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| Prison Spy: I Was Tricked; No Way, Say Investigators |
| By Salt Lake Tribune |
| Published: 11/14/2001 |
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Inmate Rory Dean used to believe that being a secret informant at Utah State Prison would earn him what he coveted most: his freedom. But the convicted thief now contends his spying duties for state Department of Corrections administrators extended his stay behind bars -- and made it more harsh. The 42-year-old prisoner says he was the key insider who helped expose, among other plots, breaches of computer security by prison inmates three years ago and an alleged plan to rape and murder a female officer. For his undercover efforts, Dean says, prison investigators promised during the summer of 1998 to set him free within 10 days. 'I am the only man that did that [computer] investigation for them,' Dean said. 'After I did what they said, they reneged on me.' Dean has taken his tale of betrayal to U.S. District Court, where he sued two prison investigators and one of his officer supervisors in June. He alleges they violated his civil rights and subjected him to cruel and unusual punishment by leaving him in the general inmate population with the prisoners he claims to have exposed. Corrections officials spread the word that he was a 'snitch' -- the most dangerous label an inmate can wear -- and an inmate gave him a black eye, he says. But state attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge David Sam to dismiss Dean's suit, asserting he was revealed as a snitch by another inmate, not by prison officials. Assistant Attorney General Alain Balmanno also contends Dean never provided information officials did not already know, and denies Dean was promised an early release. Corrections officials acknowledge they recruit and rely on prisoners to foil criminal plots, from exposing how drugs or weapons are being smuggled into Utah State Prison to revealing a group's plans to murder a rival gang member. In exchange for such life-risking efforts, prisoners can be paroled early. Dozens of Utah prisoners broker these agreements each year, and all early releases are approved by Board of Pardons Chairman Mike Sibbett and a top Corrections official. Dean did meet with prison investigators, but they found his offerings were untrue, so they never cut a deal for him, said Corrections spokesman Jack Ford. While Corrections officials would not confirm what information Dean gave prison investigators, his claim to have averted an attack on a female employee is simply untrue, Ford said. But Sibbett contradicts the administration's portrayal of Dean as having provided only useless intelligence. The Board of Pardons has, in fact, exercised leniency toward Dean, Sibbett said. Dean's next hearing to consider placing him on parole was moved one year earlier, to July 2003, because of his competent work, Sibbett said. 'Obviously, he gave good information -- we cut 12 months off' his parole hearing date, Sibbett said. 'That's a good cut. It's a rare day that we cut 12 months off.' |
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