Utah Prisoner Advocate Network

06/17/2026

A law forces people in federal prisons to file grievances before they can sue in court. But less than 2% of filings are granted.

06/17/2026

📢 Opportunity for Nonprofits & Early-Career Advocates: Claude Corps

Anthropic — the company behind Claude AI — just launched Claude Corps, a national fellowship program that places AI-skilled fellows inside nonprofits for a full year to help advance their missions.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Fellows receive training on using Claude in nonprofit settings
• They work full-time, in-person at host organizations for 12 months
• Anthropic covers their $85,000 salary and benefits
• Host orgs get dedicated AI capacity — at no cost

The program is backed by a $150 million initial commitment from Anthropic , and over the next 12 months, at least 400 nonprofits will host Claude Corps Fellows. 

This is a real opportunity — both for nonprofits like ours that could benefit from this kind of support, and for young advocates who want to build AI skills while doing meaningful work in the social justice space.

🗓️ Application deadlines:

• Fellows (under 2 years full-time experience): Apply by July 17 for the October 2026 cohort
• Host organizations: Applications open now on a rolling basis

🔗 Learn more and apply: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-corps

If you know someone early in their career who cares about criminal justice reform, prisoner rights, or advocacy work — share this with them. This could be a career-defining opportunity.

We’re launching Claude Corps, a national fellowship program for people early in their careers who are passionate about extending the benefits of AI to communities across America.

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in May against the Utah Department of Corrections is receiving significant media attention tonight. KUTV 2News Investigates reporter Wendy Halloran published an exclusive investigation this evening into allegations that two female incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake City were sexually assaulted by two male correctional officers, and that prison leadership may have taken steps to conceal those assaults rather than address them.

We want our community to be aware of this story. Here is a brief summary of what has been reported:

According to the lawsuit and the KUTV investigation, two correctional officers, Spencer Kilpack and Sione Tuipulotu, are named in the complaint. Kilpack was terminated by UDC Executive Director Jared Garcia in August 2025 following findings of policy violations. Tuipulotu remains suspended with pay while an investigation continues. The lawsuit also raises serious questions about whether a parole action taken shortly after the allegations came to light was connected to an effort to silence one of the victims. An independent investigation is reportedly being conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation.

UDC has stated it maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and that accessible reporting channels are available to incarcerated individuals.

If you or someone you know may have experienced something similar:

PREA (the Prison R**e Elimination Act) exists specifically to protect incarcerated individuals from sexual abuse and retaliation. If you believe you have information relevant to this case, or have experienced similar treatment, you may want to speak with an attorney.

UPAN does not provide legal advice, but we are here to help connect you with resources and listen. You can reach us at [email protected].

We stand with survivors. Safety and accountability inside Utah’s correctional facilities matter, and we will continue to follow this story closely.

Read the full KUTV investigation here:

Accusations of abuse of power and a cover-up inside the Utah State Prison (USCF) in Salt Lake City are at the center of a civil rights action and a 2News exclus

06/09/2026

The idea of "Clean Slate" laws is to help streamline the process of sealing or clearing past arrest and conviction records for those who have served their sentence, remain crime-free and are otherwise eligible. Every state already has laws on the books for such record-clearing, but the process is complicated and requires people to navigate a knotty legal system. https://cnn.it/4o81MyL

06/09/2026

When someone gets released after incarceration, finding consistent employment can be a challenge. But that employment can be instrumental to a successful reentry into the community.

Second Chance employment opportunities are a critical component of the Utah Department of Corrections' strategy to bridge the gap from incarceration to reentry and rehabilitation.

Events like these help organize support for individuals transitioning from correctional facilities as well as those currently on probation and parole.

Utah Department of Corrections partnered with The Other Side Village to gather existing and possible future second chance employers as part of “Bee” the Change in Workforce Opportunity Symposium.

This symposium is designed to establish high-trust partnerships between employers and a potentially untapped pool of talent. By building a foundation for sustained employment and bridging the empathy gap through education, the Utah Department of Corrections provides employers with a hiring pipeline backed by a robust support network.

When someone gets released after incarceration, finding consistent ...

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

One day after the city and county filed a lawsuit of their own, more legal action is being taken with the hopes of stopping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from converting a warehouse in Salt Lake City into a large-scale immigration detention center.

Uproar Utah filed a formal notice to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of its intent to sue, arguing that ICE did not conduct environmental, administrative, and public reviews as required by the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environment Policy Act.

Read: https://www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/uproar-utah-ice-warehouse-detention-facility/