Special Review: CDCR Release of Inmate Scott Thomas

A series of mistakes, oversights, and failures to follow California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation policy resulted in California State Prison, San Quentin staff [confidential text removed]* improperly releasing inmate Scott Thomas on parole on May 18, 2007. The day after San Quentin staff released Thomas on parole, he allegedly entered a San Francisco bakery and stabbed a 15-year-old girl and a man who came to her aid. The Office of the Inspector General cannot determine if Thomas would have ultimately committed a similar act upon his release even if San Quentin staff had acted appropriately in all instances during Thomas's period of incarceration and release. However, [confidential text removed] and closer parole supervision may have had an impact on Thomas's actions--including his alleged decision to assault two people with a knife--after he paroled.

CDCR San Quentin and CCPOA (mileage reimbursement)

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, CDCR San Quentin

and

CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Re: Chapter President Release Time

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Plans to Build a New Condemned-Inmate Complex at CSP-San Quentin

From the Introduction section of the Auditor's report:
All men sentenced to death in California are sent to San Quentin to fulfill their sentence. Today, the department uses three different facilities at San Quentin to house the more than 600 male condemned inmates of whom it has custody, as Table 1 on the following page indicates. Each condemned inmate has his own cell within these facilities. (See Figure 2 on page 9 for an aerial view of San Quentin.) The original death row facility, located atop San Quentin's North Block facility, built in 1934, occupies the building's entire sixth floor. The department refers to this facility as North Segregation. The facility can house 68 condemned inmates and as of January 2004 was filled to capacity. The department houses only its most cooperative grade A condemned inmates in North Segregation because its design provides the most freedom of movement within the three facilities' housing and exercise areas. These inmates have access to an exercise yard on the building's roof.