The facility is strictly for adults, not juveniles. I went back and changed “minor” to “non-violent.” Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the heads-up. And yes, they do have to agree but who would choose jail over practically any alternative?
Mr. Hemmings is right whether the participants are juveniles or adults. Another word for indentured servants could be slaves.
As for licensing, state employees don’t cross Jindal and keep their jobs. Even Legislators who should be protected by the separation of powers are run by Jindal through henchmen, Alario and Kleckley. How difficult would licensing be for a major contributor?
Another great exposé! and a great example of the campaign practices/Ethics board, passed under a hapless legislature, which in effect just secured a legal(?) way to raise money and limit how much lobbyists had to pay for lunch. What a joke! thanks ron Thompson
And some people have said that EWE was a crook and his administration was corrupt? I believe EWE should be a candidate for sainthood when compared to this crooked governor and his corrupt administration and his control of the legislature and everything connected with our state. Can’t wait for his term to be finished so that John Bel Edwards can begin to clean up this corruption.
Didn’t Booby Swindal guarantee 100 percent occupancy in this contract?
It was 96 percent for the private prisons but this is not a private prison and there is no contract with the state. This is similar to a halfway house established and run by a Jindal supporter to whom Jindal was trying to send business through a state directive. Very questionable and something that just doesn’t pass the smell test.
Louisiana…looking more & more like a third-rate Third World country. Imagine these people in charge of totally privatized prisons with no oversight! I hope that our new federal prosecutor gets right back on the trail of routing public corruption as did his predecessor – a Republican I actually liked! Ken Polite could have a field day & easily build a notable career here in Louisiana in no time – just by following the trail of all of Tom’s research. So much ongoing corruption is hiding in plain sight! Once again, thanks, Tom!
Peggy Schwarz
I worked for Probation and Parole for 8 long years. It was common practice for agents to be ordered to refer offenders to certain programs that were created and operated by connected people. Probation and Parole is a drain on tax dollars that serves no real purpose. The main function is not supervision of offenders, but as a collection agency. Agents are punished for failing to meet monthly collection goals and for failing to meet referral goals. If the agency as a whole were to be abolished today, the public would not notice. Public safety is NOT a concern of P&P. Their main concern is collecting money.
I would be most interested in talking with anyone familiar with this practice and would also love to talk to former residents of ATS. Names of anyone who comes forward will not be revealed…ever.
louisianavoice@cox.net
I think all of you should visit ats ,and I would be glad to answer any of your questions. I also would like for anybody to produce a contract, or any payments from any government agency. Lee Mallett
I want to personally invite you to ATS.
1. No contract with anyone.
2. ATS has never received any money; state locally or federal.
3. If I’m so well connected, why do I have 50 empty beds and had 50 empty beds for 4 years.
4. Go to our website and see what we are doing to help these young men change their lives.
We received no money to build the facility, no money to run the facility and no money to house the residents. We have full time job locators, we offer a 3rd party counselors with New Horizons for drug and alcohol treatment, GED classes, anger management classes, alcohol testing daily, random drug testing weekly, drug dogs monthly. We create an atmosphere to change young men’s lives.
I don’t get paid to anything to be on LSU Board of Supervisors. I didn’t ask. The governor asked and I accepted. About giving away money. This is America and I can give money to whatever cause I deem fit. I choose to try to elect people who share my views.
On the issue, I get free labor. On the contrary, they are paid based on their skill set; at least minimum wage; some make minimum wage, some $10 or 15 per hour; but no one works for free. If they were free men, they would have to pay for room and board, food, transportation, etc. They also get 12 hours of counseling per week as part of their fee which would normally cost $1200.00 a week. In fact, I forgive debt every week because a lot can’t reach that threshold.
The person that mentioned slavery, isn’t it better to have them pay their debt to society for committing a crime in a facility that tries to change them for the better, then a jail or penitentiary that does not offer any of those services other than locked up like a dog. The ATS is set up just like an army; we call them cadets.
The ATS does have oversight. The Dept. of Correction and American Correctional Association. They also passed a law specifically for ATS. Called Judicial Referral Act. Go to our website and you can read the act.
Once again, everyone is invited to come and tour the facility and talk with the cadets.
And If you would like reach me, this is my cell phone is 337/515-2154.
Best Regards,
Lee Mallett
I’d love to see your facility and how this system works. Your generosity overwhelms me. I certainly hope these young men are treated as well as you let on.
As a taxpayer I find it offensive that you give to political candidates at the levels that you do, with your history of receiving Federal Farm subsidies.
Group tour of ATS anyone?
Jenny
Mr. Mallett,
I have someone that I would like to get into your facility, he’s a journeyman electrician (15 years experience with Turner and CB&I) first time offense. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.
Kristy