This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, April 27, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Legislative Update– CCPOA’s Legislative Division released its Legislative Update this week which details the dozens of bill being supported, opposed and watched by CCPOA’s legislative team.  The 23-page report is available for viewing and printing on our website.

Weekly Update–The latest edition of CCPOA’s “Weekly Update” is out and available on our website.  Included are topics on Supervisory issues, a DJJ update on the Farrell case, and insights from Labor concerning the recent Board of Directors meeting, AB 109 and other negotiating tables in progress.  CCPOA’s Legal department discusses the implications and right to representation pertaining to a positive reasonable suspicion or random drug test.  The Legislative Department inform the members on its activities this week as well.  The update is available on the front page of our website in a .pdf format for easing printing.

CAPITOL NEWS

Death Penalty – Opponents of the death penalty in California have secured the necessary signatures to have a measure placed on the November ballot that would repeal the death penalty in California.  The Associated Press reported, “If it passes, the 725 California inmates now on Death Row will have their sentences converted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It would also make life without parole the harshest penalty prosecutors can seek.  Backers of the measure say abolishing the death penalty will save the state millions of dollars through layoffs of prosecutors and defense attorneys who handle death penalty cases, as well as savings from not having to maintain the nation's largest death row at San Quentin State Prison.”  The full story is on our website.

3-Strikes– Opponents of California’s “Three Strikes” law also appear to have qualified their proposal to limit the application of the voter-approved law and expect to put the measure before on the ballot this fall.  The Sacramento Bee reports that, “Under the proposal, only offenders convicted of a "third strike" felony that is violent or serious would face a minimum sentence of 25 to life in prison. The measure, which is modeled after proposed legislation, would also allow some offenders currently behind bars for a "third strike" that was a minor crime to seek a re-sentencing.”  Please see our website for the entire article.

CDCR NEWS

“The Future of California Corrections”–  The new CDCR document was released this week detailing proposals to cut costs and reduce inmate numbers.  CDCR proposes to close CRC in Norco in 2016, reduce the number of correctional officers overseeing inmates, lower inmate security classifications to allow housing in less-secure facilities and eliminate the use of out-of-state, for-profit, private prisons.  The Sacramento Bee reported that CDCR “officials estimated the department would see its workforce cut by about 6,400 staffers as a result of the long-term plan, and allow the prison system to meet the requirements of court-ordered mandates on crowding, health-care and mental health by the end of next year.”  We’ve linked the Bee article, other stories, the 244-page report and the 12-page executive summary on our website.  CCPOA is currently reviewing the plan.

CA PRISONS IN THE NEWS

The following CDCR facilities were in the news this week and we have linked the stories concerning these prisons on our website if you would like to read more.

CMC–  CMC’s reduced inmate population, the potential impact of changes proposed by the new CDCR plan were in the news this week. The county grand jury released its annual report on the prison and an inmate death was reported.

CMF & Solano– The Solano County Grand Jury issued its annual report on CMF and Solano noting the continued problem of inmates with cell phones, frequent use of overtime and a lack of recreation equipment at the facilities.  The report also recommended contracting-out inmate medical transportation to save money. CMF’s annual “Bring Your Child to Work” day was also in the news this week.

CTF– Soledad is scheduled to become major educational and training hub for paroling inmates under the CDCR overhaul plan announced this week.  If  implemented, CTF would become one of nine "re-entry hubs" providing life and vocational skills to male inmates preparing to re-join society.

CRC– As mentioned earlier, CDCR’s new plan released this week envisions closing CRC in 2016 as a cost-saving measure.  How the state hopes to save money and provide housing for the 3,900 inmates currently serving their sentences at the Norco facility remains unclear.  A number of local politicians applauded the proposed closure of CRC, including local Assemblyman Jeff Miller who is currently seeking election to the state Senate this fall.  CRC employs about 1,300 workers.

NOTICES

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held today and tomorrow at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. 

Paroles Chapter Meeting– will also be held tomorrow and begins at 9:00 am at the Woodlake Hotel in Sacramento

Fire Chapter Meeting–  will be held May 15 at CCPOA Headquarters. 

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held June 30 at the Courtyard By Marriott in Vacaville.

If you plan on attending any of these meetings, please contact Debbie Rollins to RSVP.  For more information on these meetings, we have posted flyers on the CCPOA website.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline, and have a safe shift. 

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, April 20, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Weekly Update–There is a lot of new information in this week’s edition of the CCPOA “Weekly Update.”  Topics include New Seniority Score Lists, the status of AB 109 issues and negotiations, updates for DJJ and Supervisors as well as current information from the Legislative and Legal Departments. The update is available on the front page of our website in a .pdf format for easing printing.

Private Prison Bill Defeated– The Assembly Public Safety Committee swiftly rejected another private prison bill this week by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly.  AB 2083 which would have required foreign nationals serving time in California state prisons to complete their sentences in not-yet-built private prisons in Mexico.  CCPOA, along with SEIU and the California Public Defenders Association, aggressively opposed this poorly-conceived and costly legislation.

State Board of Directors– CCPOA’s Board of Directors will be meeting this weekend and we will have a number of reports and updates to provide you next week, so please check back.

CDCR NEWS

Inmate Health Care Costs–  As the state prepares to resume control of inmate medical care, it must find ways to reduce costs that are triple the national average, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office said Thursday.  The federal receivership that has been in place since 2006 has greatly improved the medical care of state prison inmates but also has caused costs to soar, according to the report. California spends $16,000 per inmate for health care services, compared to an average of $5,000 in other states.  We’ve linked the LAO report on the front page of the website and a news story from the Associated Press.

Cell Phones– CDCR’s Matt Cate announced this week that the department will begin to install cell tower equipment at state prisons in order to restrict the use of cell phones by inmates.  We posted a news article on our website if you would like to learn more about how CDCR plans to do this.

NOTICES

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held next weekend, April 27/28 at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. 

Fire Chapter Meeting–  will be held May 15 at CCPOA Headquarters. 

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held June 30 at the Courtyard By Marriott in Vacaville.

If you plan on attending any of these meetings, please contact Debbie Rollins to RSVP.  For more information on these meetings, we have posted flyers on the CCPOA website.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline, and have a safe shift. 

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, April 13, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Battle of the Badges  –  The Battle of the Badges proved to be a clean sweep for Folsom’s correctional officers and other C/Os from around the state.  James “Doin Damage” Davis, a correctional officer at Folsom Prison, won the United Combat Association state title fight at 175 pounds with a unanimous decision over Juan “Bad Blood” Bustamante of the LAPD.   Correctional officer Mike Gomez from CSP-Sac knocked out Richmond “D-Lo” De Los Cientos in the third round to claim the NorCal title at 270 pounds.  Rafael “Big Nasty” Heredia, another C/O from CSP-Sac started the evening for the Folsom trio with a unanimous decision over Dru McDonald of Sac Metro Fire.  Julie “J-Cat” Williams from San Quentin earned a split decision over Stacey Woienski of DVI and Joe Gatie of High Desert defeated Craig “Ramblin” Hamblin of Solano with a second round TKO.  CCPOA was a proud sponsor of the event and congratulates all the athletes who participated.  For more on the fights, we’ve posted the full news story from the Folsom Telegraph newspaper on our website with a link that includes photos.

Weekly Update–This week’s edition of the CCPOA “Weekly Update” is available on the front page of our website.  Items of interest to CCPOA members from the association’s leadership team are discussed and the document is available in a .pdf format for easing printing.

CDCR NEWS

CDCR Extends Private Prison Contract–  CDCR has extended its contract with the Florida-based private prison company GEO Group for operations at its 625-bed modified community correctional facility in McFarland.  The facility was slated for closure in June of this year.  Instead, the private CCF had its contract extended through December 14, 2012.  The facility generates approximately $13 million in annualized revenues for the for-profit corporation.

New Arrests, Warrants in 1998 Murder of C/O–  An ongoing cold-case investigation into the 1998 shooting death of a female prison guard near the 91 Freeway in Anaheim led to an arrest warrant for a fourth suspect this past week.

Charges were filed in February against three other men, including the woman's husband. He was accused of orchestrating the murder of Correctional Officer Elizabeth Wheat Begaren so that he could collect on a $1 million life insurance policy.  We’ve posted the full article from the Orange County Register on our website.

Realignment / AB 109  News –

There have been a number of news articles discussing the effects and impact of AB 109 throughout the state.  We’ve posted many of the stories on our website for you convenience if you are interested in learning more.

NOTICES

Retired Chapter Meeting– will be held tomorrow, Saturday, April 14 at the Ontario Airport Doubletree Hotel. 

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held April 27/28 at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. 

Fire Chapter Meeting–  will be held May 15 at CCPOA Headquarters. 

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held June 30 at the Courtyard By Marriott in Vacaville.

If you plan on attending any of these meetings, please contact Debbie Rollins to RSVP.  For more information on these meetings, we have posted flyers on the CCPOA website.

2012 Intent to Run - Chapter Elections  –  The 2012 Intent to Run form is now available for this year's Chapter Elections.   The form must be returned to the CCPOA offices by September 11, 2012.  Please see the form on the front page of our website for details.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline, and have a safe shift. 

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, March 30, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Weekly Update–This week’s edition of the CCPOA “Weekly Update” is available on the front page of our website.  Items of interest to CCPOA members from the association’s leadership team are discussed and the document is available in a .pdf format for easing printing.

Battle of the Badges  – Folsom Correctional Officer James "Doin' Damage" Davis, is the UCA's top-ranked light heavyweight boxer in Northern California and will face off against LAPD Officer Juan Bustamante tomorrow, Saturday, March 31in Rancho Cordova.   For more information, please see the CCPOA website or go to www.battleofthebadgessac.com for tickets and times.  CCPOA is a proud sponsor of the event and wish Officer Davis a speedy victory in this upcoming bout.

CDCR NEWS

Pelican Bay Warden Appointed  – Gregory Lewis has been appointed warden of Pelican Bay State Prison where he has served as acting warden since 2010.  Lewis began his career with CDCR in 1987 as a correctional officer.

McDonald Appointed CDCR Undersecretary of Operations– Last week,

Terri McDonald was appointed undersecretary of operations at CDCR where she has served as acting undersecretary of operations since last year.  McDonald has served with the CDCR in various positions since 1988 when she began her career as a correctional officer.

City employee busted for smuggling – A city employee suspected of providing contraband to a Calipatria State Prison work crew was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing narcotics. Few details were provided to the public as the investigation also involves the CDCR and is in its preliminary stages.  We’ve linked a news article from the Imperial Valley Press on our website.

Inmate Stabbed at CSP-Sac– An inmate serving time for a murder conviction is hospitalized in critical condition after being stabbed three times in the chest in his cell at New Folsom.  CDCR is interviewing inmates and searching cells in the victim's housing unit. The news story on this has been posted on the website.

LA Times on DJJ– The LA Times printed an editorial this week urging state lawmakers to not disband the DJJ just yet.  Here is an excerpt from the editorial:

“It would be far too easy to close the Division of Juvenile Justice and send California's most troubled and difficult young offenders to counties — and to forget them. The faith-without-follow-up process is what helped undermine the once groundbreaking California Youth Authority. It must not be repeated. Before the state can get completely out of the juvenile justice business, it must ensure that counties will have the training, the facilities, the programming expertise — and the oversight — they will need to do the job.”  The full text of the editorial is posted on the CCPOA website.

CAPITOL NEWS

Republicans Propose State Employee Salary Cuts–  The Republican Legislative Leaders have proposed a state budget plan that would reduce state worker pay by 4.6 percent, equal to one monthly furlough day. Republicans say the state could save an estimated $400 million by cutting pay, furloughing workers or reducing operating expenses.  A copy of the letter signed by Republican legislative leaders is posted on the CCPOA website.

LAO: Reject Small Management Yards Plan–  The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) issued a recommendation this week that the Legislature, “reject the request for funding for the development of preliminary plans and working drawings for 50 SMYs at CCI because of (1) future General Fund costs of $2.9 million without having identified significant offsetting benefits and (2) new gang management policies that may reduce the need for these facilities in the future.  The full document from the LAO is posted on the CCPOA website.

NOTICES

Retired Chapter Meeting– will be held April 14 at the Ontario Airport Doubletree Hotel. 

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held April 27/28 at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. 

Fire Chapter Meeting–  will be held May 15 at CCPOA Headquarters. 

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held June 30 at the Courtyard By Marriott in Vacaville.

If you plan on attending any of these meetings, please contact Debbie Rollins to RSVP.  For more information on these meetings, we have posted flyers on the CCPOA website.

2012 Intent to Run - Chapter Elections  –  The 2012 Intent to Run form is now available for this year's Chapter Elections.   The form must be returned to the CCPOA offices by September 11, 2012.  Please see the form on the front page of our website for details.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, March 16, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Battle of the Badges  – Folsom Correctional Officer James "Doin' Damage" Davis, is the UCA's top-ranked light heavyweight boxer in Northern California and will face off against LAPD Officer Juan Bustamante on Saturday, March 31in Rancho Cordova.   Opponents describe Davis as a tireless fighter with a nearly impenetrable defense who has never been knocked out, according to the LA Daily News.  For more information, please see the CCPOA website or go to www.battleofthebadgessac.com for tickets and times.  CCPOA is a proud sponsor of the event and wish Officer Davis a speedy victory in this upcoming bout.

Weekly Update– We have another weekly update posted on our website and provided by your CCPOA leadership.  This week’s update includes recent issues involving DJJ, Supervisors and a number of local and statewide agreements reached with the department over institutional changes and AB 109 implementation provided by your Labor division, as well as an update from the Legislative and Legal departments.  The document is available in a .pdf format for easing printing.

2012 Intent to Run - Chapter Elections  –  The 2012 Intent to Run form is now available for this year's Chapter Elections.   The form must be returned to the CCPOA offices by September 11, 2012.  Please see the form on the front page of our website for details.

PeaceKeeper OnLine–  The newest edition of the Peacekeeper is out and is now also available online.  Please go to the CCPOA website if you need an electronic version of the publication.

CDCR NEWS

Riot At Pleasant Valley–  This past Tuesday, a riot involving approximately 30 inmates occurred on the Facility C, medium-security general population yard of Pleasant Valley State Prison .  Correctional officers used pepper spray to quell the disturbance and after the riot, officers recovered three inmate-manufactured stabbing weapons from the immediate area of the incident.  Three inmates suffered serious injuries requiring transportation to an outside hospital for treatment.  Preliminary evaluation revealed the injuries were not life-threatening.  There were no staff injuries as a result of the incident.  We’ve posted more on this item on our website.

Oklahoma Private Prison Riot Details  –  A San Diego news reporter has published the first details of the riot by California inmates last fall at an Oklahoma private prison operated by Corrections Corporation of America.  His story shows how dangerous these for-profit facilities are – especially for the staff and inmates.  Understaffing and substandard training are common themes uncovered when private prison riots and escapes are examined.  Take a moment to read the full article posted on our website to learn more.

NOTICES

Retired Chapter Meeting– will be held April 14 from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Doubletree by Hilton Ontario Airport Hotel.  Dinner will be served, so please notify Debbie Rollins.  A flyer with details is posted on the website.

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held Friday, April 27^th from 5pm to 9 pm and, Saturday, April 28^th from 8 am to noon at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.  Please contact Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending and check the CCPOA website for more details.

Fire Chapter Meeting–  The next Statewide Fire Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at CCPOA Headquarters.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, March 9, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Correctional Officers Win “Guns N’ Hoses” Competition  – A five-person team consisting of correctional officers from Calipatria and Centinela defeated the defending team of officers from the California Highway Patrol at the annual Guns N’ Hoses competition.  Eleven teams entered the Imperial Valley area contest this year.  Congratulations to this year’s winning team.  A donation of $1,000 will go to the Imperial Valley Fallen Officers Fund in the name of the winning team.  We’ve posted a story on the CCPOA website which includes video footage of the event.

CCPOA Assists High School Marching Band–  On Monday March 5, the Live Oak Middle School Marching Band & Color Guard received a $2,000 donation from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.  The school held a special recognition assembly for this special occasion in thanking CCPOA for this much needed and generous contribution. We’ve linked the story on the website.

Candidate Filing Deadline– Today is the filing deadline for most Assembly and Senate candidates, so we will know more next week as the dust begins to settle concerning which candidates will be running in the various districts.  CCPOA’s Political Action Committee was busy this week holding its formal endorsement interviews with numerous candidates.  The PAC will be making their final decisions on these and other candidates during the next few weeks.

CAPITOL NEWS

$600 Million for New County Jails–  Eleven California counties will be getting millions of dollars from the state to help pay for expanding their jail facilities as responsibility for lower-level criminals shifts from state prisons to county lockups. State prison officials say $602 million will be handed out for county jail construction or expansion projects.   The awards include $100 million each to Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties.  Stanislaus County will be getting $80 million, while Tulare and Santa Barbara counties will be getting $60 million each. Kings and Shasta counties will be receiving $33 million.  Imperial County will be getting nearly $24 million, Sutter County more than $10 million and Madera County $3 million.   The grants will help cover the cost of incarcerating tens of thousands of criminals who are now the responsibility of counties under the realignment law that took effect last October. The full AP article is linked on the CCPOA website for your convenience.

CDCR NEWS

Folsom Riot  –  Correctional officers at Folsom State Prison put down a prison melee involving up to 70 suspected gang members by firing pepper spray and non-lethal rounds to quell the riot.  No serious injuries were reported in the clash that broke out between two apparent rival gang factions. The officers used pepper spray and non-lethal, sponge tipped rounds to drive back the combatants and also fired warning shots into the ground.  Several inmates were treated for non-serious cuts and scrapes and no correctional officers were injured.  The full story from the Sacramento Bee is available on our website.

Gang Policy Updated– California is changing its policies for dealing with prison gangs, including rules that kept some gang members locked in isolation for years and led to widespread inmate hunger strikes last year, CDCR officials said. The proposed regulations would make it easier and quicker for gang members to get out of the notorious Security Housing Units that hold nearly 4,000 inmates in the nation's largest state prison system.  Gang members would no longer have to renounce their gang membership. Instead, they could earn more privileges and get out of the isolation units in four years instead of six if they stop engaging in gang activities and participate in anger management and drug rehabilitation programs. The full story from the Associated Press is posted on our website.

State May Send Max-Inmates to Less Secure Prisons– A study recently published by the University of California claims that the state can safely house some maximum-security inmates in lower-level prisons, a development that could save taxpayers money.  CDCR’s Matt Cate says the state could benefit if his agency is allowed greater flexibility to house high-risk offenders in medium or minimum security facilities. "The good news for Californians is that I think that means you have to build fewer high-security prisons, probably," Cate told the AP. "If the science says that we can have more inmates in lower-level settings safely, then that helps us with realignment because we're able to more fully utilize our lower-level prisons. I know that's what the study says. How much of that we believe we can safely adopt is what we're still working on."  The full AP story is also available on the CCPOA website if you would like to read more.

NOTICES

Retired Chapter Meeting– will be held April 14 from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Doubletree by Hilton Ontario Airport Hotel.  Dinner will be served, so please notify Debbie Rollins.  A flyer with details is posted on the website.

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held Friday, April 27^th from 5pm to 9 pm and, Saturday, April 28^th from 8 am to noon at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.  Please contact Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending and check the CCPOA website for more details.

Fire Chapter Meeting–  The next Statewide Fire Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at CCPOA Headquarters.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics for the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, March 2, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

New Peacekeeper is Out– With articles from your CCPOA leadership, division heads and others on a variety of topics, providing important information for the CCPOA membership.  

Weekly Update– CCPOA leadership continues to issue its weekly update to better inform the members about what’s going on and how the organization is advocating on your behalf.  The March 2^nd edition is out now, so please take a few minutes to read the memo.  It is available for downloading and printing as a .pdf file and for your convenience is on the front page of the CCPOA website.

CAPITOL NEWS

State Lawmakers Grill CDCR About Overspending–  Lawmakers lit into a California state prisons official Wednesday afternoon for his department's failure to account for its spending -- twice. Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, called his budget subcommittee to order and then quickly skipped down to the second issue on the agenda, an update on why the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation hasn't produced spending reports that the Legislature demanded when it gave CDCR an extra $380 million last year.  As Cedillo and other angry assembly members at the hearing noted, the extra money went to Corrections while programs for the elderly, the sick and children all suffered cuts.  2011 was the fourth year in the past five that the Legislature provided extra money to cover CDCR's overspending. The augmenting funds totaled nearly $3 billion.  CDCR blamed the delays on everything from realignment to staff vacancies in its budget  unit.  For more on this, we have a couple of news stories, including this one from the Sacramento Bee, posted on the website.

Legislation- State to House Long-term Inmates–  Senator Bill Emmerson  has authored SB 1441 which, if passed, would ensure serious felons who have lengthy sentences serve their time in state prisons rather than in county jails. Emmerson told the press that as a result of realignment, “. . . our county jails are overcrowded and prisoners are being released early, putting our communities at risk.”  The full story is linked on our website.

CDCR NEWS

“Non-Traditional Beds” Eliminated, Says Cate–  California prisons marked a milestone Friday, when officials said they had removed the last of nearly 20,000 beds that had been jammed into gymnasiums and other common areas to house inmates who overflowed traditional prison cells.  Inmates in rows of double- and triple-stacked bunk beds became an iconic symbol of the overcrowding crisis, Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate said in announcing an end to the practice.  "It symbolized, I think, a system that was so crowded it could not work effectively or efficiently," Cate said today at DVI.  The full article from the Associated Press is on our webpage.

Cell-Phone Sniffing Prison Dogs–  Last year, about 1,500 cell phones were confiscated at CRC in Norco. Now, CDCR is using a team of Belgian Shepherds to sniff out phones that are smuggled in.  The dogs’ ability to track a cell phone is so keen they’re able to separate a phone from other electronic devices.  Inmates have tried to mask the scent of their phone with coffee, spices – even peanut butter – but the dogs keep finding them.  For more on CRC’s use of these dogs, please go to the CCPOA website, where we have linked the full news story from CBS.

Child Sex Offender Killed at Folsom–  Two suspects have been identified following a homicide Saturday involving an inmate in a medium security unit at Folsom State Prison.  The inmate, who was killed after being assaulted with a slashing-type weapon, was serving a 25-years-to-life term for aggravated sexual assault on a child.

Chief Deputy Secretary of DJJ Appointed–  Michael Minor of Elk Grove has been appointed chief deputy secretary for DJJ where he has served as acting chief deputy secretary since 2011.  Minor has worked in multiple positions since 1986, including superintendent of Chad. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,740. Minor is registered decline-to-state.

NOTICES

CCPOA Benefit Trust Benefit Update for Retirees– The following information is provided by the CCPOA Benefit Trust:

As of April 1, 2012, Retired CCPOA members will have the following Retired Basic Life Insurance automatic benefit: $10,000 coverage for retired CCPOA members and $2,000 coverage for retired CCPOA member’s spouse.  When the member reaches age 60, the Retired Basic Life Insurance reduces to $5,000 coverage for retired CCPOA members and $1,000 coverage for retired CCPOA member’s spouse.  If you need additional information or need to refer a retired member, please contact the Trust Eligibility Department at 800-468-6486.

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 3 from 9-5 at the Salinas Marriott Residence Inn. 

Camps Statewide Meeting–  will be held on Friday, April 27^th from 5pm to 9 pm and on the following day, Saturday, April 28^th from 8 am to noon at the Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.  Please contact Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending.  Please check the CCPOA website for more details.

Fire Chapter Meeting–  The next Statewide Fire Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at CCPOA Headquarters.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics you would like to see covered in the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, February 24, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Parole Agent Shot While Preventing Robbery– An off-duty parole agent was shot and wounded during an attempted robbery at a barber shop in Inglewood this week.  The agent was shot multiple times in the lower abdomen but is in stable condition, according to CDCR with what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery go out to the agent and his family.

Weekly Update– CCPOA leadership continues to issue its weekly update to better inform the members about what’s going on and how the organization is advocating on your behalf.  Please take a few minutes each week to read the memo.  It is available for downloading and printing as a .pdf file for your convenience.

CAPITOL NEWS

LAO Reports on Realignment and CDCR– The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released two reports this week discussing the realignment and its impact on CDCR and the state budget.

The 2011 Realignment of Adult Offenders – An Update  “provides an update on the status of realignment, reviews changes proposed by the Governor, and makes several recommendations designed to promote the long-term success of realignment.”  This report focuses on the funding, training and other issues of importance to local governments.

Refocusing CDCR After the 2011 Realignmentconcludes that CDCR will not be able to meet the federal court-ordered deadline to reduce the prison population and suggests increased use of contracted beds and alternatives to prison to help meet that goal.  Other recommendations by the LAO include changing the selection criteria to allow more inmates to qualify to work in fire camps, significantly reduce the prison bond amounts authorized under AB 900 and “consider closing some existing prisons.”  The LAO also suggests that, “the Legislature not approve the construction of additional inpatient hospital beds at this time” and also urges lawmakers to not authorize the requested $101 million for rehabilitation programs requested by CDCR.

Both reports on available on the CCPOA website.

NOTICES

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held Saturday, March 3 from 9-5 at the Salinas Marriott Residence Inn.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending by calling 916/340-3676 or email her at debbie.rollins@ccpoa.org  We also have a flyer on the website for more details.

Fire Chapter Meeting–  The next Statewide Fire Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 15 from 9 am to 5 pm at CCPOA Headquarters.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics you would like to see covered in the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, February 17, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

CCPOA Endorses Greg Kraft For Assembly–Correctional peace officer Greg Kraft recently announced his candidacy for the 60^th Assembly District and the endorsements from the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association and CCPOA.  Officer Kraft is also a five-time elected local school board member and father and grandfather.  Please see the CCPOA endorsement letter posted on the front page of the website.

Weekly Update– CCPOA leadership continues to issue its weekly update to better inform the members about what’s going on and how the organization is advocating on your behalf.  Please take a few minutes each week to read the memo.  It is available for downloading and printing as a .pdf file for your convenience.

CAPITOL NEWS

Pension Reform– It was reported last week that the Republican-led effort to dramatically reduce public employee pensions has failed to collect enough money to fully fund a professional signature gathering effort and has been cancelled. We’ve posted a couple of news stories on this topic on our website and will continue to provide more information if anything changes.

Closure Recommendation for DJJ– The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a report this week that recommends to the Legislature to continue with the proposed closure of the remaining DJJ facilities.  The full report is posted on the front page of the website if you would like to read it for yourself.  CCPOA remains opposed to this plan and has been meeting with legislators and stakeholders in an effort to reach consensus on an alternative to this proposal.

CDCR NEWS

SCAAP Funding– The proposed federal budget was recently issued and once again contains a significant cut to the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) which provides federal dollars to help offset some of the costs to states and counties for incarcerating criminal aliens. Throughout the Clinton, Bush and now Obama administrations, budget drafters have either greatly reduced this funding or eliminated it completely, only to have it re-inserted by congressional budget committee members.  CCPOA is actively engaged at the federal level in seeking to have these funds restored and expanded.

San Quentin Riot– A riot at San Quentin State Prison sent four inmates to the hospital with stab wounds and other injuries last week. The riot broke out around 11:30 a.m. in an exercise yard and involved 150 to 200 inmates with weapons. The prison staff quelled the riot with "chemical agents, non-lethal and lethal force," according to CDCR officials.  Numerous inmates were stabbed or slashed, and four were taken to Marin General Hospital for treatment.  Some of the injuries included stab wounds to the head and neck, but the prison said none of the injuries was life-threatening.  The prison was investigating the incident and did not say what groups of inmates were involved.  The complete news story from the Marin Independent Journal is posted on our website.

Chad Disturbance – About 35-40 kids were involved in a fight Monday morning at the Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility in Stockton.  It broke out around 9 a.m., in between classes, according to CDCR officials.  No one was seriously hurt, and everyone on staff is fine, as well.  The youths who suffered minor injuries were treated at the scene.  Authorities say the fight was likely gang related. The full story and video from KCRA is posted on our website.

X-box and iPods– In addressing audience members at a New York conference this week, CDCR Secretary Matt Cate suggested that he would like to be able to provide well-behaved inmates with access to music, video games and cable television. Cate said there is "very little benefit in obeying the rules." And that, "If you take everything away from a person, you also take away their ability to influence their behavior," he said. "I think, ultimately, I'd like to get to a place where 95 percent of our prisons are places where inmates have everything from MP3 players to Xbox to cable TV, I don't care, they can have (all the) goodies you can possibly get, great, as long as they follow the rules ... and our guards are safe."  The full story from the San Francisco Chronicle is posted on our website.

PRIVATE PRISONS

While the most recent items on private prisons are posted on our website daily, a number of significant issues arose this week concerning the for-profit companies that we wanted to share with you.  The Florida legislature this week rejected a proposal to privatize more than two dozen state prisons, causing the stock of Florida-based prison privateer GEO Group to tank.  Congrats to the Florida PBA and Corrections USA for this important victory.  Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) had a bad week as well.  A jury in New Mexico awarded nearly $3 million to a handful of female inmates who were raped by a private prison guard at a female prison run by the company.  Also, CCA was sued this week by the family of a Hawaiian inmate who was killed at a CCA-run private prison in Arizona.  The state of Arizona is seeking the death penalty against the accused inmates and the state will get to pay all of the legal costs associated with prosecuting the private prison inmates from Hawaii.  Please go to the website for more information on these items.  You can click on the “Private Prisons” button on the left side of the front page to read more.

NOTICES

MTA Statewide Meeting– will be held Saturday, March 3 from 9-5 at the Salinas Marriott Residence Inn.  Please notify Debbie Rollins if you plan on attending by calling 916/340-3676 or email her at debbie.rollins@ccpoa.org  We also have a flyer on the website for more details.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for a three-year trustee position in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics you would like to see covered in the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

CCPOA Annual Conference and Convention  – The CCPOA annual convention and training conference will be held at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, August 29^th & 30^th with a state board meeting on Tuesday the 28^th. 

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.

This is CCPOA's 5150 information hotline for Friday, January 27, 2012.

CCPOA NEWS

Layoff Notices  –   CCPOA has issued a memo titled, “What To Do If You Receive A Layoff Notice.”  The memo explains that, “Bargaining Unit 6 employees subject to layoff should anticipate receiving a layoff notice soon, perhaps as early as Friday, January 27, 2012. If you receive a layoff notice and you believe you have reasons to contest your layoff due to errors in your seniority score, the form of the notice, or the layoff procedure itself, contact our CCPOA field representative, Corey Davis, immediately so that your case can be evaluated in a timely manner. Corey Davis can be reached by calling our Sacramento Office at (800) 821- 6443 or (916) 372-6060. CCPOA has negotiated a FINAL TRANSFER PROCESS in WAVE 1 before layoffs will occur for Correctional Officers. This will allow one final opportunity for a Correctional Officer to relocate prior to the occurrence of a layoff. We highly encourage employees to participate in the process and avoid this outcome. Notices and bid forms offering PICO positions at 7 institutions will be sent to impacted Correctional Officers by CDCR. These institutions include CAL, CEN, COR, HDSP, KVSP, PBSP, and SVSP.  Staff that are awarded selections during this Final Opportunity will be afforded 3 days of ATO and the option of using up to 10 days of leave credits to facilitate moving. During this final opportunity, CDCR will not offer per diem. CCPOA continues, through its central and individual institutional resources, to work to alleviate the reach and impact of layoffs resulting from AB 109.  For a full copy of the memo, please go to the CCPOA website.

Meet & Confer Notices– CCPOA recently received a notice from CDCR concerning their proposal to implement changes regarding “Access to Care Unit Assessment – Corrective Action Plan at Chuckawalla as it relates to Supervisors.  If interested, please see the department’s notice and CCPOA’s response with our request for a Meet & Confer on this topic which we’ve posted on the website.

Statewide Agreement Ad-Seg COMPSTAT–  CCPOA and the State reached an agreement at the conclusion of Meet and Confer negotiations on January 24,2012,

regarding the establishment and implementation of the Statewide COMPSTAT

Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU) Tracking Log. This Agreement becomes an addendum to the current State Bargaining Unit Six Memorandum of Understanding. The full agreement is posted on our website for your convenience.

Statewide Agreement Ad-Seg Conversion– This agreement, which applies to the AB 109 conversion plans  for Facility B & D at Lancaster from Reception center to General Population was discussed recently by Steve Weiss in our weekly update.  We’ve placed a copy of the agreement on the website if you’d like to read more.

UPL Agreement Reached With State– To avoid costly litigation and uncertainty in the outcome, CCPOA has negotiated an agreement with the state to resolve the dispute over “union paid leave” balances.  CCPOA stated, “We reached what we believe is an equitable settlement that avoids the cost of further litigation and is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of the state. ...  Chuck Alexander and our legal staff have been working on UPL for some time now and we are pleased that the agreement has been made and both parties can move forward.”  For more details, please go to our website.  We’ve posted the full story from the Sacramento Bee.

LEGAL NEWS

McGowan Update– The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal ruled this week in the case of Correctional Officer Rob McGowan. While the decision is quite complicated, and doesn’t free Rob immediately, it is an incredible victory, and presents the opportunity to get Rob home in the near future. In a nutshell, the Court denied Rob’s appeal on the conviction, saying the appeal should be brought as an ineffective assistance of counsel claim under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 before the trial court on remand. The Court also held that Rob’s Due Process had been violated when the District Court which sentenced him relied on unreliable, unsubstantiated allegations in imposing his sentence. Therefore, the Court vacated Rob’s sentence and reassigned a new judge reasoning Judge Wright’s “substantial difficulty in putting out of his . . . mind previously-expressed views….could undermine the appearance of justice in these proceedings.” So, at the moment Rob is not under any sentence. The Ninth Circuit Court did not grant bail, but said a bail motion should be brought before the new District Court judge. Given that Rob was out pending sentencing before, we are hopeful that he will be released soon.  The court’s decision and a couple news stories are posted on our website.

State Supreme Court OK’s New Senate Districts– The Sacramento Bee reported that “The California Supreme Court ruled today that state Senate maps drawn by a citizens commission will be used in this year's elections, despite a pending referendum to overturn them.  In a 73-page decision, justices evaluated several proposed alternative maps and concluded that the Senate lines drawn by the 14-member commission were the most appropriate and least disruptive to this year's elections.  For more information, please go to our website, where we have a link to the entire article from the Sacramento Bee.

Federal Receiver Kelso Says End of Prison Oversight Not Certain– The Associated Press reported today that “The court-appointed receiver overseeing California's prison health care system said Friday the state must keep its promise to spend more than $2 billion for new medical facilities before the federal courts can end an oversight role that has lasted six years. California has committed to spending $750 million to upgrade existing medical facilities, building a new medical center and converting juvenile lockups. So far, only the new medical center in Stockton is being built.  Receiver J. Clark Kelso told The Associated Press that the state must begin all the upgrades before it should be allowed to retake control of a prison medical system once deemed so poor that it was found to have violated inmates' constitutional rights.”  The AP story is on our website.

CDCR NEWS

Cate Addresses Sacramento Press Club– CDCR Secretary Matt Cate addressed the Sacramento Press Club this week and provided some insight into some things the department is focusing on right now.   He mentioned that the inmate population is at 200 percent of capacity, and the goal is to reduce that to 137.5 percent. The major effort now --called Realignment-- is aimed at moving less violent inmates into county facilities. But the state budget problem is getting in the way.  One consequence of overcrowding is more overtime for prison staff, and that increase costs, Cate said, but the realignment program is reducing overtime needs and thus reducing costs.  The full story is available for you to read on our website.

Chowchilla Halts VSPW Conversion, For Now–  The City of Chowchilla, concerned about the potential for significant costs to the city if VSPW is converted to a men’s prison, took CDCR to court, seeking a temporary restraining order against the department.  CDCR agreed to not send any male inmates to VSPW until September, at the earliest and also promised to provide physical plant conversion plans to the city. This is not the end of the fight between the city and the state, but does require the department to jump through a few more hoops before they can begin to convert the prison.  We’ve posted a couple of news stories on our website which explain this latest development.

New Acting Warden At Tehachapi- Kim Holland is the new Acting Warden at the California Correctional Institution. Mike Stainer, the former Acting Warden who was formally appointed to the Warden’s position by Gov. Jerry Brown on Jan. 17, is on assignment as Acting Associate Director of the California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Sacramento. We’ve linked a news story on our website if you would like to read more.

NOTICES

Fire Chapter Meeting–  The next Fire Chapter meeting will be held on February 7 at the Park Central Hotel in Fresno from 9-5.

CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund Intent to Run –  The CCPOA Benefit Trust Fund will hold an election for one (1), three (3) year trustee position during the CCPOA Convention in August.  The application is on our website if you’re interested in running.

PeaceKeeper Ideas –  If you have any article suggestions or topics you would like to see covered in the PeaceKeeper, please email Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org.

CCPOA Annual Conference and Convention  – The CCPOA annual convention and training conference will be held at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, August 29^th & 30^th with a state board meeting on Tuesday the 28^th. 

When staff assaults occur, please send a completed staff assault alert form to Nichol Gomez at nichol.gomez@ccpoa.org

For the latest information on the state budget, pension reform, prison realignment, private prisons and parolee problems, please go to the CCPOA website where we post the information as it comes in.

Thanks for calling the 5150 hotline and have a safe shift.