Blythe
November 14, 2008
Two inmates escape Chuckawalla Valley State Prison near Blythe
Two inmates escaped Thursday from Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in the desert near Blythe, a bulletin from state prison guards said.
Authorities are searching for inmates convicted of burglary in Fontana and auto theft. Both are from San Bernardino County and walked away from the minimum security prison after morning roll call, Chuckawalla prison Lt. Debbie Asuncion said.
John Nolan, 29, and Stephen Lloyd Gumpert, 36, did not report to their work assignments after a 5 a.m. inmate count, Asuncion said…
LINK - PE.com (Press-Enterprise)
September 24, 2008
Corrections officer awarded Medal of Valor for protecting fellow officers during fight
Elizabeth O'Campo doesn't talk much about the day when she put her own life at risk to help rescue two fellow corrections officers.
O'Campo, an Ontario native, was working Oct. 6, 2006, with two male officers searching cells at Ironwood State Prison near Blythe when they discovered drugs and other contraband - which in prison is worth 10 times more than outside, she said.
"You could just feel the tension," O'Campo said. They were pounced on by a group of inmates - more than 20 people joined in on the attack, she said. In the midst of being punched and kicked by the inmates, O'Campo said she could see one of her colleagues down on the ground…
LINK - ContraCostaTimes.com
March 18, 2008
CCPOA Hits the Road with “Town Hall” Meetings!
CCPOA is going on the road. In order to provide our members with the best and most current information, myself and members of the CCPOA Leadership Team will be holding "Town Hall" meetings throughout the state. Bring all your questions regarding where we are at and, most importantly, where we are going. Here is where we will be this week:
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008 –
BLYTHE - Starting at 2:30 p.m.
The Comfort Suites
545 East Hobsonway
Blythe, CA 92225
(760) 922-9209
IMPERIAL – Starting at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Airporter Inn
1093 Airport Road
Imperial, CA 92251
(760) 355-4500
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2008 –
BAKERSFIELD – Starting at 5:00 p.m.
Hodel's Restaurant
5917 Knudsen Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93308
(661) 399-3341
Our goal is to get out and talk with as many members as we can throughout the state. Keep checking back for updates. Hopefully, I will see you soon.
- Mike Jimenez, CCPOA President
March 11, 2008
Two inmates’ deaths probed amid flu outbreak at Chuckawalla prison
Corrections officials deflected charges of medical neglect Monday in the deaths of two inmates at a prison that over the past three weeks has been ravaged by an outbreak of the flu.
Some 740 inmates have fallen ill at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in the Southern California desert since Feb. 23, according to a spokeswoman. Officials have since halted all transfers of inmates into and out of the prison.
The wife of one of the inmates who died said other convicts told her that her husband sought medical help but was "turned away" before he succumbed to his illness last Wednesday, four days after the first inmate death.
LINK - SacBee.com (The Sacramento Bee)
Related: Two inmates' deaths investigated amid massive flu outbreak - March 10, 2008 - CCPOA News Blog
March 10, 2008
Two inmates’ deaths investigated amid massive flu outbreak
Prison officials in Blythe are investigating whether the deaths of two inmates are related to a flu outbreak that has sickened nearly 550 prisoners in less than a month.
Chuckawalla Valley State Prison is in lockdown and accepting no more inmates, but Riverside County health officials said Friday that the flu outbreak at the facility near the California-Arizona state line does not pose a health hazard to nearby communities.
This may be the most severe flu outbreak in the history of the state prison system, said Department of Corrections spokesman Terry Thornton. Earlier this year, a flu outbreak affected 200 inmates at a prison in Susanville in Northern California, Thornton said.
LINK - PE.com (Press-Enterprise)
