November 10, 2009
Safety at Patton disputed: Supervisor blasts policy change on security staffing
Public safety is threatened due to staffing cuts at Patton State Hospital that are leaving criminally insane patients under the supervision of unarmed staff, San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry said Tuesday.
Directly under attack: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Matthew L. Cate, who Derry says authorized the staffing changes that took effect Oct. 26.The changes resulted in a shift of several job duties from sworn correctional officers to Department of Mental Health employees, including visitor processing.
"Patton's a little different than most mental health facilities," Derry said. "These are violent, insane people who snap on a regular basis. The idea of having a mental health specialist in the visitor center guarding innocent civilians is ridiculous on its face…"
LINK - SBSun.com
