| PRISON ACTIVIST
RESOURSE CENTER
High Desert State Prison Hunger Strike! PARC has received an alert that the Z Unit at High Desert State Prison has begun a massive hunger strike in response to unsanitary food and other health conditions that violate the California Department of Corrections regulations: PLEASE SEND LETTERS OF CONCERN TO THE WARDEN HIGH DESERT PRISON
(address below)
MARCH 1,2009: the residents of Z Unit estimated 150-170 convicts began a mass hunger strike to protest both treatment and conditions. This hunger strike is a remarkable event in that it is rare for so many convicts to come together in protest. All races are participating in this hunger strike. THE ISSUES ARE: FOOD: Z Unit meals are prepared by PC’s aka SNY’s (Special Needs Yards). These people are informants, rapists, child killers, etc., that general population will not allow to “walk the line”, in that they will be assaulted/killed. Consequently PC’s have huge resentments towards general population convicts, and it is a known documented fact that when they are given the task of preparing general population’s meals they often put feces and/or other bodily fluids in the food. Appeals have been made through the “602 process” to get Administration to remedy this situation to no avail, bringing about the staging of non-violent protest. THIS IS A HEALTH ISSUE. TRANSFERS: People get stuck in Z Unit for years waiting fir transfers to a SHU facility. Prisoners that have been sentenced to SHU terms are not allowed SHU privileges. LAUNDRY: Z Unit inmates are not given full laundry exchange every week as is set forth as a regulation in the DOM. (The “DOM” is the CDCR’s book that sets forth Rules & Regulations and Operating Procedure that dictates how, what, when, where and why inmates get or don’t get anything. It also sets forth the rules governing the daily operations of the state prisons. It is also known as “Departmental Operations Manual”.) Often inmates get no laundry exchange for two to three weeks running. TV/RADIOS: It has been set forth in a California Court that administrative
segregation environments pose a real threat to inmates’ mental health and
so ordered CDC to allow all ad-seg inmates to possess either a TV or a
radio. This has also been set forth in the DOM Z Unit is the
only ad-seg in the State of California to not comply with this court order,
and has claimed exemption due to the cost of furnishing cells in Z Unit
with electrical outlets and in-cell fire extinguishers which are required
by California Building Code. Appeals have been made continuously
for the past three years through the 602 process to get the High Desert
Administration to comply with this court order, to no avail. THIS
IS A MENTAL HEALTH
PROPERTY: It has been set forth in the “DOM” that inmates being removed from mainline facilities be allowed to possess/collect from personal property all food that remains sealed in the original packages; also are allowed to retain cosmetics, soaps, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. Z Unit refuses to comply with this DOM regulation, even though requested many times to comply. They refuse to even acknowledge that this rule exists. Z Unit Staff has already begun retaliations over the peaceful protest; conducting cell searches in one section confiscating personal food purchased by inmates through the canteen. This also is in violation of the DOM. High Desert CDCR Staff has little or no regard for the Rules and Regulations set forth by legislation, the Courts, and legally promulgated by the CDCR itself, creating an atmosphere of lawlessness that is not only not discouraged but actively encouraged by HDSP Administration in their continued refusal to address these valid legal claims and their refusal to instruct these officers to comply with the Rules and Regulations set forth in the DOM. PLEASE SEND LETTERS OF CONCERN
Prison gang leader to spend life behind bars The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO—One of the top three leaders of the Mexican Mafia prison gang has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty in a federal racketeering case. Forty-seven-year-old Raul Leon, formerly of San Diego, was sentenced Friday in federal court. He was already serving a life sentence for murder. Leon had pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges after being named in a sweeping 2006 indictment that targeted the gang. In his plea, Leon admitted taking part in the 2002 fatal stabbing of another prison inmate at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. The Mexican Mafia controls criminal activity on the street through its influence on California street gangs. ——— Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.signonsandiego.com
Pups on Parole program celebrates its success
Aug. 5, 2008 — The Pups on Parole program, a partnership between the California Correctional Center and the Lassen County Humane Society, saves endangered dogs, helps with inmate rehabilitation and provides an opportunity for the dogs to enjoy a happy life. The program celebrated its success at the CCC Fire Station on Monday, July 28. According to Lt. Scott Porter, administrative assistant at CCC, 41 dogs with issues that made them undesirable for adoption have gone through the program and have found homes. Porter said the dogs get one-on-one training from the inmates at the prison’s fire station and get attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although the dogs come to the prison with troubling issues, when the leave they are “up to speed, adoptable, trained and well-mannered pups. All the dogs would have been euthanized had they not been selected to participate in the Pups on Parole program. Kathy Prosper, CCC’s warden, presented a plaque featuring pictures of all 41 of the adopted animals to Mary Morphis, president of the Lassen Humane Society. According to Porter, Prosper and Ron Barnes, CCC’s acting warden, both fully support the program that puts dogs and inmates together. When Prosper retires, Porter said Barnes has pledged to continue to support the program. A new batch of six dogs arrived at the prison during Monday’s celebration. The dogs are matched with a primary trainer and a secondary trainer who work with the dogs to help them become adoptable. Other inmates also help with the dogs. For more information on the Pups on Parole program, call the Lassen
Humane Society at 257-4555.
Bad meat at CCC recalled
According to a press release from CCC, the California Prison Industry Authority received a recall notification letter from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino, Calif. According to the recall letter, the United States Department of Agriculture classified raw and frozen meat from the company as a Class II product recall. The recall covered all the beef products processed by the company since Feb. 1, 2006. A Class II product recall is defined as being, “A health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of this product.” According to the release from CCC, the institution “complied to the recall and returned 3,866 pounds of breakfast links, soy/beef patties, soy/beef bulk, and Salisbury patties.” Correctional Lt. Scott Porter, an administrative assistant at CCC, said the institution investigated its food inventories once the recall letter was received, and the food was removed from the prison. “When we discovered we had food on the recall list, we immediately sent it back,” Porter said. According to a Feb. 18, story in the New York Times, Westland/Hallmark recalled 143 million pounds of beef products, including some that were used in school lunch programs. The investigation into the plant’s food-processing practices began when an undercover video surfaced on Jan. 30, showing workers kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk. According to the New York Times, “Agriculture officials said there was little health risk from the recalled meat because the animals had already passed pre-slaughter inspection and much of the meat had already been eaten.” According to the USDA’s Web site, the federal agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a notice of suspension on Feb. 4, based on the meat company’s “failure to maintain and implement controls to prevent the inhumane handling and slaughter of animals at the facility required by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service regulations and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act … The suspension will remain in effect and the plant will be unable to operate until written corrective actions are submitted and verified by FSIS to ensure that animals are handled and slaughtered humanely.” According to the Web site cattlenetwork.com, other retail food companies also are being snared in the recall because they use beef products processed by the Chino company and were pulling “tens of thousands” of cases of products off store shelves “because they contain beef from suppliers that themselves were supplied by Hallmark/Westland. The Web site economist.com reported, “The agriculture department says there is no cause for alarm. Most of the meat was eaten long ago, and no one is known to have been made ill by it. But it is an additional blow to an industry with more than its share of troubles.” The Westland/Hallmark Meat Company’s recall notification letter, dated Feb. 22, said the Chino facility is “voluntarily recalling all raw/frozen beef products because the product may contain foreign material/non-microbial contamination.” The recall implicates “all products produced by this establishment #336 from Feb. 1, 2006 up to and including Feb. 15, 2008.” The company listed the following brands as being subject to the recall:
Regal Brand, Westland Brand, Hallmark Brand and King Meat Brand Establishment
#336.
Influenza outbreak hits prisons hard
Early last week, a CCC official reported the prison was on quarantine status. But on Thursday, Feb. 14, Matt Mullin, the prison’s associate warden, said the prison was operating normally except for the dorms that house flu-stricken inmates. HDSP has limited the movement of all inmates and suspended all visits to inmates. Dennis Gunter, a spokesman for HDSP, said the two institutions are cooperating with each other to limit the spread of the virus. He said the medical staffs from both prisons are moving back and forth to provide health care and education to inmates and staff. According to a press release from HDSP, the influenza outbreak was first identified on the HDSP Minimum Support Facility on Tuesday, Feb. 5. All movement in and out of the facility was suspended that day. All staff and inmates were notified of the outbreak and everyone was advised to utilize universal precautions, including, but not limited to, frequent hand washing to minimize exposure. As of Monday, Feb. 11, multiple inmates on every facility at HDSP had been identified with symptoms of influenza. Medical staff has been screening the inmates, providing treatment to the ill inmates, and has been administering the influenza vaccine to all inmates and staff on a voluntary basis. This process began on Monday, Feb. 11, and will continue until completed. Movement of inmates has been restricted at this time until further notice in order to limit exposure to the rest of the institution. As of Wednesday, Feb. 13, approximately 216 inmates, and 20 staff have been identified as having the signs and symptoms of flu. The following restriction have been put in place at HDSP until further notice: •Inmate movement on or off any facility at HDSP to other areas of the prison will be under emergency conditions only with direct facility medical involvement and consent prior to the move. •Visiting has been suspended for all inmates at HDSP. •Staff and inmates have been advised to utilize universal precautions, including, but not limited to, frequent hand washing to minimize exposure. •Staff are required to continually monitor the inmate population and immediately notify medical personnel if they become aware of an inmate who has influenza symptoms. •To minimize exposures, frequent cleaning throughout the institution has been implemented. •Inmate movement via transfer in/out, including the Reception Center, is closed until further notice. •Staff have been advised to report to their supervisor if they come down with symptoms of the flu. CCC
“We’re trying to nip it in the bud,” Porter said. “Every year when flu season comes around and the flu bug starts to hit, we try to keep it as contained as possible, but it’s tough. Porter said the institution was educating staff to try and keep the flu from spreading from the prison to the community. Staff members are being trained to cover their coughs and are learning proper hand-washing procedures. Although the flu reportedly is going around in Susanville as well, Porter said the prison didn’t want employees to take the illness home to their families. “We’re trying to keep contact to a minimum,” Porter said. On Saturday, Feb. 9, Sierra Unit Dorm 57 was placed on quarantine as a result of exposure to the flu. On Feb. 11, a new case of flu was diagnosed on Sierra Dorm 66, which also was placed on quarantine. On Feb. 12, numerous additional cases diagnosed and Sierra Dorm 56 and Cascade Dorms 05 and 28 were placed on quarantine. Porter said each dorm houses 32 men and there are 38 dorms in each unit. Mullin said the quarantine affects about 110 inmates at CCC.
Prisons deal with flu outbreak
Susanville’s two prisons — the California Correctional Center and High Desert State Prison — are fighting the influenza virus. Early in the week, a CCC official reported the prison was on quarantine status. But on Thursday, Feb. 14, Matt Mullin, the prison’s associate warden, said the prison is operating normally except for the dorms that house flu-stricken inmates. Mullin said the quarantine affects about 110 inmates at CCC, but only 12-15 cases of flu have been reported. The outbreak is worse at HDSP which has limited the movement of all
inmates and suspended all visits to inmates
post here about the above article http://www.lassennews.com/email_us.edi --------------------------------
I found some posts in January at another website about the Norovirus, but God only knows what is really traveling through these prisons, epidemics are an ongoing problem. For those who already have weakened immune systems, the flu can be deadly, but what disease could this be that CDCr doesn't want anyone to know about? Trust nothing, question everything Have other sons of UNION members been given shots? Look for drug experimentation on the prisoners at all times. The snow is on the ground at High Desert and CCC but the prisoners are wearing clothing about the weight of a Halloween costume. The Governor took their warm clothing sent by family members away from them - is it any wonder that they are ill? Names of any prisoners who have died during this outbreak, evidence of the type of shots, do you have family contact information? Rumors must be verified. How many people in the UNION have a loved one at High Desert or CCC? We never know what horror might happen at any given prison, which is why you are always building our picket teams. When the emergency arrives, it's too late to start to organize. Filth diseases are something that can be prevented but you have to make incredible noise to the media with your letters to the editor for the lawmakers to hear us. Rev. Cayenne
http://www.theradionetwork.com/news.html (SUSANVILLE) High Desert State Prison and units of
CCC on the Cascade and Sierra yards are still in quarantine mode this morning
due to a flu outbreak. That's according to a member of senior staff at
CCC.
The flu has been spreading through the department of corrections for a while now... back in December... 44 inmates at Ione's Mule Creek State Prison were sick, two having to go to outside hospitals... Four inmates transferred from Deuel to the California Rehabilitation Center in Southern California grew ill, and so did an officer... 11 inmates at Wasco State Prison in Kern County came down with the symptoms... and ten inmates at Folsom State Prison near Sacramento complained of symptoms. Locally... it could be a case of norovirus... a menacing flu that leaves its victims with symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea for a day or two... and has spread to at least four other prisons... that's according to Terry Thornton, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman. ***
Prison Riot Said Caused by Ignorant Decision
Last month, there was a riot at High Desert prison near Susanville, California. (see Prison Riot at Susanville, Prison Town USA ) Initial reports from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not state the reasons for the riot, although it was suspected that it may have been gang-related. The Department said approximately 75 prisoners were involved and that they were "predominantly black and hispanic". Those initial reports also stated the injuries were stab wounds, but unsubstantiated reports at the time said at least one inmate was shot. It is now known that one inmate was shot in the hip. That inmate was not taken to the hospital immediately, but to the prison infirmary. That would be understandable for a life-threatening injury that needed to be stabilized. What is strange is that the injury was not reported at the same time as the othrs. Sources close to the prison heard the riot started because Black inmates were moved into a dangerous area, controlled by "Nortenos", a Southern California hispanic gang. Some of the Black inmates protested, refusing to go because they knew it would cause trouble. A Sergeant Correctional Officer concurred, but the Lieutenant who ordered the relocation overruled the Sergeant and the protestors. The black inmates were then forcibly "relocated" to the Nortenos' area. The stage for a riot was set because the officer, who should have known better, ignored the warnings of big trouble if these inmates were moved to the "Nortenos" turf. As predicted, a huge fight broke out. Even the inmate in the wheelchair was beaten but not severely enough to be sent to the hospital. Others inmates were not so lucky. Several inmates required treatment for cuts and bruises and one was shot by a Correctional Officer from the tower. That inmate's hip was shattered and he is still in a Reno hospital. It is thought that he will more than likely lose the use of his leg. The damage is so severe that the Doctors will not attempt any more reconstructive surgery because of the risk of clots and infection. The damage is too extensive for repair. It is possible he may die. It is said the man was shot was because he refused to stop "stomping" another inmate who was down and couldn't defend himself. The inmate that he was "stomping" was one of the men that attacked him so he probably felt he was acting in self-defense. We are told that prison rules state that if an inmate continues to assault another inmate after being ordered to stop he may be fired upon with lethal force. Apparently, he was ordered to stop but did not. Now, if he lives, he will be crippled and may be sentenced to a very long prison term, which is ironic because only three months of his original term remained. His case may hinge upon the claim that he was ordered to stop. The other black inmates involved are filing a lawsuit against the Department for not heeding their warnings about the move. Assuming that is true, it remains to be seen whether the Office of Internal Affairs serves a complaint on the Lieutenant. For that to happen, citizens (includes inmates) must file a Citizen Complaint, requiring an investigation take place, or a Grand Jury Complaint may be filed. [Note correction received: Nortenos are actually a Northern California gang, not Southern California (Serranos are the Nortenos' SoCal rival gang).]
Prison Riot at Susanville, Prison Town USA
A prison riot started Saturday, at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville, California. The riot reportedly resulted in several prisoners being sent to local hospitals in California and Reno, Nevada. KOLO8 TV in Reno reported that "The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says about 75 prisoners, predominantly black and hispanic, were involved in the clash." The Department reported the injuries were stab wounds, but unsubstantiated reports said at least one inmate was shot. It is not yet known why the riot started or if it was gang-related. Apparently there have been multiple riots within the past few weeks. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website has not yet reported the incident. Susanville was labeled "Prison Town USA" by a recent 75-minute documentary, shown on PBS, because it is home to three prisons and a jail. Susanville is approximately 85 miles north west of Reno, on highway 395.
August 7, 2007 Press Advisory I have this report out of High Desert at Susanville Mike Ingraham K64125
Inmates report three people were killed and seven injured in the riot.
Susanville prison fight injures six SUSANVILLE (AP) -- Prison officials were investigating an interracial fight at the High Desert State Prison that sent six maximum-security inmates to hospitals over the weekend. A tower guard trying to stop the fight shot a seventh inmate, Jamal Walker, in the hip. Walker was being treated at the prison infirmary, said Bill Sessa, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officers reported that they saw Walker repeatedly kicking another inmate in the head while he was on the ground before one of them fired at him. About 70 black and Hispanic inmates were involved in the fight that began in an exercise yard about 10:30 a.m. Saturday and lasted just four minutes, he said. Tower guards fired three warning shots, then three shots aimed at inmates, hitting one man, Sessa said. Guards in the towers and on the ground also fired projectiles designed to knock inmates down. No prison employees were injured. Two inmates were taken to a Reno trauma center and four to a Susanville hospital, Sessa said. Five of the six were being treated for stab wounds, the sixth after he complained of chest pains and heart problems.
August 2, 2007 A little more on the riot at High Desert, Susanville. A Sargent set the stage for this riot after ignoring advice that moving some black inmates to a section of the prison where "Nortenos" were housed would ignite a fight. Thre blacks protested but their pleas went unheeded. Some even refused to go but were forced by prison officials. (COs) Sure enough, the "riot" occured as predicted. Several inmates were injured, one very seriously. His hip was shattered by a round from the guard tower and may not regain the use of that leg again. This all happened on "C" yard and they are still on lockdown. I heard the man with the serious hip injury was finally taken to a Reno Hospital so the journalists should update their stories to SEVEN HOSPITALIZED. Will keep you posted if there is anything further. Reliable Source
Comments Posted by Iknowitall on July 31, 2007 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal) Sounds to me like the guards need a little more weapons training. If three shots were fired at inmates, there should have been three bodys on the ground, not one. Posted by T57 on July 31, 2007 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal) If they want to fight and make the choice to be in the fight, let them make the choice to suffer after the fight. Then again someone would sue because of they had not be put there to begin with none of this would have happen to them. The space is needed for those in Shasta County jail that have been covivted of murder and child rape. Prison fights might be the answer to opening up needed space. Yeah, yeah I know it is sarcasm folks. It amazes me that these events happen. How many of them will whine about having their sentence increased? Posted by linda1005 on August 1, 2007 at 6:16 a.m. (Suggest removal) Here's my answer: put the troublemakers together in 1 (one) cell, arm them with shanks & shives and let them cut one another into ribbons. Hence, room will be available for Shata County dirtbags! Posted by Wendy59 on August 1, 2007 at 6:22 a.m. (Suggest removal) For the most part, all a prison guard is, is a babysitter. The prisons are like one big daycare and they [prison guards] basically just protect them from each other. I agree T57, if they want to fight, then fight it out and live with the consequences. And since they're so tough that they can play with sharp objects - take care of your own wounds! Posted by Another_Anonymous on August 1, 2007 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal) So long as the guards shoot the "winners" after its over. LOL Posted by chazridd on August 1, 2007 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal) Gee I went on line to the Reno Gazette Journal yesterday and read this story. I get a lot stories from them before the Pony Express finally makes it over here. Posted by shasta47 on August 1, 2007 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal) There is a lot of that going on getting worse. I have friends who work in that prison and another back East. The North and South Mexcio Hispanics fight amongst themselves and are racist against blacks for turf...they hate the whites too. I bet you they are the MS-13s aka Mara Salvatrucha 13 which is the head of the snake of the Hispanic gangs. Their in 51 states and 5 countries and growing. Trouble is young Hispanics (i.e. anchors) not always Salvadorian, are joining this gang(s). They take their attitudes from the streets into the prisons. From what I am told they initiate these attacks against the blacks on the streets and in prisons Posted by tinman12 on August 1, 2007 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal) Let them fight until there is only one man left alive then let the guards have a little target practice. They are in prison because they are animals and cannot function in a free society. As taxpayers we owe them nothing but we owe it to ourselves to clean up our own society by disposing of this human vermin. Posted by srred on August 1, 2007 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal) These guys are people to. Yes they have done something wrong and that is why they are in prision, but they do not deserve to get treated the way you people are talking about. You need to remember that these guys are someones son, brother, father, husband, or boyfriend. There are a few int here that like to start trouble and yes they should be punished for that. The thing is most of the guys in there just want to do their time as quietly as possible and then get home to their families. The few that start the trouble should not be lumped together with the majority of the ones that stay out of trouble and do what they are suppose to do. By you saying that they should kill each other and the last one standing should be killed by the CO's you are not much better than they are. You never know when one of those guys could be one of your loved ones and then I am sure you ideas will change in a heart beat. Posted by David_J on August 1, 2007 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal) I completely agree with everyone eles's comments on these scum. I've heard that the average amount of money spent on an inmate is around $85,000/yr., and 80% of all law suits in the U.S. are generated from inmates that have nothing else to do except file suites all day long. Churchill once said 'the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of the civilization of any country ... [these actions] mark and measure the stored-up strength of a nation, and are the sign and proof of the living virtue in it'. I for one feel that we should summarily execute violent crime offenders and make prision more uncomfortable to all the other crime offenders. First off by taking away their rights to legal representation while in prison completely and then take away their rights to indiscrimenent healthcare use while in jail! Posted by crosemeyer on August 1, 2007 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal) shasta47: 51 states? Have I missed something? Posted by SNIEWINSKI on August 1, 2007 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal) LOL... I was thinking the same thing crosemeyer. Posted by shasta47 on August 1, 2007 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal) Department of Justice
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MS-13 Spreads to Canada
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MS-13 gang seeks to unite nationwide
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll... page 2
"There are an estimated 20,000 members associated with 125 cliques in the U.S. alone. As of 2003, DEA and FBI officials have located groups in 30 states, plus the District." Posted by tinman12 on August 1, 2007 at 2:23 p.m. (Suggest removal) gee, srred, I bet your attitude would be different if one of those sons, brother, husband, father or boyfriend killed one of your family members.They are inmates for a specific reason and that is they are not normal, nice model citizens. Posted by shasta47 on August 1, 2007 at 2:25 p.m. (Suggest removal) OK so it was 30 states not 51. My bad. That was awhile back wonder how many states have them now. Meanwhile, if we merge with Mexico and Canada where can they deport these people to? More prisons less time against minor violators would be the only solution Posted by shasta47 on August 1, 2007 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal) I posted the links below wrong so try these Department of Justice
WWW.USDOJ.GOV http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/June/07... Posted by KAP on August 1, 2007 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal) Yes, I think we'd all agree that child rapists and murderers belong in prison. But the great majority of men in prison are NOT violent offenders. In fact, of the top ten reasons for incarceration only 1, the 6th, is in for a violent crime (assault with a deadly weapon.) The others are drugs, robbery or burglary. The great majority are also under 25 when they commit their offense. Also it costs about 30,000 to keep a person in prison per year, not 85,000. Additionally, in the last decade the crime rate has dropped 16%, but we're imprisoning 33% more people. And yes, I have worked in a prison. And yes, I have a loved one who was murdered. Posted by nessiegirl1979 on August 1, 2007 at 9:53 p.m. (Suggest removal) wow srred, perhaps you are so defensive because a friend or relative of yours is serving time? Or maybe it's your treehugger way of life? Would you like to personally sponsor an inmate to help with soaring costs? The last study claimed an inmate was costing $60,000 a year and I'm sure it is more than that by now. These guys put themselves in prison to start with, nobody put them in there but themselves. Proud wife of a c.o. who has to deal with these losers on a daily basis. Posted by shasta47 on August 1, 2007 at 10:41 p.m. (Suggest removal) Some women and/or men are inmate groupies. They get all the love with these bored men and/or women inmates that they cannot get from the free world. But you know it costs them they get scammed one way or another. I pity the poor children of these idiots in lockdown that not only screwed up their lives but everyone they touch. I also pity those whose parents choose to get involved with an inmate Posted by Jessikah on August 2, 2007 at 2:07 p.m. (Suggest removal) Shasta47 -- your hate-filled head is making you forget common sense (and how to write proper English). I bet you're a bigger danger to society than most people in prison today. Posted by shasta47 on August 2, 2007 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal) Oh did I hurt Jessikah's poor sensitivities? If my English is so bad
how could you respond? Did I not see you wailing against English as a first
language in America in another thread?
Posted by iwrite4right on August 2, 2007 at 6:15 p.m. (Suggest removal) Tinman12, I know that there are a lot of people who think as you do, but there are a growing number of people who are realizing that the path of fear, punishment and vindictive revenge or retaliation begets more of the same in a society, but the path of love, forgiveness, and healing can improve individuals and the society as a whole. Granted, there are individuals who are most likely beyond help, and yes society needs to be protected from them, but there are many others who can be redeemed. Consider the word penitentiary. It has the same root is the words penance or penitence, which have to do with feeling regret, remorse and sorrow for sins, wrongdoings, or offenses. Penance or penitence can be the beginning of a process of forgiveness and healing provided the people involved are open to it. The results of such a process, sometimes called restorative justice, can not only heal the perpetrator but also those concerned with carrying out justice. I recommend a book to you, Tinman12, entitled, "The Five Things You Cannot Change . . . and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them" by David Richo. One of the five givens, as he calls them, is “Life is not always fair.” On retaliation, Richo writes, “Retaliation does not balance things since it harms the soul of the retaliator and creates a more severe imbalance. Socrates noticed this peril and wrote: ‘It is better to suffer an injustice than to commit one.’ This is because the body and mind are damaged by injustice from others, but it is our own soul that is damaged by revenge.” Posted by shasta47 on August 2, 2007 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal) Sure enough iwrite4right the inmates will have feelings of regret, remorse
and sorrow for their sins, wrongdoings, or offenses;
You say "an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind"
"Be granted the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and to have the wisdom to know the difference" Posted by iwrite4right on August 2, 2007 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal) shasta47, Retaliation and punishment come from the same source, the remnants of the reptilian brain that still affect fear-based “survival” behavior in modern-day humans. There is no evidence that the prospect of punishment deters crimes of passion, crimes of the mentally ill, or the desperate crimes of the drug addict. Nor does the possibility of punishment deter the calculated crimes of career criminals because they think they are too smart to get caught or their egos thrive on risk taking. Prison in itself is punishment; medical neglect, isolating the mentally ill in the SHU, and the demeaning, cruel, and sometimes tortuous treatment of prisoners by rogue guards all go far beyond what any reasonable person would consider just punishment. It is interesting that you quoted the Serenity Prayer. Can you accept that mental illness cannot be punished out of someone? Do you have the courage to change your hateful, vengeful attitude? Do you have the wisdom to know the difference between these two challenges? Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal) iwrite4right I believe that you are a bleeding heart which is part of
the problem in America today; we have gone way overboard in our leniency
towards illegal immigrants as well as allowing violent criminals to be
released too soon only to commit crimes.
Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal) I had to look up this SHU that iwrite4right spoke of. Once again you
can thank Reagan for eliminating the mental hospitals. The ones that exist
in California have a waiting list for transferee's from local jails/mental
hospitals. The only difference, say at Napa or Atascadero, is they get
day centers with arts and crafts within the compound which prisons lack.
http://www.aclu.org/prison/conditions/14... Posted by realsimple778 on August 3, 2007 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal) To Shasta47
This thread is very typical of the views and attitudes that necessitated a federal takeover of the prisons. This empire building isn't being done to protect the public safety. There are no statistics anywhere that prisons do one thing to protect your family. There is plenty of solid evidence that people are returning to their communities much sicker. From the comments you've made that condone cruelty to people's family members, I suggest you have your own mental illness checked out before you find yourself behind bars. These comments are coming from a violent soul. I for one do not want my tax dollars used to hire thugs that punish sick people. Hospitals are healing places and much preferred alternative to prisons in the minds of thinking people. I would like you to define a "gang" - because the fearmongering taking place by law enforcement labor unions over the dreaded "gangs" is just what has turned them into the most dreaded gang of all. What is a gang? Isn't CCPOA a gang? The federal judges have already said that the legislators are a gang who are breaking the laws. Why not put everyone in a cage that is murdering people in prison by medical neglect? Or does the law, in your twisted mind, apply only to the poor and uneducated who are easy to oppress so knuckledraggers can get paid far more money than they're worth? Posted by realsimple778 on August 3, 2007 at 2:58 p.m. (Suggest removal) To Bubba You ask if we modern day humans should roll over and be victimized by thugs. The answer is "no" - we as citizens should get together and take the thugs draining our precious education dollars working as law enforcement out of power. We should prevent the legislators that they bought and paid for in elected office, who are lawbreakers supporting thuggery, from ever getting elected in the first place by bringing people to the polls and registering the poor. We should insist that real solutions to crime such as education, support of our young people, prevention of substance abuse and mental illness be where our public safety dollars are invested. Locking people in cages who need medical help is a primitive practice from the dark ages, kind of like when people thought the world was flat. Next time your wife or child gets a cold, demand that they get well and see how that works to heal their ailment. I wouldn't be surprised if you already do that. Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal) Methinks I am getting ganged up by the ACLU or those of that mindset.
I have been waiting for the ACLU that just set up in Redding to get action
going for the illegals that are moving in ditto for other criminals.
Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal) P.S.
Posted by iwrite4right on August 3, 2007 at 4:45 p.m. (Suggest removal) No, shasta47, I am not a bleeding heart. I am a moderate progressive, who believes in the value of finding common ground and working together to solve problems over resorting to name calling and defensively intensifying opposite viewpoints, as if there is some disgrace in looking for a place of agreement from which to start problem solving. I agree that prisons are necessary and that some people belong there. My point is that far too many people in prison do not belong there, and in fact end up worse for having been there. The system needs a major overhaul to eliminate its one-size-fits-all approach and introduce more case-specific approaches that will in fact work to prevent and treat the root causes of crime, present alternatives to crime, and to heal mental illness and drug addiction. Remember, I am not saying that such alternatives are for everyone. I agree that Reagan’s closing mental hospitals was a huge mistake. There would be no prison overcrowding and no Federal takeover of prison mental health care if adequate mental health facilities were available in communities. I agree, too, that State mental hospitals are not much different from prisons. With regard to your statement, “Mental illness is . . . so common that criminals try to utilize it to get away with crime,” it is clear by the numbers of mentally ill in prisons that law enforcement does not buy into the excuse of mental illness, real or not. I agree that the State should not have to house so many illegal immigrants; immigration is a Federal issue. And yes some illegal immigrants should be deported. I totally agree with your statement, “Another solution is to kick loose the non-violent petty offenders.” I also agree that everyone should use his reptilian instinct to fight or flee when threatened with imminent danger to one’s self, family, or country. BUT to turn that instinct into a conscious mindset that believes in locking up and punishing ALL criminals regardless of circumstances and with disregard for their humanity is NOT a solution to crime. The so-called freebees you mention are either substandard or nonexistent and in no way diminish the punishment of being separated from family and society. Many prisoners have been dehumanized to the point of “institutionalization,” a psychological condition which renders them incapable of living outside the confines of an institution. This is why some parolees return, not because it is desirable. So, shasta47, we do agree on many points. Prisons are necessary for some; alternatives are better for others. We both want a society that does not have to fear harm from others. I hope that our discussion has done more to unite us in purpose than polarize us on solutions. We can both do well to remember there is no one-size-fits-all solution to crime and the prison system is in need of serious reform. Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal) It is a great that we have this local opinion board to express our opinions
and hear others.
Posted by realsimple778 on August 3, 2007 at 5:53 p.m. (Suggest removal) People without a death sentence have died preventable deaths. Some were very close to completing their sentences dealt out from mostly corrupt courts these days. Anyone who has actually been through a trial knows there is almost zero justice in the courts. The prisons medicate the mentally ill so they can keep them from acting out in an environment that is wrong for human beings, let alone sick human beings. The mentally ill cannot follow the rules of society, that is what makes them mentally ill, so the smart thing to do is for us as taxpayers to focus on prevention of these problems through education, and support of our young people BEFORE they fry their brains on drugs. The judges have taken over because the lawmakers are CDCR, everyone in it are breaking the law. The criminals are wearing badges and sitting in elected office, which is why this takeover is necessary. You did not explain to me what a gang is, the biggest gang in California is CCPOA, joined together with other law enforcement labor unions feeding off the suffering of the poor and sick. Education and prevention of mental illness, rehabilitation and healing of the sick, changes in harsh sentencing laws, release of all non violent people, paroles for those who have earned it, vocational training for all prisoners who are well enough to comprehend it, more than $200 at the gate, taking the mentally ill completely out of the criminal justice system and putting them under a brand new agency. Reversal of ridiculous conveyor belt laws that were set up to keep the prisons stocked with fresh humans, there are many, many reforms that could be taking place. Posted by realsimple778 on August 3, 2007 at 6:02 p.m. (Suggest removal) You should also know that the reason real reform doesn't take place are 1. A 2/3 majority is required to change laws via the legislature when means that at least some Republicans have to vote for it and they refuse. 2. The last three Governor have all vetoed reform bills to keep the industry going. 3. Human bondage, same as modern day slavery, is the biggest industry in California and many people feed off this human suffering in spite of claiming to be "Christians" 4. The entire legislature is bought and paid for by law enforcement labor unions, crime victims groups, District Attorneys, Judges and those of the retributive justice mindset. That's why nothing serious can get done, they were put into office by thugs acting under color of law and that's how they will vote more than 90% of the time, for their interests. 5. The entire bureaucracy runs off the budgets generated by taxpayer dollars for the prisons. If they release the prisoners, the whole bureaucracy falls down. 6. The only solution is for people to register the poor to vote by the tens of thousand and keep law enforcement's candidates from ever getting elected, to organize to do initiative campaigns, file lawsuits for all abuses. This riot was intentionally caused by a Sgt. that forced the blacks to go over into the area occupied by the Hispanics. Some of the blacks refused but other CO's forced them to go and sure enough the riot ensued. This was to offset the truth of the PBS story about High Desert and for the guards to make themselves look important. The man who was shot in the hip was finally taken to a Reno hospital and will probably never have use of that leg again, all for a politically staged riot. Why did it take so long to get him to the hospital? I hope he sues. Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal) You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait until we merge with Canada and Mexico. Wait until we lose our laws of due process, which we are losing as I type. Watch as Bush shreds our constitution. The whole picture affects us all. Glad you are tackling these issues realsimple778. For that I commend you. Keep up the good work and while you're at it visit a few patriot websites that address many issues that pertain to American Sovernity. You may find some keys for your fight within these sites. I would avoid the forums at first as you are a bit oversensitive. Be wary of internet cesspolls. ..just to name a few that I recommend.. http://www.numbersusa.com
Posted by realsimple778 on August 3, 2007 at 7:12 p.m. (Suggest removal) I am here to discuss the State of California and their miserable prisons, the largest industry in the state, High Desert Prison which is totally mismanaged. Now you are taking it to another level which is really off topic. What is the legal definition of a "gang" - since we're all supposed to be fearful of gangs - what does it mean exactly? Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal) Ha ha I know that you're playing with me but here goes:
You are looking to call government entities gangs while they are really elected officials and employees that eats the sh$$ that runs downhill from the CFR and TLC. Look to the Global Elitists that controls Amnerica Posted by shasta47 on August 3, 2007 at 8:20 p.m. (Suggest removal) What's wrong with going to a higher level realsimple778? That's where
the problems stem from. Go after the virus while fighting the symptoms.
You fight for a better prison system I will fight for American Sovernity.
If I lose my fight you will automatically lose yours. If you win your fight
it won't help me in the long run
Posted by iwrite4right on August 3, 2007 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal) Shasta47,In response to your question, “Has it occurred to you iwrite that mental illness is a factor in most criminal offenders profile?” Of course it has, and that is precisely one of my points. Current estimates are that at least 30% of all prisoners are mentally ill, but I suspect that the numbers are greater. Again, and you seem to agree, that prison, particularly solitary confinement, does nothing but exacerbate their acting out and sometimes induces psychosis or ultimately suicide. The mentally ill belong in the healing environment of a hospital totally separate from prisons and from State Department of Mental Health hospitals, which are just as dysfunctional and understaffed as prisons. These institutions are where staff resorts to keeping mental patients sedated on anti-psychotic drugs 24-7. Private and independent mental hospitals use many modalities of healing. I realize that gang activity in prisons is an extension of gang activity outside, but I also know that some COs instigate fights among rival gangs in prisons. As related by realsimple778, this was the case in the recent fight at the High Desert prison. Under normal conditions rival gangs are kept on separate yards to avoid incidents. In general, prisons seem relatively powerless over criminal gang activity; gangs seem to be highly organized, ruthless and powerful regardless of the prison walls that confine them. I believe that gang members should be totally isolated from non-gang members from day one in prison to curtail their brutal recruitment tactics. On the outside, communities should be empowered to maintain zero tolerance for any type of gang activity. More importantly communities need greater resources to prevent youth from joining gangs for protection, money, power or whatever they are missing in their life. There is a great need for mentors for disenfranchised youth who can be positive role models for them. One of the greatest gifts to humanity is a reformed gang member who dedicates the rest of his life to helping youth in his community. Lastly, I just looked at several of the websites you referenced in your 6:32 p.m. post to realsimple778 and connected all the anti-immigration rhetoric to your reference to American Sovereignty and your comments to realsimple778 in your 8:20 p.m. post. You believe that prison problems stem from illegal immigrants, that there cannot be a better prison system as long as they exist? What a narrow view! Prison problems exist and persist primarily for the reasons listed in realsimple778’s 6:02 p.m. post. I think we have come full circle. Signing off.
Prison Riot Near Susanville Sends Inmates To ER Reporter: Anne Cutler
A massive prison riot at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville sent at least four inmates to local hospitals with stab wounds Saturday. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says about
75 prisoners, predominantly black and hispanic, were involved in the clash.
Two inmates were sent to Reno hospitals, two others where sent to hospitals in California. DOCR officials told Kolo-8 none of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening. The maximum security prison will conduct an internal investigation to figure out what started the riot and whether or not it was gang-related. Officials also stated that prisoners can be highly dangerous and clashes between prison gangs are not uncommon.
REVIEW
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Prison Town, USA: Documentary. Directed by Po Kutchins and Katie Galloway.
6 p.m. Sunday, "Truly California" documentary series, KQED.
Many documentaries, particularly those focusing on contemporary issues, become a kind of video mosaic of talking heads. Better films, such as "Prison Town, USA," go a step further and use the format to create a narrative. "Prison Town," which was produced by KQED as part of its "Truly California" series, is the story of a small town in the high desert of California where not only the economy but also life itself is dominated by the presence of three prisons (with more on the way). Back in the day, Susanville thrived on sawmills, thanks to its proximity to large forests. But as the logging industry faded because of environmental and economic factors, the town withered. So when the state came along with a plan to build prisons in the area, it seemed like a win-win situation. Since crime never goes out of style, the prisons would be filled with inmates who would need to be fed, whose families would need places to eat and stay when they visited, and, of course, there would be employment opportunities for local residents. Instead, as "Prison Town," directed by Po Kutchins and Katie Galloway, demonstrates through a series of linked narratives, Susanville (Lassen County) and its residents feel today as if they're the ones behind bars. Mike O'Kelly's family has been in the dairy business for generations. After the mills died out, he was able to keep his business going by supplying milk to the prisons. But now there's a proposal out of Sacramento that would put an end to patronizing local milk suppliers and, instead, buy milk in bulk for the entire state prison system. Mike's best employee, Gabe Jones, likes his job well enough, but his salary can't compete with what he would make as a prison guard. So, even though Mike's always treated him well, he quits the dairy to start training to become a prison guard. Another man from Susanville, named Dawayne, also enrolls in the class, but when he fails the final exam the first time he takes it, his family worries that there won't be any other source of income. And then there's Lonnie Tyler, who stole $40 worth of canned tuna and other food items from a convenience store because he was out of work and couldn't feed his wife and two kids while they were traveling through town a couple of years ago. He was caught and sentenced to 16 months in prison, during which time his wife rented a tiny house and waited for his release. Finally freed, he has to stay in Susanville as long as he's on parole. And since there is virtually no economy in the town other than the prison system, Lonnie has a tough time getting and keeping jobs. The filmmakers capture our attention by telling human stories. But along the way, they also talk about the explosive rise in prison construction in the United States, about how many of these prisons are built in rural areas, about what they do both for and to the local economy, about how half of all inmates in the country are in jail for nonviolent crimes, and about how the punishment for many crimes is considered significantly more severe than in it is in other countries. That's a lot of information to pack into an 86-minute film, but Kutchins and Galloway do it well - well enough to make us want to know more, not just about how things turned out for the four families at the heart of the film's narrative, but for Susanville and all small towns that may have looked to prisons as economic saviors but ended up, in effect, economically imprisoned themselves. The information is what you'll remember from the film, of course, but it will be hard not to recognize the quality of the filmmaking. This is documentary making at its best because it is, at heart, storytelling at its best. E-mail David Wiegand at dwiegand@sfchronicle.com .
July 24, 2007
Welcome to Susanville, Home to Prisons
The “before” debates tend to get plenty of news coverage: some town in New England or the Midwest or wherever is torn apart over whether to allow a dump or power plant or mega-whatever to come in. Rarely, though, does the “after” get much attention. Once the project in question went forward, did the promised economic benefits accrue? Was the social fabric shredded? “Prison Town, USA,” a smartly constructed documentary tonight on the PBS series “P.O.V.,” explores the “after” in Susanville, a small city in Northern California that a decade ago underwent a substantial makeover with the construction of three huge prisons. The hopes were that the complex would take the place of lumber and other major businesses that were fading. The fears were — well, myriad. The film, made by Katie Galloway and Po Kutchins over two years, looks at the big-picture issues Susanville now confronts through a collage of small stories. There are no documentary-style talking heads or charts here, just some very ordinary-looking people trying to find their places in a changed community. A man who has lost a good lumber job tries to make it through correctional-officer training. A recently discharged prisoner struggles to find work and support his wife and children. The owner of a local dairy tries to fight a state decision to cancel his prison contract, which he contends would violate a pledge that the prisons would buy locally whenever possible. The film is light on specifics, beyond the intriguing factoids interspersed in stark white-on-black lettering between scenes. (“Nearly half the adults in Susanville, California, work at one of the area’s three prisons.”) But the impact of the prisons is more subtle than numbers can capture. It’s in how neighborhood dynamics change when the population includes many women and children who have moved to Susanville while Dad does time. (Can the children of prison guards play with the children of inmates?) It’s in how domestic life is affected by the militarylike training a corrections officer goes through. “Be fair, firm, consistent,” one instructor tells recruits. “If you’re a jerk, be a jerk all the time.” And one woman comments: “I think it’s hard for you to turn off being in a position of authority all the time. You’re coming home and doing the same thing to your families. There’s a lot of domestic violence.” Those “before” debates seldom get to such personal places. P.O.V. Prison Town, USA Tonight on most PBS stations; check local listings. Po Kutchins and Katie Galloway, producers and directors; Beth K. Segal, editor; Evan Eames, cinematographer; American Documentary, series producer. Produced by KQED/Truly California, the Center for Independent Documentary and Independent Television Service.
Cybernoon Writer’s in Prison
I was doing a guest writing workshop at Susanville State Prison near the Sierra Nevada foothills in northern California. I was doing a guest writing workshop at Susanville State Prison near the Sierra Nevada foothills in northern California. Most of the men doing time there are sentenced to prison because of drugs. They are housed in huge dormitories in bunk beds. They have no privacy, no place to be alone, no place to think quietly. I had great apprehensions when I walked onto the prison grounds. I had taught writing workshops at many California prisons, but those prisons had cells. In Cells, even if they are shared with another inmate, one can find a least a little writing time. Surely the men here at Susanville were not going to be interested in what I had to offer. I had decided to spend my two days giving a monologue workshop. I wanted the men to have a chance to write and then perform before a camera. I wanted them to see themselves on video before I left the prison at the end of the second day. I felt that life in this prison had probably stripped them of most of their identity and that writing and performance art might restore some sense of who they were or who they could be. I was pleased that twenty men had signed up for the class. This was the maximum number I had said I could take. I spend the first hour with them, talking about what it was like to be a writer. Telling them that there is a joy and a freedom in the words. That no matter how much they were all forced to be alike, dress alike, eat the same food, keep the same hours, that in their writing they could finally be different. As different as they wanted to be. Writing, I told them, can be the most liberating of all the arts. You can be free with the word. There are no limits. told them that every time I picked up a pencil or sat down at a computer or a typewriter that it was as if I was coming home, coming home to my art, my words, that this was a world that no one else could take away. This art would sustain me throughout all my days. "Even though I died right there in prison, I want to tell you something. The reason I need to talk to you today. I have risen again, just like in the Bible. I am reborn. One day a woman came in and told me to write. And I had never written before, but I did it anyway. I sat for eight ours in a chair and focused the way I have never focused before. I could never even sit still before! I wrote out my ugly life, and then I was able to finally feel something. To feel pity. For myself. When no one else was ever able to feel it. And I felt something else. I felt joy. I was writing, and what I was writing was good. I was a writer! And I was going to get up in front of all those men in that class, and I would say that this . . ." At these words he held up his little manuscript. This is more important to me than any drug. What I wanted to tell you was that I died a drug addict, and I was reborn as a writer." We all sat there stunned. The camera kept running. He took a self-conscious little bow. Then he said, "Thank you," once again in his quiet voice. And then the men broke out in spontaneous applause. He walked over to me and took my hands. Inmates are not allowed to touch their teachers, but I let him anyway. (The essay is a part of the Chicken Soup series)
http://www.lassennews.com:80/News_Story.edi?sid=3916&mode=thread&order=0 Inmate shot during prison riot
April 10, 2007 — An inmate from High Desert State Prison is listed in good condition after being shot during a riot at the prison on Tuesday, April 3. Francis Jon Barretto was shot in the left arm with a mini-14 round about 10:05 a.m. in the Facility D Exercise Yard during an altercation between 20 Northern Hispanic and Asian inmates. Correctional officers fired 15 40mm non-lethal rubber rounds and two warning shots from a mini-14 firearm in an attempt to stop the fighting. Officers on the yard also used five 109 pocket grenades filled with CN, a type of tear gas, but the inmates continued to fight despite the officers’ efforts. Barretto repeatedly kicked another inmate who was down on the ground in the head, and an officer fired the mini-14 round, striking him in the arm — stopping both the assault and the riot. Barretto was received from San Diego County on July 6, 2000 and is serving a 24-year sentence for robbery and manslaughter. He was transported to an outside hospital for treatment. The shooting is under investigation by the California Department of Corrections and the Rehabilitation Deadly Force Investigation Team. The correctional officer involved in the shooting has been reassigned to administrative duties pending the shooting review, per departmental policy. HDSP opened in 1995 and houses approximately 5,163 minimum-, medium- and maximum-custody inmates.
http://www.lassennews.com/News_Story.edi?sid=3855&mode=thread&order=0 Prison reform to impact Lassen County
March 13, 2007 — State prison reform will have a major impact on Lassen County, according to County Administrative Officer John Ketelsen. "It’s no longer just a matter of emergency housing. It’s now an entire program designed to prevent recidivism and also to ease the transition from the prison experience to citizen life,” Ketelsen recently told the Board of Supervisors. Ketelsen said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed keeping convicts sentenced to three years or less in the county jail. Jails currently house those sentenced to a year or less. “The state is trying to use the county in partnership capacity to solve the overcrowding issue,” he said at the board’s Feb. 20 meeting. Prisons will be at maximum capacity by June and a state superior court judge recently ruled Schwarzenegger cannot ship inmates out of state under the emergency declaration the governor issued last fall. Only local jurisdictions can declare emergencies under the Emergency Services Act, according to Judge Gail Ohanesian. Schwarzenegger vowed to appeal the ruling with the Third District Court of Appeal. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association and another union sued to prevent the transfers of inmates to other states. “The issue is bigger than this county, except that our problems are unique in that we have two prisons here, and they’re such a large part of our economy,” Ketelsen said. He added, there are five federal lawsuits pending because of overcrowding and one receiver assigned by the courts to settle a lawsuit “has threatened that he has a key to state treasury, and if they don’t do something soon he’ll go to back up the truck and take all the money.” Ketelsen said the governor is trying to react to all the pressures and James Tilton is a very good chief for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “This man is very bright and very articulate and willing to listen. But it’s no longer just a matter of talking about mitigating the costs of having a prison here. It’s new programs that we’re going to have to shoulder.” Prison trial reimbursement
She said the county received a check on March 5 for prison trials costs through Dec. 30. The state was six months behind on its payments until board members mentioned the problem to State Senator Dave Cox. The state quickly paid its outstanding bill. “That’s because they have a bigger issue now,” said Board Chairman Brian Dahle and the other board members agreed, with laughter. “That’s the good news,” Fouch said. “The bad news is that, in all likelihood, the appropriation for this year is now depleted. So, they’ll have to go back and ask for an emergency appropriation.” Later, she added, “They’ll be behind shortly.” Cox offered to intervene any time the state is behind in prison trials reimbursement payments. Ketelsen suggested the state make the expansion more agreeable by allowing the prisons once again to make inmate crews available for outside work, such as picking up trash in parks and shoveling snow outside public buildings. Susanville Mayor Lino Callegari is heavily involved in the Association of California Cities Allied with Prisons. District 5 Supervisor Jack Hanson said he recently talked to Callegari about inmate crews becoming available “and evidently that may occur relatively soon,” Hanson said. Since the prison reform program isn’t yet written out in a bill for the legislature, “we don’t know the form it’s going to take,” Ketelsen said, adding county staff will try to develop data on the costs of jailing those sentenced to three years or less in prison. A court-imposed cap on the state prison system will soon prevent any new inmates from being transferred from county jails. Until the state comes up with some way to solve the overcrowding problem, inmates could wait indefinitely in county jail cells until a prison bed is available, according to Supervisor Jim Chapman. “It’s likely that we could see the rest of our jail filled up by inmates being held pending an opening in a United States institution,” Chapman said. Schwarzenegger plan
“The governor explained how his prison reform package would positively impact the problem at local county jails,” it said. “The governor’s comprehensive reform plan includes $5.5 billion (including $1.1 billion in local matching funds) to build 45,000 county jail beds and 5,000 juvenile beds throughout California. “I wanted to come to the San Joaquin County Jail today to discuss the dangerous domino effect that would occur if we fail to take action to resolve our prison overcrowding crisis,” Schwarzenegger said. “With severe overcrowding in our state prison system, counties face having to release prisoners early, putting more dangerous criminals out on the street.” Currently the state prison system holds 171,600 inmates, though it was designed to handle 100,000. Schwarzenegger’s prison expansion plan includes $10.9 billion to add 16,000 prison beds, build 45,000 local jail beds, and set aside $1 billion for 10,000 medical and mental health beds pursuant to the court receiver's plans. The press release said the proposal also includes a comprehensive reform plan to enact Jessica's Law, California's new landmark initiative to protect children against sex offenders, “creates a sentencing commission and realigns resources to ensure the worst criminals are not a threat to public safety.” The plan will also provide 5,000 to 7,000 beds in new secure reentry
facilities to be constructed within counties to provide inmates with a
transition period prior to their release. At the reentry centers, soon-to-be
released inmates will get help with job placement, alcohol and drug counseling
and other services “to help them live successfully outside of prison, which
will help reduce California’s 70 percent recidivism rate."
Lassen County Times / STPNS
Cox explains proposed expansion of Susanville’s two prisons By Lassen County Times staff SUSANVILLE, California (STPNS) -- At a Dec. 21 press conference, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed nearly $11 billion in funding to expand the state’s prison and jail capacity by a total of 78,000 beds. According to District 1 State Senator Dave Cox, who visited Susanville last week, the governor’s proposed budget includes funds for two state prisons located in Susanville — California Correctional Center and High Desert State Prison. “As you know you’ve got two prisons here slated to have some expansion,” Cox said, “and we’ve been talking with the Department of Corrections about what’s necessary in order to mitigate the increase in the number of beds for the two facilities you have. There are currently 172,000 adults incarcerated in California, and they say we’re about 50,000 beds short, so it is a situation where they’re proposing that CCC, as well as HDSP, have an increase in bed space. “They’re talking about some construction somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 million for the proposed construction. But in addition to that, there’s some mitigation work that has to be done with infrastructure issues whether it’s water, wastewater or electricity or other things. We’re talking somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million.” Cox said his office has been talking with city and county officials about the mitigation of the increase in population. The state senator acknowledged some in the state have criticized the prisons for “not being good neighbors,” but he added, “We’re interested in prisons being good neighbors, from the aspect of that if they make a promise they ought to keep it. If they expand the prison in terms of more beds, it’s in anticipation there will be a mitigation measure put in place so the local community doesn’t lose ground.” Proposed CCC expansion The proposed budget includes $38.4 million for expansion at CCC. The funding proposal includes the construction of two E-bed dormitory housing units inside the secure perimeter. A total of 400 new beds is proposed. CCC has three separate facilities for Level I, II and III inmates. In addition, it is the hub for the Northern Fire Camp System. The Lassen Unit consists of five 270-cell design housing units with an electrified perimeter fence and is designed as a Level III facility. The two dormitory housing units, Cascade and Sierra, are designated as Level I/II and the Arnold I Unit is a Level I Minimum Support Facility. According to figures supplied by Cox, CCC currently has 3,883 inmates in its design bed capacity, 1,841 inmates in overcrowding beds and 594 inmates in non-traditional beds for a total of 6,318. The proposed new construction would add an additional 400 beds increasing the facilities capacity to a total of 6,718 inmates. The budget proposal also includes $3.6 million to deal with infrastructure issues such as water, wastewater electrical needs and a new tower. This funding would be used for flushometer toilets, a 1 million gallon water storage tank and electrical improvements. Also contained with the proposed construction appropriation is mitigation funding for local agencies pursuant to Penal Code Section 7005.5. A total of $320,000 is included for this purpose to be split evenly between the city or county and the county superintendent of schools, according to a handout distributed by Cox. Proposed HDSP expansion The proposed budget also includes $82.4 million for new construction at HDSP. The proposed new construction includes two new Administrative Segregation Units with 350 new beds within the secure perimeter. HDSP is designed as a Level III and IV consisting of four semi-autonomous facilities — two 270 cell design and two 180 cell designed facilities and a stand-alone Administrative Segregation Unit, all surrounded by an electrified perimeter fence. There is also a Level I Minimum Support Facility. HDSP currently houses 2,324 inmates in its design bed capacity, 2,022 in overcrowding beds and 780 in non-traditional beds for a total of 5,126 inmates. The proposed new construction would add 350 new beds for a total capacity of 5,476 inmates. Included in the budget proposal is $3.5 million to deal with infrastructure issues including an additional well, electrical upgrades, additional lighting and the re-routing of water lines. Contained within the proposed construction appropriation is mitigation
funding for local agencies pursuant to Penal Code Section 7000.5. A total
of $280,000 is included for this purpose to be split evenly between the
city or the county and the county superintendent of schools.
Prison expansion likely to affect Lassen County
Jan. 2, 2007 — On Thursday Dec. 21, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a far-reaching prison reform plan to confront dangerous overcrowding at state prisons, presumably including the two in Susanville. By Shayla Ashmore
According to the Prison Overcrowding State of Emergency Proclamation the governor issued on Oct. 4, Susanville’s California Correctional Center “has an operational housing capacity of 5,724 inmates, but it currently houses 6,174 inmates, with 450 inmates housed in areas designed for other purposes. The proclamation continued, “At the same time, in the last year, there were 128 incidents of assault/battery by inmates — 16 of them against CDCR staff — along with 34 riots/melees, and 21 weapon confiscations.” The proclamation also said, High Desert State Prison in Susanville “has an operational housing capacity of 4,346, but it currently houses 4,706 inmates, with 360 inmates housed in areas designed for other purposes.” “At the same time, in the last year, there were 351 incidents of assault/battery by (HDSP) inmates — 44 of them against CDCR staff — along with six riots/melees, and 289 weapon confiscations.” Of the 33 state prisons, CCC and High Desert are among 29 considered severely overcrowded, it said. According Schwarzenegger’s statement at the Dec. 21 press conference, the prison expansion plan will “meet current demands, prepare for growth and provide prisoners and officers with a safer environment.” The governor proposed $10.6 billion in bond financing and $0.3 billion from the State General Fund to expand California’s prison and jail capacity by a total of 78,000 beds. Details include: •State prisons: $4.4 billion ($3.3 billion lease revenue bonds, $800 million contract authority, $300 million General Fund). •Proposal will fund 16,238 new state prison beds on existing sites; 5,000-7,000 beds in new secure re-entry facilities; build a new training facility; and construct a modernized Death Row at San Quentin. •California’s 174,000 prison population lives in facilities designed for 100,000, and overcrowding has forced more than 17,000 inmates into gymnasium and classroom housing, a dangerous alternative that puts both offenders and guards in danger. The press release said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation estimates it needs 50,000 new state prison beds over the next 15 years. Jack Hanson and John Ketelsen went to a prison expansion meeting with James E. Tilton, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the day of the press conference. Tilton did not give details about which prisons would be expanded. Ketelsen said he and Hanson went to the meeting to tell Tilton about the unique effects prisons have on counties with small populations. Almost 26 percent of the county’s populations consists of prison inmates, Ketelsen said. As a result the county faces higher costs for criminal prosecution which it cannot handle as well as larger counties. There are also hiring problems because the county can’t compete with the prison pay scale. Ketelsen said the prisons draw away employees the county has trained. He told Tilton prison hiring doesn’t create a problem for the county as long as prisons hire unemployed people. “When they hire people outside or hire people already employed, it’s not helpful,” Ketelsen said. Ketelsen said Tilton comes from a public sector background knows finance and was willing to learn. Tilton said there is money in the state budget for mitigation, according to Ketelsen, and Tilton was sympathetic to addressing the unique needs of smaller counties “A little later he is going to hold town hall meetings starting off in Amador County. I intend to bring the message to the board that we should attend that and invite him here,” Ketelsen said. http://www.lassennews.com/News_Story.edi?sid=3722&mode=thread&order=0
Guards stretched
SUSANVILLE -- It's a pretty simple deal for High Desert State Prison control booth gunner Gerald Gifford. "My job," he said, "is to shoot somebody if they're trying to hurt my officers." But there are moments, Gifford said, when it's not so simple, when the three double-shifts he's turning every week start to catch up with him. "Yeah, you're tired," Gifford said. "When you're working, you don't really feel it, but yeah, it does affect your reaction time." If Gifford, 47, finds himself slow to the trigger, he and the rest of the California prison rank-and-file officers lay at least a portion of the blame on the high number of vacancies that permeate their ranks. They say the 2,081 unfilled officer positions at the state's 33 prisons stretching from Pelican Bay to the Mojave Desert create a dangerous work environment. And they get no argument from top officials in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, academics and even inmate rights advocates -- all of whom agree that understaffing is one of the biggest problems in the prison system. "It can be difficult to manage in a safe manner," said John Dovey, the agency's chief of adult operations. Combined with a still-worsening overcrowding problem in the prison system, Dovey said in a memo last year that understaffing is helping to create "an immediate and substantial threat to the public safety." Besides the danger, staff shortages also lead to cutbacks in inmate programs and have exacerbated the prison health care crisis. They've also been cited as the principal contributor to the hundreds of millions of dollars the prison department has spent on unbudgeted overtime costs. Prison officials say they can't attribute any riots or inmate deaths or attacks on officers directly to the system's vacancy rate. But California Correctional Peace Officers Association spokesman Lance Corcoran argued that virtually every significant prison incident -- as well as the department's ongoing failure to rehabilitate the 173,000 inmates under its control -- can be linked to having too few officers. "When you've got two officers for 200 inmates, in a Level 3 (medium security) building, we're not 'correcting' anything," Corcoran said. "We're simply responding." The Legislative Analyst's Office in a February 2004 report listed vacancies as the leading cause of the prison system's unbudgeted overtime costs, which came to $1.16 billion over the previous five years. Brian Brown, a corrections spending analyst for the analyst's office, said it is "somewhat" more expensive for the state to pay overtime rather than to fully staff the department. The time-and-a-half the state pays for overtime, he said, outstrips the additional costs that would go toward paying health care and other benefits if the state had warm bodies to staff the vacant positions. A nine-month shutdown of the department's training academies in 2004 -- the result of faulty population projections -- precipitated the staffing crisis. With no officers coming out of the academies, the vacancy rate quadrupled from the 2 percent when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took office in late 2003 to 8.8 percent on Aug. 18. Prison officials are now running year-round academies in Galt and Stockton. The department also is about to graduate its first contingent of cadets from a satellite training facility in Susanville, designed to train locals for the chronically understaffed High Desert prison and the nearby California Correctional Center. Corrections administrators are currently processing about 22,000 officer applications, according to Dovey. But the training operation is only churning out about 320 officers every 16 weeks, not enough to keep pace with the prison department's attrition of 1,200 officers a year. Dovey said the Galt and Stockton academies are moving to overlap their classes to increase the number of cadets. But the Schwarzenegger administration has proposed as a long-term solution building a $55.3 million, bond-funded academy in Southern California. The idea is that prospective officers from south of the Tehachapis would be more inclined to sign up for prison work if they could train closer to home. In the meantime, California has the fourth-highest inmate-to-staff ratio of any state in the nation -- 6.46 prisoners to every one officer, compared with a U.S. average of 4.47, according to UC Irvine criminology professor Joan Petersilia. "It's a very serious problem," she said of the state's officer vacancy rate. At no prison in California is the understaffing problem more acute than at High Desert. Isolated, rural, with no Kaiser-like group medical plan available to keep medical costs down, High Desert and the nearby California Correctional Center have historically been the toughest prisons in the state to staff -- even tougher than the desert outposts near Needles and Blythe and in the Imperial Valley. Until a recent officer infusion from the academies, High Desert had 125 vacancies out of its authorized line staff of 765 -- more than any other prison in the state, corrections spokesman Brian Parriott said. Even with the new blood, High Desert still has 84 vacancies, said prison spokesman Dennis Gunter, not counting extended sick leaves and High Desert officers assigned to other institutions, which has kept the vacancy mark well over 100. Vacant positions and just the possibility of being forced to work overtime weighs on the psyches of many High Desert officers. Officer D. Davidge coaches the junior varsity football team at a local high school but missed six practices last year and showed up late for another eight because of forced overtime. "They tell you in the academy, you need to make sure you've got an outside life," Davidge said. "But that is impacted by the holds. You need outside stimulus, besides your work. But when we start coming in here, working 16 hours a day, it takes away from that." On a recent Thursday, Lt. Rich Plainer, a day-shift supervisor in one of High Desert's housing units, had three forced holdovers working for him from the morning watch -- piling up involuntary overtime. Three other officers, however, had volunteered to stay over for extra shifts. Gifford, the control booth gunner, said he makes himself available for voluntary overtime two times a week, and plenty of officers throughout the system "like to work overtime" to cash in on the extra money, said Don Cathey, the union president at the nearby California Correctional Center. Numerous reports in recent years have documented that overtime can push an officer's salary to more than $100,000 a year. But Plainer said nobody's milking the system on his watch at High Desert. "We're conscious about the money we're spending here," Plainer said. "We understand there's a cost involved with this thing. But it's my responsibility to make sure these positions are filled, for the safety and the security of the institution." Sometimes, there isn't anybody available to work overtime at High Desert, and it's the inmate programs that suffer. A week ago Thursday, with not enough officers to work the 9:15 a.m. yard time slot in the prison's "D" facility, program Sgt. Dustin Hitt said he was forced to keep the prisoners locked in their housing unit. "We had a couple people who phoned in sick," Hitt said. "There was no one left on the grounds to utilize from the previous watch. So we have to cover internally the best we can." Hitt said the plan called for rescheduling the 130 affected inmates to a later yard time in the afternoon. Another group of prisoners had already been scheduled for the slot, meaning that the move would increase density and, according to some officers, add to tension among the convicts. Steve Fama, a lawyer with the Prison Law Office in San Rafael, said that staff shortages are forcing shutdowns and alterations of inmate programs all over the state. Prison medical care -- already the subject of a federal court takeover -- suffers when there aren't enough officers around to escort sick prisoners to their medical appointments, he said. "I would call it a significant problem," Fama said of prison understaffing. "It makes it difficult to run a consistent program, and it sort of means that crises fester, instead of being addressed in a consistent manner over a period of time." Bryan Rana, an administrative segregation officer at High Desert and the prison's CCPOA chapter vice president, said the program shutdowns usually serve to further poison relations between inmates and staff. "It creates animosity," Rana said. "And they're not mad at the administration.
They're mad at us."
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http://www.lassennews.com/News_Story.edi?sid=3478&mode=thread&order=0 Prison expansion gives county a chance to address issues
Aug. 22, 2006 - Lassen County already has more prison inmates, per capita, than any other county in California. So, before the state expands two Susanville prisons, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors wants state officials to hear about some of the negative impacts prisons have on local government. By Shayla Ashmore
“To be honest with you, I’d like to extract as much out of the state on this issue as we can,” Supervisor Jack Hanson said at the Tuesday, Aug. 15 board meeting. “Obviously, there are other counties that are responding to this and have a lot of the same issues we do and maybe we can get some of them resolved,” Hanson said. The state plans to add 750 new beds in four dorms inside the existing prisons, 350 at High Desert State Prison and 400 at the California Correctional Center. Twenty-five-point-nine percent of Lassen County’s total population consists of inmates currently institutionalized in state prison, according to a 2005 chart the board reviewed on Aug. 15, entitled California’s Institutionalized Population. Inmates account for 8,910 of the county’s 33,828 residents. “We’re number one,” said Supervisor Jim Chapman. “We’re 25.9 percent and the next one down (King’s County) is 14.4 percent.” “If you include in there the employees, and they’re great people, we’re probably close to 40 percent of our stated population of 33,000,” Hanson said. “We’re a company town.” He added the state reimbursements for prison trials are no longer 18 months behind, but the trial costs are still not paid on time. The most recent prison trial costs reimbursement report shows the state hasn’t paid for the costs of trials generated by prison crimes since March. It is currently $19,258.35 behind on payments for trials at CCC. The state owes Lassen County $180,423.69 for trials at HDSP. For the full story, see the Aug. 22 Lassen County Times.
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