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American Correctional Association Certifies Five California Prisons

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Pelican Bay, Correctional Training Facility, High Desert, Mule Creek and North Kern receive near-perfect scores following rigorous audit by national experts

SACRAMENTO – Five California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prisons were certified today by the American Correctional Association (ACA) during its 143rd Congress of Correction in National Harbor, Maryland.

Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, High Desert State Prison in Susanville, Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, North Kern State Prison in Delano and Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City received near-perfect scores by the ACA, the oldest, most respected and largest international correctional association in the world.

“These hard-earned accreditations are only awarded to the best of the best in corrections,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Beard. “The ACA was aware of the class action litigation against California, so it sent its most experienced auditors to review these prisons. Their findings demonstrate these institutions are providing quality health care and inmate programs and are employing the proper use of segregation. These accreditations are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

For more than 135 years, the ACA has been the recognized expert in establishing measurable standards in prison management and works with the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections to certify correctional facilities. The ACA is responsible for conducting the audits; the Commission is responsible for granting or denying the accreditation.

“ACA accreditation is a process to measure compliance with the U.S. Constitution, help end federal court oversight of many of our operations, improve efficiency, increase accountability, and ensure California’s prisons are safe and humane for staff and offenders,” Secretary Beard said.

ACA standards are the national benchmark for the effective operation of correctional facilities throughout the nation. The accreditation audit is a comprehensive review, encompassing every area of prison operations including administration and management, fiscal controls, the physical plant, conditions of confinement, rules and discipline, inmate programs, health care, food service, sanitation, safety and emergency procedures, use of segregation, incidents of violence, crowding, offender activity levels, staff training and development, and the provision of basic services that can affect the life, safety and health of inmates and staff.

Institutions seeking accreditation have to comply with 521 ACA standards and score 100 percent for 61 mandatory requirements and at least 90 percent on 460 non-mandatory requirements. Roughly half of the mandatory standards address health care.

Since last fall, ACA standards compliance audit teams visited the five prisons and conducted comprehensive on-site audits of all aspects of prison operations. The teams found that all five prisons met all of the mandatory requirements and all five significantly exceeded the 90 percent mark for non-mandatory items.

Correctional Training Facility received 97.91 percent, High Desert State Prison received 99.06 percent, Mule Creek State Prison received 98.8 percent, North Kern State Prison received 97.66 percent, and Pelican Bay State Prison received 97.2 percent.

CDCR began the process of seeking nationally recognized accreditation from the ACA in 2010. California State Prison-Sacramento, California State Prison-Solano and Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla were the first CDCR prisons to be accredited by the ACA in 2012 with each achieving 98.6 percent, 99 percent and 98.16 percent. Once accredited, a prison has to maintain accreditation for three years.

Next year, Centinela State Prison, Folsom State Prison, Kern Valley State Prison, Sierra Conservation Center and Wasco State Prison-Reception Center will be audited by the ACA for accreditation. These five prisons will begin preparation for the formal training visits by an ACA auditor and will work with CDCR’s Adult Compliance/Peer Review Branch of the Office of Audits and Court Compliance, which provides departmental oversight of the ACA review process.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2013
Contact: Terry Thornton
(916) 445-4950
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For more about CDCR: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/

For more about the American Correctional Association:http://www.aca.org/

Prison Doctor Recovering from Inmate Assault

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Two correctional sergeants suffered minor injuries

IONE – A staff physician is recovering from injuries she suffered yesterday from an attack by a Mule Creek State Prison inmate.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on August 12, 2013, inmate Robert Daniel Perry, 61, arrived to a medical appointment at the prison. Without warning, he grabbed the doctor by her hair and started choking her. During the struggle, she managed to activate her personal alarm device. Responding medical staff grabbed the doctor from the inmate’s hold.

Responding custody staff used physical force to subdue Perry and restrain him. One correctional sergeant suffered a cut on his arm and a second sergeant was exposed to blood.

After the incident, custody staff recovered a weapon the inmate had made from two razor blades and found another weapon in the inmate’s cell.

The 65-year-old doctor, a 20-year veteran of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, suffered redness and bruising on her neck. She is at home recovering.

The prison’s Investigative Services Unit is investigating the incident. The Amador County District Attorney’s Office was notified.

Inmate Perry was received by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on June 18, 1998 from Placer County with a 100-year sentence for making terrorist threats, stalking and attempted extortion. On December 5, 2006, he began serving a 50-year sentence from Kings County for two counts of battery on a non-prisoner.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2013
Contact: Terry Thornton
(916) 445-4950

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Hunger Strike Update

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SACRAMENTO – As of today, 190 inmates in eight state prisons are on a hunger strike disturbance, down from 12,421 inmates on July 11, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). An inmate is considered to be on a hunger strike after he has missed nine consecutive meals.

A total of 98 inmates have been on a hunger strike continuously since July 8.

Currently, due to the demands on staff, CDCR is conducting case-by-case reviews of validated prison gang members and associates only in institutions that have no inmates participating in the hunger strike. As of August 12, 425 reviews have been completed systemwide; 268 validated inmates have either been transferred or are approved for transfer to a general population facility and 125 inmates were placed in various phases of the Step-Down Program, an incentive-based, multi-step program that provides graduated housing, enhanced programs, interpersonal interactions and increased privileges for validated inmates who refrain from criminal gang behavior.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 16, 2013
CONTACT: JEFFREY CALLISON
OR TERRY THORNTON
(916) 445-4950

CDCR’s Responses to Hunger Strikers’ Demands

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In May 2011, prior to two hunger strikes that year, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) began revising its gang validation and Security Housing Unit (SHU) confinement policies and procedures. This effort resulted in the “Security Threat Group Prevention, Identification and Management Strategy,” approved and certified by the Office of Administrative Law on October 18, 2012 and filed with the Secretary of State. (http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/stg/)

The Security Threat Group (STG) policy addresses the concerns inmates raised during two hunger strikes in 2011. The STG program provides individual accountability of offenders; is behavior-based; incorporates additional elements of due process to the validation system; and provides a Step-Down Program as an alternative for inmates to demonstrate their willingness to refrain from criminal gang behavior.

Despite policy changes that had already addressed the concerns raised during the two previous hunger strikes, gang leaders initiated a third strike and made 40 additional demands. CDCR has already addressed the 40 additional issues raised by hunger strikers.

CDCR’S response to the five core demands

1. Individual Accountability.
Response: This issue has already been addressed through implementation and adoption of the STG and Step-Down programs.

2. Abolish Debriefing and Modify Active/Inactive Gang Status Criteria.
Response: This issue is partially non-negotiable and has partially been addressed via the STG program.
The debriefing program will not be abolished. CDCR will always support offenders who want to disavow or disengage from the gang lifestyle. It is rehabilitation. This issue is non-negotiable. However, CDCR has created a Step-Down program that enables an inmate serving an indeterminate SHU term to earn his way back to a general-population yard without dropping out of his gang as long as the inmate refrains from gang behavior.
The criteria for active/inactive gang status as well as the housing location for gang affiliates have been modified by the STG program.

3. End Long-Term Solitary Confinement.
Response: This issue has already been addressed via the STG program. CDCR does not utilize “solitary confinement.” Additionally, the length of an indeterminate SHU assignment is now determined by individual inmate behavior. It is now possible for an indeterminate term to be reduced to 3-4 years. Moreover, STG associates will no longer be placed in a SHU based solely upon their validation.

4. Provide Adequate Food.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. CDCR has always provided food with adequate calories and nutrition to all inmates regardless of housing assignment.  In other words, SHU inmates eat the same food and receive the same portions as other inmates. CDCR’s food menus and portions are based on nutritional guidelines established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Academy of Science. CDCR’s Standardized Menu Review Team, made up of food managers and health care managers, meets regularly and addresses inmates’ concerns.

5. Expand and Provide Programming and Privileges for SHU inmates.
Response: This issue has already been addressed via the STG program through which more programming and privileges can be earned. CDCR has:
Approved proctors for college examinations.
Authorized requested clothing items (watch caps, sweat pants).
Authorized requested inmate property (wall calendars, art supplies and hobby items).
Authorized additional photographs for disciplinary free inmates.
Installed exercise equipment, including wheeled ab rollers and pull-up bars in the SHU yards.

Since October 2012, as part of the new STG program, CDCR has been conducting case-by-case reviews of all inmates serving an indeterminate SHU term based on their gang validation. As a result, nearly two-thirds of SHU inmates reviewed have been released to the general population.

Additional incremental privileges and programming are provided as part of the Step Down program.

CDCR’S response to the 40 supplemental demands

Note: CDCR had already addressed or was taking action on these issues before the start of the current hunger strike. For example, CDCR reviewed allowable property items for inmates housed in the SHU and authorized additional allowances in June.

1. Rescind all past Rules Violation Reports (RVR) issued during prior hunger strikes.
Response: CDCR will not rescind past RVRs.

2. Refrain from issuing RVRs during the current hunger strike.
Response: CDCR will adhere to its regulations that allow the issuance of RVRs for inmates participating in disturbances such as this which disrupt the orderly operations of an institution.

3. Refrain from moving hunger strike participants to Administrative Segregation Units (ASU) or removing their property.
Response: CDCR will adhere to its hunger strike policies and procedures to ensure the safety of the institution and contain the mass disturbance, including the re-housing of some participants and the removal of canteen items. This is non-negotiable.

4. Re-open the Facility D Visiting Room in Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) Security Housing Unit.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. CDCR has returned the Facility D law library back to being a visiting room and has extended visiting hours.

5. Allow SHU inmates to make one weekly phone call.
Response: Additional phone calls are provided incrementally in the Step-Down Program, which allows SHU inmates one annual phone call in Steps 1 and 2; two in Step 3; and four annual calls in Step 4. Inmates in Step 5 have phone calls in accordance with general population inmates.

6. Allow all SHU/ASU inmates to possess hobby supplies and take an annual photograph without first having to be disciplinary-free.
Response:
In August 2011, CDCR began allowing SHU inmates who remain disciplinary-free to purchase hobby craft items and to take one photo per year to send to their loved ones and family members. These items are privileges and will not be granted if an inmate’s behavior violates rules and regulations.

7. Allow all prisoners to sell or exchange artwork without being disciplined.
Response: This is non-negotiable due to safety and security concerns.

8. Annually restock all of the SHU/ASU libraries using the CDCR budget or Inmate Welfare Fund.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. Recreational libraries have been restocked annually for the past four years.

9. Provide more rehabilitation and educational programs using the CDCR budget or Inmate Welfare Fund.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. In accordance with the “Future of California Corrections Blueprint,” academic teachers and vocational instructors will be added over the next two years.  This is also provided in the Step-Down Program.

10. Revise regulations relating to the limitation on inmate-owned legal materials to provide clarity and direction to staff.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. CDCR issued a clarifying memorandum dated June 5, 2013, regarding the regulations on inmate legal materials.

11. Allow inmates to donate old appliances to other inmates when they purchase a new one.
Response: Due to safety and security concerns, this is non-negotiable.

12. Increase the maximum canteen draw for D-status inmates from $55 a month to $65 a month.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. The Step-Down program allows inmates to increase their canteen draws.

13. Allow SHU and D-status inmates to participate in “charity food drives.”
Response: This issue has already been addressed. The Step-Down program allows inmates in Steps 3 and 4 to donate funds to local charities, pursuant to a memorandum issued June 5, 2013.

14. Allow SHU D-status inmates to possess a clear-cased typewriter.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. CDCR has authorized the possession of this item pursuant to a memorandum dated June 5, 2013.

15. Allow SHU D-status inmates to possess two approved appliances.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. CDCR has authorized the possession of two appliances pursuant to a memorandum dated June 5, 2013.

16. Allow ASU inmates to possess TV/radio appliances regardless of whether their cells have fire sprinklers.
Response: This issue has already been addressed in facilities where the infrastructure supports it. (Not all ASUs have electrical outlets at this time and cannot currently accommodate appliances.) It should also be noted that CDCR does not have a policy requiring fire sprinklers in cells with appliances.

17. Allow all life-term prisoners to have “family overnight visits” and not only those who have debriefed.
Response: CDCR does not have such a policy. State law specifies which inmates are eligible to have family, or overnight, visits. Family visiting is also governed by Penal Code sections 187, 192, and 243.4.

18. Provide better quality mattresses.
Response: The California Prison Industry Authority (CalPIA) provides mattresses in accordance with industry standards.  An independent, certified testing facility tested the mattresses produced and they were found to have met or exceeded the industry standard.

19. Provide boxer shorts with longer inseams (to at least 9”).
Response: CalPIA provides clothing in accordance with industry standards. Its boxer shorts have longer inseams than many other manufacturers’.

20. Allow SHU and ASU inmates to order an additional annual non-food special-purchase package in addition to the one food package currently allowed.
Response: This issue has already been addressed. Inmates in Step 4 of the Step-Down Program are allowed to receive two packages per year.

21. Revise the property matrix to allow SHU and ASU inmates to possess specified food and property items.
Response: This issue has already been partially addressed. CDCR is in the process of revising its property matrix to add additional items.  In the interim, a memorandum dated June 5, 2013, was issued authorizing the purchase and possession of additional items.

22. Refrain from utilizing CalPIA for food products due to poor quality.
Response: CDCR’s menus are based on nutritional guidelines established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Academy of Science and CDCR’s Standardized Menu Review Team meets regularly to address inmates’ concerns.

23. Raise food ounce servings by two additional ounces.
Response: CDCR’s food menus and portions comply with the nutritional guidelines established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Academy of Science. Inmates in the SHU receive the same food and portion sizes as other inmates.

24. Allow uncut R-rated movies.
Response: State prison regulations do not allow films with ratings other than “G”, “PG” or “PG-13” for either general inmate viewing or within the classroom.

25. Provide a minimum of 20 “quality entertainment channels” at PBSP.
Response: The number and type of television channels varies depending upon each prison’s geographic location. PBSP already receives 23 channels, more channels than any other state prison.

26. Utilize the Inmate Welfare Fund to purchase the infrastructure to provide the channels described above.
Response: The Inmate Welfare Fund is not authorized to purchase television equipment, digital antenna towers or pay cable television fees. It is fiscally irresponsible to expend more money from CDCR’s budget for this.

27. Install the promised dip and pull-up bars on all SHU and ASU yards.
Response: This issue has already been addressed in the SHU yards, where pull-up bars have been installed. However, ASUs are temporary placements for inmates and CDCR does not anticipate installing permanent fixtures in those yards.

28. Install weightlifting equipment on all general population yards utilizing the CDCR or Inmate Welfare Fund budgets.
Response: In 1994, the California Legislature deemed weightlifting a threat to other inmates, staff and the public and restricted access to weights. (Penal Code 5010) Because of safety and security concerns, CDCR does not intend to install weightlifting equipment on all general population yards.

29. Halt all “arbitrary” contraband watches. Halt the use of PVC tubes as part of contraband watch procedures. Provide inmates placed on contraband watch with the option of first being x-rayed.
Response: The first issue here has already been addressed; PVC tubes are not used as part of contraband watch. Halting contraband surveillance watches is non-negotiable.

30. Immediately remove Dr. Sayre as the Chief Medical Officer at PBSP
Response: This is non-negotiable.

31. Paint all CDCR prison cells that are bare concrete
Response: Painting all prison cells is not fiscally responsible.

32. Fix the flawed ventilation system at PBSP
Response: Temperatures in all inmate housing units are to be maintained between 68 and 90 degrees. PBSP plant operations staff evaluated the PBSP SHU and it is operating within this range.

33. Cut one foot off the bottom of the Lexan/plexiglass cell coverings
Response: Lexan/plexiglass covered cells are necessary as they are routinely used to house inmates who have a propensity for violence against staff or other inmates. CDCR is also subject to an order by the Occupational Safety and Health Board that requires such cells to be covered in such a way that fluids and projectiles cannot be launched.

34. Reduce inmate restitution deductions from 55 percent to 33 percent
Response: Title 15 regulations dictate restitution deductions. CDCR is not willing to undergo the process of amending a Title 15 regulation in order to lower restitution deductions at the expense of crime victims.

35. Order IGI (Institution Gang Investigations) staff to “stop being so extremely petty”
Response: CDCR Institution Gang Investigators are not “extremely petty.” They are focused on investigating criminal behavior and maintaining the safety and security of prisons.

36. Amend the regulations re: Administrative Rules Violations so that no restrictions can be imposed if the hearing is not held within 30 days of issuance and that the charges be dismissed if the hearing is not held within 60 days of issuance
Response: CDCR does not intend to change existing regulatory time frames codified in state law.

37. Amend the regulations re: Serious Rules Violations so that no restrictions can be imposed if the hearing is not held within 60 days of issuance and that the charges be dismissed if the hearing is not held within 90 days of issuance
Response: CDCR does not intend to change existing regulatory time frames codified in state law.

38. Order an independent audit of the IWF covering the preceding five years
Response: The California Department of Finance is statutorily required to conduct biennial audits of the Inmate Welfare Fund pursuant to Penal Code Section 5006.

39. Order that all Associate Wardens (with full and final authority to settle issues) conduct monthly meetings with general population,  SHU, ASU, and Death Row inmate representatives
Response: Institution managers and supervisory staff are mandated to tour each ASU and SHU housing unit on a weekly basis. The Warden has the responsibility to address local issues.

40. During any hunger strike negotiations, that a member of their mediation/litigation team and the press be present.
Response: While CDCR is committed to transparency and is willing to engage in discussions with various stakeholders, it is not efficient to have a member of the press present at every discussion.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 26, 2013
CONTACT: JEFFREY CALLISON
OR TERRY THORNTON
(916) 445-4950

New Inmate Mental Health Facility Unveiled In San Luis Obispo

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$38.6 million facility will provide 50 beds for crisis treatment 
 
Sacramento –The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today opened the doors to a new facility on the grounds of the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo that will provide in-patient care to inmates in crisis situations who require 24 hour a day treatment.

The Intermediate level, in-patient care facility will house up to 50 inmates at a time and complement other mental health treatment facilities that provide out-patient treatment at the prison. The 45,700 sq. ft. facility is funded by bond financing authorized by AB 900, the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, to relieve prison overcrowding and upgrade facilities to meet court-ordered improvements in medical, dental and mental health treatment for inmates.

The new facility is one of 15 mental health treatment projects recently completed or under construction by CDCR, at a cost of $1.3 billion, to provide constitutionally required levels of care and to comply with litigation (Coleman) requiring improved mental health treatment for inmates.

“This facility and more than a dozen others we have constructed or are building are proof of CDCR’s commitment to providing the level of mental health treatment that the courts and the law require and that about one-third of our inmates need,” said Deborah Hysen, Deputy Director of Facility Planning, Construction and Management.   Approximately 32,400 male inmates (25 percent) and 2,256 female inmates (37.9 percent) require mental health treatment.  

“CDCR also is contributing to California’s environmental goals by using construction methods and materials that benefit the environment and reduce emissions that contribute to global climate change,” Hysen noted.    

The facility includes hospital style treatment rooms, nursing stations to monitor in-mate patients, space for individual and group counseling sessions, and administrative offices, behind an extension of the lethal electrified security fence that surrounds the California Men’s Colony.

The building also incorporates many conservation features to improve energy efficiency, conserve water and reduce sewage flow. They include high efficiency heating and air conditioning units that will significantly reduce electrical demand and greenhouse gas emissions.  A vacuum plumbing system will reduce sewage discharges by 70 percent and low flow fixtures and facets will reduce drinkable water use by 30 percent.   The project is a candidate for Gold certification, the highest level in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

More information on CDCR is available at:  www.cdcr.ca.gov


For Immediate Release
August 28, 2013
Contact Bill Sessa (916) 445-4950 or
Monica Ayon (805) 547-7948

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Salinas Valley State Prison Correctional Officer Taken to Outside Hospital Due to Inmate Attack

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SOLEDAD – A correctional officer is being treated for injuries he suffered from an attack by a Salinas Valley State Prison inmate this morning.

At 9:43 a.m., the Correctional Officer was on-duty at the institution’s Facility Medical Clinic when inmate Walter Weeks, 29, approached the officer from behind and began to assault him. The assault caused the Officer to fall, striking his head and losing consciousness.
 
Inmate Weeks was subdued and subsequently transported to the Administrative Segregation Unit.

The Officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment for his injuries, which are still unknown at this time.

Inmate Weeks was committed to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on December 2, 2005 from Los Angeles County to serve a 24-year sentence for carjacking and second-degree robbery.

The matter will be referred to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

SVSP opened May 1996 on approximately 300 acres in Monterey County. The institution provides long-term housing for approximately 3,530 minimum- and maximum-custody male inmates and employs approximately 1,400 staff.
 

Photo of inmate Weeks, Walter

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lt. Darren Chamberlain
August 28, 2013
(831) 678-5554

CDCR Honors Employees at 29th Annual Medal of Valor Ceremony

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Department recognizes more than 100 employees for heroism, outstanding service

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) honored 116 employees today during the department’s annual Medal of Valor Ceremony. Employees were recognized for extraordinary bravery and conduct above and beyond the call of duty, often in life-saving incidents where public safety was at risk.


“CDCR employees statewide are committed to protecting public safety,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Beard. “Today we are honoring the bravery and performance that goes well above the call of duty. These dedicated employees gave of themselves, and some even placed their own lives in jeopardy to save another.”

Awards were presented by Secretary Beard and senior department executives at the 29th annual ceremony, which was sponsored by the California Correctional Supervisors Organization.

In many instances, the recipients saved the life of other employees, inmates or private citizens as they responded to emergencies. Among the actions recognized by the awards were quick responses that saved the lives of traffic-accident victims and actions by a parole agent that saved the life of a wounded fellow agent. Also honored was the distinguished service of men and women to CDCR over a period of time.


The awards presented ranged from the Distinguished Service Award to the Gold Star.  For the second year, Employee of the Year awards were presented by various divisions within CDCR.
A complete list of 2013 award winners follows:

GOLD STAR MEDAL

The Corrections Star (Gold) medal is the department’s second-highest award for heroic deeds under extraordinary circumstances. The employee shall display courage in the face of immediate peril in acting to save the life of another person.

Correctional Officer Jason Parkhurst, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Charles Contreras, California Correctional Institution


Parole Agent I Henrik Agasyan, California Parole Apprehension Team, Los Angeles

SILVER STAR MEDAL

The Corrections Star (Silver) medal is the department’s third-highest award for acts of bravery under extraordinary or unusual circumstances. The employee shall display courage in the face of potential peril while saving or attempting to save the life of another person or distinguish themselves by performing in stressful situations with exceptional tactics or judgment.

Correctional Officer Angela Hazewood, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Jeff Gold, Mule Creek State Prison


Correctional Officer Joann Burnias, California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility/
State Prison, Corcoran


Correctional Counselor Martin Hernandez, California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility/ State Prison, Corcoran


Special Agent Steve Epperson, Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit, San Diego


Correctional Lieutenant Christopher Paris, Office of Correctional Safety, Headquarters


Correctional Lieutenant Cris Caldwell, Office of Correctional Safety, Headquarters

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

The Corrections Star (Bronze) is the department’s award for saving a life without placing oneself in peril. The employee shall have used proper training and tactics in a professional manner to save, or clearly contribute to saving, the life of another person.

Correctional Lieutenant Harold Hughes, Sierra Conservation Center


Parole Agent I Michael Williams, Oakland Parole Unit #2


Correctional Sergeant Anthony Morales, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Thomas Quezada, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Jason Murillo, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Sergeant Charles Finnegan, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Sergeant Larry Holloway, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Haydel Mitchell, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Sergeant Larry Dotterman, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Mario Alonzo, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Cresencio Alpuche, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Fire Captain Mark Del Barba, Deuel Vocational Institution


Parole Agent I Bartolo Siino, Parole Region I, Hanford Unit


Correctional Officer Sandra Copeland, California Correctional Institution


DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL

The Distinguished Service Medal is for an employee’s exemplary work conduct with the department for a period of months or years, or involvement in a specific assignment of unusual benefit to the Department.

 
Dr. Timothy McCarthy, Chief of Mental Health, Pelican Bay State Prison (Posthumously)


Dr. Elaina Jannell, Psychologist, California State Prison, Solano


Dr. Steven Sherman, Clinical Psychologist, N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility


Parole Agent I Roger Gold, Redwood City Parole Unit


Parole Agent III Gregory Weber, Redwood City Parole Unit


Correctional Lieutenant Tom Langford, Folsom State Prison


Parole Agent I Beth Bowens, O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility


Special Agent Karen Mory, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent Brian Docherty, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent John Castanedo, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent Jeff Faust, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent Steve Gutierrez, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent Jason Marks, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Special Agent Guillermo Moreno, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Office Technician Gener Santiago, Rancho Cucamonga Special Service Unit


Parole Agent II Gordon Lee, Redwood City Parole Unit


UNIT CITATION


The Unit Citation is for great courage displayed by a departmental unit in the course of conducting an operation in the face of immediate life-threatening circumstances.

 
Correctional Officer Gabriel Aguilar, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Joseph Bailey, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Angela Hazewood, California State Prison, Sacramento


Correctional Officer Marsell Johnson, California State Prison, Sacramento
Correctional Officer Michael Platt, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Edward Shew, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Daniel Torres, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Michael Rivera, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Michael Smith, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Saul Lopez, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Monica Milke, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Eddie Nunez, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Hugh McFarlane, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer David Morales, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Scott Patterson, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Juan Garcia, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Tyler Healy, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Todd Levesque, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Adam Garvey, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Rick Jones, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer David Linch, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Paul Birdsong, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Larry Dotterman, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Michael Foster, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Reginald Burks, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Dennis Duffield, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Mark Aguilar, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Mario Alonzo, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Officer Rodolfo Alaniz, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Felipe Alvarez, Ironwood State Prison


Correctional Lieutenant Michael Calhoun, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Gary Turner III, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Stacie Henley, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Harold Weaver, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Bobby Wheeler, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Charles Hougland, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Kenneth Harper, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Sergeant Richard Kemp, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Counselor I Dave Tamplen, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Oscar Smith, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Ricardo Cisneros, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer James Whittaker, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Garrett Giessner, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Jeff Ammon, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Troy Parker, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Terry Barron, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Jim Herring, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Bryan Jeanes, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Johnny Lee, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Gary Lowry, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Christopher Nason, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Cheryl Nichols, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Michael Oatman, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Darrel Ulbricht, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Brian Von Rader, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Joseph White, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Jason Harrell, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Cal Huskey, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Merle Murchison, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Robert Rivera, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Dennis Ruble, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Greg Watkins, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Scott Proffer, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer James Kline, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Bobby Lee, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Steven Wood, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Diana Oliva, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Shayna Robertson, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Fallon Shelton, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Devon Rainwater, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Anthony Pickens, High Desert State Prison


Correctional Officer Evan Zahniser, High Desert State Prison


EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARDS


ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR


Sirisha Gullapalli, Senior Information Systems Analyst, Enterprise Information Services


MEDICAL/DENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR


Dr. Gregory Tarasoff, Chief Psychiatrist, San Quentin State Prison


REHABILITATION PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR


Carlos Ramirez, Correctional Counselor III, California Institution for Men


DIVISION OF JUVENILE JUSTICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR


Quincy Elloie, Treatment Team Supervisor, O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility


CORRECTIONAL SUPERVISOR OF THE YEAR

Sergeant Elijah Caron, California State Prison, Sacramento

CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Correctional Officer Eli Davis, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison


EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR


Warden Ronald Rackley, California Health Care Facility, Stockton


For Immediate Release
August 29, 2013
Contact Jeffrey Callison or
Terry Thornton
(916) 445-4950




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North Kern State Prison Escapee

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DELANO – An inmate assigned to North Kern State Prison (NKSP) Minimum Support Facility was discovered missing by custody staff on September 1, 2013, at approximately 5:00 p.m.  Inmate Michael Valdez, a minimum-custody inmate, could not be located by custody staff during an Institutional Count.  Escape procedures were immediately activated.

Inmate Valdez was serving a two-year sentence for Possession of a Controlled Substance from Los Angeles in January 2013.  Valdez is described as a 27-year-old Hispanic male with a bald head, brown eyes and weighing approximately 160 pounds. 

Kern County law enforcement agencies and surrounding residents have been notified.

Anyone with information on Valdez’s whereabouts or who sees him is urged to notify local authorities or North Kern State Prison, or call 911.

NKSP opened in April 1993, houses approximately 4600 inmates and is located in Delano Ca. NKSP has a two-fold mission. First, it functions as a reception center for the processing of incoming inmates from southern and northern counties. Secondly, it functions as the Central California Transportation Hub for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 
 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
CONTACT:  LT. GEORGE BECERRA
(661)721-2345

CDCR Secretary Jeff Beard Issues Statement on End of Hunger Strike

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SACRAMENTO— As of this morning, all participants of the prison hunger strike have started taking state-issued meals or have otherwise begun the process of re-feeding. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Jeff Beard issued the following statement today regarding the end of the strike:

“We are pleased this dangerous strike has been called off before any inmates became seriously ill. I’d like to commend my staff and the staff with the federal Receiver’s Office for working together to ensure the health and safety of all employees and inmates was a top priority. CDCR will continue to implement the substantive reforms in California’s Security Housing Units that we initiated two years ago.”

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CDCR Inmate Firefighter Hospitalized During Mt. Diablo Blaze

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SACRAMENTO – A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) inmate was hospitalized yesterday due to heat exhaustion suffered while fighting the Mount Diablo wildfire.

 “Because of the rough terrain, the inmate had to be airlifted by helicopter to an ambulance for transport to a local hospital for treatment,” said Lt. Lawrence Rodriguez of the Salt Creek Conservation Camp where the inmate is based. 

The inmate was treated for heat exhaustion and severe dehydration. Fortunately, due to the quick reactions of the inmate fighting crew, the victim was able to recover quickly and was returned to the camp by 9:30 p.m.

CDCR has deployed nearly 450 youth and adult firefighters and department staff to help combat the wildfire burning in the Mount Diablo canyons. Another 1,215 inmates are currently battling blazes elsewhere in the state.

Since 1946, CDCR’s Conservation Camp Program has provided California with a well-trained, well-equipped work force for fire suppression.  More than 4,000 male and female inmates (200 fire crews) participate in the program annually.  The crews respond to nearly every type of emergency, including wildfires, floods, search-and-rescue operations and earthquakes.  They also log millions of hours annually on fire-reduction and conservation projects and provide forest, range and watershed enhancement on public lands. Their work saves the state hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

CDCR jointly manages 38 adult and juvenile camps with CAL FIRE and five adult camps with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  Only minimum-custody inmates may participate in the program.  They must be physically fit and have no history of sex offenses, kidnapping, arson or escape.  Offenders earn their way into camp placement and must be free of major rules infractions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2013
CONTACT: Lt. Lawrence Rodriguez (916) 806-0660
OR Jonathan Parsley (916) 445-4950





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Governor, Legislative Leaders Reach Agreement on Prison Plan

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SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and legislative leaders today agreed on amendments to SB 105 that allow the state to comply with a federal court order to limit the prison population to 137.5 percent of capacity, avoid the early release of thousands of prisoners and protect public safety.

While the legislation provides an immediate path to compliance, it reflects the state’s preference that the court modify its order to provide the state additional time to continue to develop and implement a more balanced and cost-effective prison policy.

As amended, SB 105:

• Authorizes up to $315 million in immediate in-state and out-of-state capacity.
• Lays the foundation for longer-term changes to the criminal justice system, in collaboration with the Legislature and stakeholders.
• Strengthens existing local efforts (SB 678) to manage offenders by increasing the amount of funding that county probation departments receive if they can serve felony probationers locally and keep them from coming to prison.
• Requires that if the court modifies the order in a way that reduces the cost of compliance, the first $75 million in savings will go to reducing recidivism.

The audio of today’s media availability with Governor Brown and Senate President Pro tem Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff and Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway is here. The bill language submitted today to the Office of Legislative Counsel is here.

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FOR ADVISORY PURPOSES ONLY
September 9, 2013

Inmate Walkaway Apprehended, Returned to North Kern Prison

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KERN – On September 12, 2013, at approximately 1:30 am, officials at North Kern State Prison (NKSP) received information that inmate Michael Valdez, 27, who had walked away from the institution’s minimum support facility on September 1, was apprehended and in police custody.

Valdez was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in Lynwood, California. He was later transferred to NKSP.

Inmate Valdez was serving a two-year sentence for Possession of a Controlled Substance from Los Angeles in January 2013. 

NKSP opened in April 1993, houses approximately 4600 inmates and is located in Delano Ca. NKSP has a two-fold mission. First, it functions as a reception center for the processing of incoming inmates from southern and northern counties. Secondly, it functions as the Central California Transportation Hub for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2013
Contact: Lt. George Becerra
(661)721-2345 x5006     

Senate Confirms Two Top CDCR Executive Appointments

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SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today announced that the California State Senate has confirmed Dan Stone as the Director of Adult Parole Operations and Jay Virbel as Associate Director of Female Offender Programs, Services and Special Housing.

“During these times of unprecedented public safety changes, both within our prisons and out, CDCR must have strong leadership,” CDCR Secretary Beard said. “Both men have shown great dedication and I am looking forward to working together to make California’s prison system a model for the country.” 

Stone, 49, of Folsom, has served as Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations since being appointed by Governor Brown on November 13, 2012.  Since being appointed, Stone has continued to implement public safety realignment.  He has overseen the transition of the revocation process to the county courts, and has worked to expand offender reentry programs.  Stone was confirmed by the California Senate with a bipartisan vote 36-0.  He has served in multiple positions within CDCR since 1987, including Regional Parole Administrator, Associate Director, Parole Administrator, Parole Agent I, II and III, at the Division of Adult Parole Operations, and Correctional Counselor, Correction Sergeant, and Correctional Officer within the Division of Adult Institutions.  

Virbel, 46, of Sacramento has served as Associate Director of Female Offender Programs, Services and Special Housing since being appointed by Governor Brown on September 26, 2012. He has served in multiple positions within CDCR since 1993, including chief deputy of program operations and chief of investigations at the Board of Parole Hearings and senior special agent and special agent in the Office of Internal Affairs. He also served as assistant deputy director, correctional lieutenant, sergeant and officer for the Division of Adult Institutions. Virbel was confirmed by the State Senate with a bipartisan vote 38-0.

CDCR is California's correctional agency, consisting of the Division of Adult Operations, the Division of Adult Programs and the Division of Juvenile Justice. Additionally, CDCR oversees the functions of the Board of Parole Hearings, the Commission on Juvenile Justice, the Council on Mentally Ill Offenders, the Prison Industry Authority Board, the Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision, and the Joint Venture Policy Advisory Board.

CDCR consists of 34 adult prisons, 45 conservation camps, and three youth facilities, as well as various boards and commissions. CDCR has approximately 41,500 employees, houses 119,837 inmates, and supervises 51,267 parolees.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2013
Contact: (916) 445-4950

Minimum Security Inmates Missing from CSP-Corcoran

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CORCORAN, CA - On Sunday, September 15, 2013 at approximately 9:30 p.m. two Level I (Minimum Custody) inmates assigned to work at the Dairy (which is outside of the electrical fence perimeter) were discovered missing.  Inmates Alejandro Flores and Isidro Sanchez were last seen at approximately 7:30 p.m. during an informal count at their job site.

Inmate Flores is a Hispanic inmate with a medium build, dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair.  He was last seen wearing a white jumpsuit with “CDCR Prisoner” printed on the clothing.  Flores is 27 years old, 5’ 6” and weighs 138 pounds.  He is serving a five-year sentence for Second-degree Robbery.  He was scheduled to parole in July 2016.

Inmate Sanchez is a Hispanic inmate with medium build, light complexion, brown eyes and brown hair.  He was last seen wearing a white jumpsuit with “CDCR Prisoner” printed on the clothing.  Sanchez is 36 years old, 5’ 6” and weighs 172 pounds.  He is serving a two-year sentence for Possession of Marijuana for Sale. Sanchez was scheduled to parole in November 2013.

Prison officials are continuing the search for inmates Flores and Sanchez, and local law-enforcement agencies have been notified.  If anyone sees the inmates, or knows of their whereabouts, please notify local law enforcement officials and California State Prison Corcoran at (559) 992-6120, or call 9-1-1.

CSP-Corcoran opened in 1988 and currently houses approximately 4,300 minimum-, medium-, maximum- and high-security custody inmates.  The Kings County prison offers academic classes and vocational programs as well as community programs and work crews.  The prison employs approximately 2,100 people.




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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2013
Contact: Lt. Anthony Baer
(559) 992-6104

Inmate Death at Kern Valley State Prison Being Investigated as a Homicide

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DELANO – Officials at Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide after he was found unresponsive in his cell.

Inmate Steven Brenneman, 40, was pronounced dead at 2:14 p.m. Preliminary reports indicate inmate Brenneman died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Prison officials have named inmate Brenneman’s cellmate, Inmate Walter Tamayo, 40, as a suspect in the case. Inmate Tamayo has been placed in Administrative Segregation pending an investigation by KVSP investigators, the Kern County Coroner and the Kern County District Attorney.

Inmate Brenneman, was serving an 18-year sentence from Riverside County for rape with force and violence and penetration with a foreign object.

Inmate Tamayo, is currently serving a life sentence from Los Angeles County for first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

KVSP opened in 2005 and houses 3,782 minimum-, medium-, maximum-, and high-security custody inmates.  KVSP offers academic classes and vocational programs and employs approximately 1,800 people.

For more information about KVSP, visit CDCR’s website at www.cdcr.ca.gov.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2013
CONTACT: Jeff Smith
(661) 721-6314

CDCR and L.A. County Sign Contract to Allow County Jail to House Inmates in State Fire Camps

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Utilizing inmates in camps will ease L.A.County’s jail population and improve prospects for inmate rehabilitation

LOS ANGELES – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors finalized a contract Tuesday that allows the county to house more than 500 jail inmates in CDCR firefighting camps.

“This agreement is a great example of the state working with counties to protect public safety,” CDCR Secretary Jeff Beard said. “This partnership will continue to allow us to provide fire protection during what has been one of the most destructive fire seasons in state history while at the same time rehabilitating lower level offenders.”

The contract allows Los Angeles County to ease its jail population and ensures enough able-bodied inmates are available to help with fire suppression and in other emergencies, such as floods and earthquakes. Only low-level offenders may participate in such programs.  Under the law, offenders convicted after October 1, 2011 of non-serious, non-violent, and non-sex crimes stay in county jail to serve their sentence.  The low-level inmates that will be housed in the camps will be trained to work with state firefighters.

The $27-million, three-year deal will send 528 county inmates serving long-term sentences to five fire camps throughout the county.  The camps are jointly operated with the state prison system and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CALFIRE).  This cost covers housing/supervision costs by CDCR as well as the inmate training costs by CAL FIRE.

CDCR jointly manages 39 adult and juvenile camps with CAL FIRE and five adult camps with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Approximately 3,800 offenders currently participate in the Conservation Camps Program. In an average year, the fire crews provide more than 2.5 million hours of emergency response work and save the state more than $100 million annually. The crews are available year-round, and have helped to contain and mitigate all of California’s major disasters since 1946, including wildfires, floods, heavy snows, search and rescue operations, and earthquakes.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2013    
Contact: Jonathan Parsley 
(916) 445-4950

CDCR, Caltrans Expand Parolee Work Program

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Roadside clean-up crews learn work skills, save tax dollars

FRESNO - A joint program between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and Caltrans that helps parolees cultivate job skills is expanding to Los Angeles, Fresno, Stockton and San Bernardino.

This year, the Caltrans Work Crew program will give 136 parolees an opportunity to earn a wage cleaning up roadside litter and to learn basic skills that will help them make a successful return to their communities. The work crew program has been running in Sacramento and the Bay Area for the last five years.

“This program is about a lot more than picking up trash,” said Colleen Curtin, CDCR Chief of Reentry and Community Services.  “Many parolees have never had a regular job, and they learn skills that many of us take for granted, such as the reward of earning a wage, the discipline of being on time, the teamwork to get a job done working with other people, and the motivation to come back at 6 a.m. the next day and do it all over again.”

Curtin noted that parolees on the work crews, who are paid $10 per hour, save taxpayers money that Caltrans can use for highway maintenance or construction.  The program also reduces recidivism, breaking the cycle of repeat crime, which also saves tax dollars. 

Parolees are selected for the program only after a review of their criminal history and an assessment of their willingness to do the job.  Those who are chosen receive safety training to prepare them for working adjacent to traffic, and to avoid injury and roadside hazards that can range from toxic material to wasp nests.

The litter-abatement program began as a pilot in Sacramento in 2009. Since then, 697 parolees have worked there, 70 percent of them going on to get part- or full-time employment, or to attend college or vocational programs full time. The City of Oakland’s Golden State Works Program, which has operated since 2011, has enrolled 302 parolees, 87 of whom have moved on to full time employment.

Statewide, Caltrans spends $52 million a year on litter removal. Enough trash is collected from roadsides to fill more than 10,000 garbage trucks. Parked end-to-end, those trucks would stretch more than 50 miles.

For Immediate Release
September 19, 2013
Contact:  Bill Sessa
(916) 445-4950



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Walkaways from California State Prison-Corcoran Captured in Oxnard

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Minimum-security inmates arrested without incident

Oxnard, CA - Special Service Unit agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Correctional Safety (OCS) in cooperation with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department apprehended minimum-security walkaways Alejandro Flores and Isidro Sanchez on Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 3:15 a.m. Both were later returned to California State Prison (CSP)-Corcoran.

Flores and Sanchez had walked away from the minimum-security Prison Industry Authority dairy at CSP-Corcoran Sunday, September 15, 2013 at approximately 9:30 p.m. Institutional staff immediately notified local law enforcement and OCS. A search was initiated and continued until the inmates' capture on Saturday.

Since 1977, 98.7 percent of all CDCR escapees and walkaways have been apprehended.

CSP-Corcoran opened in 1988 and houses nearly 4,400 minimum-, medium-, maximum- and high-security custody inmates. The Kings County prison offers academic classes and vocational programs as well as community programs and work crews. The prison employs approximately 2,100 people.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2013
Contact: Lt. Anthony Baer
(559) 992-6104

CDCR Investigators Track Down Escapee From 1977

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SACRAMENTO – Michael R. Morrow, 70, who escaped from a California state prison in 1977, was apprehended on September 23 in Garland County, Arkansas, said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

CDCR’s Special Service Unit, assisted by the department’s Criminal Intelligence and Analysis Unit, developed new leads in the 36-year-old case. Morrow had been using the alias Carl Frank Wilson and agents located his whereabouts in Arkansas.

CDCR agents requested an Unlawful Flight to Avoid Confinement warrant from federal authorities. The FBI in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Garland County Sheriff’s Department arrested Morrow without incident at a residence in Jessieville, Arkansas.

Morrow had escaped from California Institution for Men in Chino on August 27, 1977. He was four years into a five-years-to-life sentence from Los Angeles County for two counts of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm.

Morrow is currently in the Garland County Jail. CDCR has begun the process to extradite Morrow back to its custody to finish serving his sentence. CDCR will also refer the case to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

Between 1977 and 2012, 98.5 percent of all CDCR escapees have been apprehended.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2013
Contact: Terry Thornton
(916) 445-4950



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In-custody Homicide Under Investigation

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CORCORAN – Investigators at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran (CSATF) and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office are investigating a September 20, 2013, stabbing assault incident as a homicide.

Inmate William Salazar, 36, is the suspect in the murder of inmate Lawrence Lozano, 34, who succumbed to the wounds he suffered on September 20 and was pronounced dead on October 3, 2013 at 10:27 p.m.

Lozano was committed from Los Angeles County on November 16, 2000, with a 35-year sentence for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 with force and violence.

Inmate Salazar was committed from San Bernardino County on July 2, 2002 with a life sentence for second-degree murder. He was re-housed in the Administrative Segregation Unit pending the homicide investigation.

The Kings County Coroner will conduct an autopsy.

CSATF houses minimum-, medium- and maximum-security male inmates. The prison opened in Kings County in 1997, houses 5,787 inmates and employs approximately 1,900 people.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2013
(559) 992-7154
Contact: Lupe Cartagena
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