jortiz@sacbee.com
Published Monday, Dec. 27, 2010
Mike Jimenez, president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, says he has three goals next year: "Get a contract. Get a contract. And then there's get a contract."

After four years without one, the 32,000-member union might finally get that deal. Gov.-elect Jerry Brown's incoming administration represents a bargaining do-over for CCPOA, which covers about half of all state workers still without contracts.

The union's last pact expired in mid-2006. After several rounds of contentious talks, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared an impasse and imposed terms in 2007.

Since then, Jimenez has been in the labor equivalent of an isolation cell. CCPOA has historically used its millions in member dues to make or break political careers with targeted spending, but Schwarzenegger has virtually ignored the union. Legislators, sensing CCPOA's weakened clout, no longer feared it.

One measure: Last October the union tried to stop a pension-rollback bill that Schwarzenegger strongly supported. Lawmakers used a procedural tactic to pass it anyway.

Some union dissidents called for Jimenez's ouster, upset over everything from the union's bargaining impasse to its losing a $12 million defamation case and its firing former President Don Novey.

But now it looks as if Jimenez is back. CCPOA backed Brown's election with $1.8 million in political spending in the fall, mostly attacking GOP candidate Meg Whitman.

"Our organization went all in for Jerry," Jimenez said during an interview at CCPOA's West Sacramento headquarters. "We have a little bit of faith that he knows how to treat employees."

Brown accepted an invitation to speak at the union's Las Vegas convention earlier this month. A Brown aide said the governor-elect delivered a message about the state's budget deficit, but the visit highlighted that the next administration is warming up to the union and its leadership.

The big challenge for Jimenez and other union leaders seeking contracts will be persuading members to accept a role in plugging a state budget hole approaching $28 billion.

Presumably Brown will ask for concessions similar to those that several unions bargained with Schwarzenegger, such as unpaid time off and a boost in what employees pay into their pensions.

CCPOA members, like all state workers without contracts, are now furloughed three days per month. But unlike most, correctional officers are on "self-directed" furloughs that cut monthly base pay by roughly 15 percent but defer the time off.

The union considered the policy a slap at its members since it disproportionately affects them while other public safety employees such as firefighters and CHP officers haven't been furloughed.

Jimenez agrees that the state has serious budget troubles and tough times lie ahead, but he's encouraged by the governor-elect's message.

"Brown said that everybody has to come to the table," he said, "and no ideas will be thrown out because of where they came from."

Report from Bob Walsh

Dec 7th, 2010 | By Bob Walsh | Category: Unions

The main item of interest today was, of course, the election of a state-wide Executive Vice-President. Chuck Alexander, the incumbent, was running against Walter Tucker and Charles Mohammed.

Tucker made a very low-profile approach. He was very up-front with the idea that he was not going to get elected but that he had some real questions for which he and his supporters wanted real answers.

Mohammed made solid responses to the questions, but ended up doing his cause no good (IMHO). At the three-minute closing he stated, “A vote for Chuck Alexander is a vote for cop killers.” He then got up and stormed off the stage. This event triggered, or at least immediately preceded, a vocal demonstration from Phyllis Loya from the floor.

The final vote was (if my tally is not correct, I am certain it is very close) was 374 for Chuck Alexander, 41 for Charles Mohammed and 8 for Walter Tucker. There were 8 abstentions and 4 delegates absent. This breaks down more or less to 86% for Chuck, 10% for Charlie, 2% for Wally, and 2% abstaining or not voting.

The Supervisory V.P. was between the incumbent, Kevin Raymond, and John Lanthripp, who was sort-of running on a ticket with Walter Tucker and is to some extent associated with the dissident movement. They both gave excellent responses to the Q&A. John Lanthripp is willing to work to some extent with CCSO. Kevin Raymond is mostly not. The final vote was (again assuming my chicken scratches are correct) 44 for Raymond and 5 for Lanthripp, with 6 abstaining or not voting.

These numbers show that the dissident group has much less actual backing than I would have thought. Also, as I mentioned previously, Mohammed’s remark about a vote for Alexander supporting cop killers offended many. Also more than a few people were bothered by Ms. Loya’s demonstration, which interfered with the legitimate business of the association. Irrespective of your thoughts about how well (or poorly) CCPOA has dealt with SB 399 and Ms. Loya, her actions were inappropriate. She was eventually escorted out of the room.

This election will certainly NOT put an end to dissension within CCPOA. It does, however, clearly demonstrate that the current administration of CCPOA has the support of the overwhelming body of Unit 6 generally speaking. I am fully confident that, with the new administration, Unit 6 will soon have a reasonable contract and will soon establish a solid working relationship with the Governor’s office. With luck we will have a new administration within CDCr, some of the very worst wardens will be replaced and we can move forward toward solving some of the legitimate and serious problems that face the Department, the Association, and the taxpayers of the formerly great state of California.

Post from D. Lopez/convention

I don't think anyone was real surprised that Governor Elect Jerry Brown came to the CCPOA convention in Las Vegas.
I will say I was surprised by his speech, he talked about our profession and said he was on our side. He talked about the working relationship that he has now with CCPOA and specifically Mike Jimenez and Chuck Alexander. He mention supporting California's labor force and collective bargaining.
Regardless of who's side your on, there was no doubt that the Governor Elect will help the parties come to a labor agreement.

I also wanted to thank Lorraine McGowan, for her great presentation on her husband Officer Robert McGowan. The courage this woman has is an inspiration to all of us who have loved ones that say good-bye to us every day, as we leave for our shifts. Lorraine thank you for being their for our brother Rob! She talked about the support that CCPOA is giving to her family. She thanked MJ and Chuck for keeping the support coming! CCPOA is currently, working the appeals on this case.

It was also nice to see Manny Gonzo's family in attendance. They were recognized by Lance, and he said some kind words to the family.

The vote for EC VP will take place on Tuesday. I will post the results as soon as I get them.

Have a safe 8

Charles Manson had a cellphone? California prisons fight inmate cellphone proliferation

Contraband cellphones are burgeoning among prisoners, giving them the ability to arrange crimes on the outside. Even Charles Manson was caught with one. But it's not illegal for state prisoners to possess the devices.

By Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times

5:41 PM PST, December 2, 2010

Reporting from Sacramento

Contraband cellphones are becoming so prevalent in California prisons that guards can't keep them out of the hands of the most notorious and violent inmates: Even Charles Manson, orchestrator of one of the most notorious killing rampages in U.S. history, was caught with an LG flip phone under his prison mattress.

Manson made calls and sent text messages to people in California, New Jersey, Florida and British Columbia before officers discovered the phone, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections.

Asked whether Manson had used the device to direct anyone to commit a crime or to leave a threatening message, Thornton said, "I don't know, but it's troubling that he had a cellphone since he's a person who got other people to murder on his behalf."

Although officials say inmates use smuggled cellphones for all manner of criminal activity, including running drug rings from behind bars, intimidating witnesses and planning escapes, it is not a crime to possess one in a California prison.

In August, President Obama signed a bill banning cellphones from federal prisons and making it a crime, punishable by up to a year in jail, to smuggle one in. That law does not apply to state institutions.

The proliferation of cellphones in California prisons has been exponential in recent years, authorities say. Guards found 1,400 in 2007, when the department began to keep records of confiscations. The number jumped to 6,995 in 2009 and stands at 8,675 so far this year.

The phones show up in minimum security work camps as well as in the most heavily guarded administrative segregation units — whose residents include gang leaders confined to their cells around the clock except for brief stints when they're allowed to pace around metal cages in the prison yards.

Prisoners and supplies coming into those units are searched, but inmates sometimes hide devices in their body cavities, officials said.

There have also been state-documented cases of guards bringing phones into prisons. An inspector general's report last year noted that the phones fetch up to $1,000 each and highlighted the case of a corrections officer who made $150,000 in a single year by supplying the devices to inmates. He was fired, the report said. Criminal charges were not an option.

Examples of inmates using phones to run criminal enterprises are not hard to find. In August, Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, now the governor-elect, trumpeted the arrest of 34 Nuestra Familia gang members in Visalia who had been following orders from incarcerated leaders.

Last month, two escapees from Folsom prison were recaptured after they disappeared from a minimum-security work detail. They used a contraband cellphone to arrange for a friend pick to them up, said warden Rick Hill.

Inmates also use the phones to contact each other. "We know they are communicating building to building to thwart our efforts to recover contraband," Hill said.

Prison administrators across the country have been asking for the authority to jam cellphone signals on prison grounds, but the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the nation's airwaves, has refused.

The politically powerful telecommunications industry lobby has argued that jamming is not precise enough, and legitimate customers trying to use their phones near prisons could also be denied service.

The industry is pushing a more expensive solution called "managed access," which would allow only calls from approved phones to transmit through towers near prisons. Calls from numbers not on the approved list would not go through.

Next year California officials will test such a system, similar to one begun in August near a Mississippi prison. Authorities in that state said the program blocked more than 216,000 unauthorized phone calls and text messages in the first month.

The system didn't cost taxpayers anything, said Mississippi prison spokeswoman Suzanne Singletary.

It was paid for by Global Tel Link, a national company that charges inmates to make calls from many state prisons, including those in Mississippi and California. Who will pay for California's pilot program has not been determined.

Prisoner-rights advocates argue that cellphones let prisoners avoid high fees for making collect calls from prison pay phones — the only allowed method of phone communication, with all calls monitored — and help them maintain crucial bonds with family and friends while they serve time.

But family contact can cut two ways, prison officials say. In September, an inmate at Avenal State Prison in Central California had been calling his 75-year-old mother to get her to collect drug debts owed by customers on the street. After guards found the phone, police raided the woman's La Puente home and found more than $24,000 cash, said Doug Snell, a corrections department spokesman.

The woman was arrested and charged with unauthorized communication with an inmate. A trial is pending.

In September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have imposed a $5,000 fine on anyone caught giving a phone to a prisoner. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger complained that the bill did not make it a serious crime for a prisoner to possess a phone and did not include the threat of jail time for the smuggler.

"Signing this measure would mean that smuggling a can of beer into a prison carries with it a greater punishment than delivering a cellphone to the leader of a criminal street gang," Schwarzenegger wrote.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D- Pacoima), who sponsored the bill, SB 525, said he was caught between a governor who wants to put smugglers in prison and a Senate Public Safety Committee policy against adding new felonies to the state penal code for fear of exacerbating California's prison overcrowding.

Early this year, a panel of three federal judges ordered the state to reduce its prison population by some 46,000 inmates to alleviate the cramped conditions. Schwarzenegger appealed the decision; the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case Tuesday.

"The fact that Charles Manson had a cellphone in prison is just further proof that the situation is out of control," a frustrated Padilla said last week. "I'm not giving up. Until we have a law on the books with real consequences, this will continue to be a danger."

State Sen. Mark Leno (D- San Francisco), who is chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee and responsible for enforcing the policy against creating new felonies, said he's not opposed to creating a felony charge to deter people from smuggling phones into prison. But he warned that courts have ruled that the prison inmate population can't be increased, so some who are currently locked up in state facilities would have to be kept in county jails.

For now, the only recourse prison officials have when they find an inmate with a phone is to charge him or her with a violation of department policy.

Prison officials would not release the identities of any of the people Manson contacted. But the entertainment news show Inside Edition broadcast recordings of a voice, identified as Manson's, on March 23, 2009. Four days later, guards found a phone during a search of Manson's cell.

One of the clips features Manson's raspy, high-pitched voice singing, "I've seen the world spinning on fire, I've danced and sang in the devil's choir."

Manson, 76, who is technically eligible for parole but will almost certainly die in prison for ordering the ritualistic murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, had 30 days added to his sentence after his phone was discovered.

"He was counseled and reprimanded, too," Thornton said.

Oklahoma inmate posts weed pics to FacebookPictures on the inmates Facebook page show him smoking pot, and holding a bottle of booze and a bag of weed

By CorrectionsOne Staff Trouble viewing the video? Download Flash player here TULSA, Okla. — Facebook has become pretty pervasive, but now things are getting ridiculous. An Oklahoma inmate recently posted pictures of himself smoking marijuana. In his cell. Out of a bong. Really. The pictures show Justin L. Walker, 32 smoking weed in his cell at Granite Reformatory, a medium security facility in southwest Oklahoma. According to FOX 23 News, Walker—a.k.a. “Jus N Walk”—is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood Gang presently serving a 30-year sentence for murdering an Oklahoma Sheriff in 2001. Pictures on Walker’s Facebook page also show him holding a bottle of booze and a bag of weed. Another shows him licking a shiv. Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Massie said Walker had been moved to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and placed in Administrative Segregation, according to an update on FOX23’s website. The update also said that a cell phone and some marijuana were confiscated from Walker’s cell.

Losing more jobs at ccc? your kidding right?

hearing through the grapevine that we are loosing more positions? Is this true? how many is too many? When is CDCR going to stop this insanity. Does somebody have to get hurt? I can't believe this is happening. Please say this isn't true.

Everybody keep Collen Feeney and her family in their prayers. She lost her daughter last Wednesday. Collen retired from CCC.

Inmate eligible for death penalty

By The Record

November 17, 2010 12:00 AM

STOCKTON - A man charged with murdering his cell mate at Tracy's Deuel Vocational Institution in June finally made his first court appearance Tuesday.

Because John Joseph Lydon, 37, had been convicted of killing a previous cell mate, he is eligible for a death sentence if convicted.

Lydon did not enter a plea Tuesday, and his case was continued to next month.

He is accused of killing Jonathan Guy Alexander, 49, a convicted child molester, while serving time at DVI for previously murdering a convicted child molester in a cell at another California state prison.

In court Tuesday, he appeared before San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Franklin Stephenson, who read Lydon the new murder charge levied against him and his previous murder, robbery and burglary convictions dating back to 1994.

Stephenson told Lydon that Superior Court Judge Terrence Van Oss has been assigned to handle the case. San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Michael Bullard is expected to defend Lydon.

Prosecutors have not yet announced if they will seek a death sentence.

This is the most up tp date information on the PERS deductions issue. I have been told the CIM has not received and direction from DPA or CDCR at this point. When we have more information it will be passed on to every one.

Fred


> PERS DEDUCTIONS ON OVERTIME CHECKS
>
> When the Furloughs were implemented in March 2009, the local
> Personnel Offices should have made adjustments in the payroll system
> to the PERS deductions on overtime earned. Unfortunately, some
> institutions failed to make the proper changes and have erroneously
> taken more PERS deductions from overtime earnings than is allowed.
>
> This error came to the attention of Doug Mitten, Field
> Representative, in the Sacramento Office. After working on the
> issue and with the assistance of PERS and the Controller's Office,
> management (DPA Retirement Policy & Legislation Department) has
> acknowledged that errors were made (see attached email). We are
> continuing to follow-up with confirmation of these facts and will
> keep you informed of our progress.
>
> CCPOA has been assured by DPA that the system error has been
> corrected as of October 2010. However, we have heard from
> institutions that some Personnel Offices have not made any changes
> and will not do so until they get written direction from DPA. We
> are following up on this issue.
>
> DPA has also committed to conducting an audit of all employee
> overtime pay warrants for any errors. If errors are found,
> appropriate refunds (or Accounts Receivables) will be issued. Once
> again, we do not have confirmation as to how or when these audits
> will be conducted. We will keep you informed of the status as soon
> as we receive confirmation.
>
> We suggest that the Chapter Presidents check with the Personnel
> Office and inquire as to whether or not the audit of overtime is
> taking place and to request that you be kept informed as to the
> progress

CCC POST AND BID AND A WORD TO MY CHAPTER

TOMORROW OUR LOCAL CHAPTER IS SITTING DOWN TO NEGOTIATE OUR POST AND BID. SO ALL THOSE PAPERS WHO ALL HAVE OUT THERE DECIDING WHAT JOBS YOU ARE WANTING, ARE PRETTY MUCH USELESS. THE INFORMATION I GOT WAS, LORI AND BOLLIE ARE CHECKING THE NUMBERS AND HAVE NO PLANS ON TURNING EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN LIKE MANAGEMENT WANTS TO DO. BUT NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, ALL YOU HATERS OUT THERE WILL COMPLAIN. LORI. I TELL YOU, JUST MAKE SURE YOUR NUMBERS ARE RIGHT AND WALK AWAY. WHY BOTHER. NO ONE CARES NOR APPRECIATES WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING ANYMORE. YOU DID YOUR BEST WORKING WITH NO CONTRACT FOR THE THREE YEARS YOU HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE. NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ALL THE PETTY THINGS YOU STOPPED BEFORE IT MADE IT OUT ON PAPER. THEY DO NOT REALIZE THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU AND A FEW OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS HAD WITH OUR MANAGEMENT. I DID NOT ALWAYS AGREED WITH YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS, BUT I DO GIVE YOU A PAT ON THE BACK FOR STANDING UP FOR WHAT WAS RIGHT AND NOT BACKING DOWN. I HEAR YOU WILL STILL BE INVOLVED. YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TIES WITH MANAGEMENT AND DOWNTOWN. SMART GIRL. I DO HOPE YOU GUYS STILL KEEP UP THIS WEB SITE FOR US SMALL FOLKS HERE IN THE VILLE. WE NEED TO GET OUR INFORMATION SOMEWHERE AFTER YOU HAVE STEPPED DOWN AFTER YOUR TERM. MAYBE YOU CAN GET YOUR ATTITUDE DOWNTOWN AND WORK WITH THE BOYS DOWN THERE AND STRAIGHTEN THINGS OUT. WE NEED ALL OUR WEAPONS NOW MORE THEN EVER.

OH AND I MUST SAY, HEARD MR. CATHEY LOST HIS GRIEVANCE HE FILED. NOW THAT IS FUNNY CRAP. DOES HE NOT REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT?

AND KRISTY. HOPE YOU STAY INVOLVED WITH THE BENEFITS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. I KNOW YOU WILL STILL BE HELPING US EVEN THOUGH YOUR NOT GOING TO BE ON THE BOARD EITHER ANYMORE.

AND JAY. YOUR A YOUNG PUP. BUT HAVE LOTS TO LEARN. BUT YOU WILL MAKE ONE HELL OF A UNION GUY. DON'T LOOSE YOUR FOCUS. YOU HAD GOOD TEACHERS.

FOR RICHARD. YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAYS. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, IT WAS LIKE OMG GET THIS GUY A HORSE TRANQUILIZER. BUT YOU ARE SMART AND USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WELL. HOPE YOU RELAX AND YOUR LAST YEAR NOW THAT YOU WILL ALSO BE OUT.

AS FOR THE REST OF YOU KOOL AID DRINKERS, GOT NOTHING FOR YOU. YOU SERVED NO PURPOSE EXCEPT TO HELP DIVIDE OUR MEMBERSHIP. YOU HELPED MANAGEMENT MORE THEN YOU HELPED YOUR OWN PEERS WITH ALL YOUR BACKDOOR TACTICS. ITS GONNA BE A LONG THREE YEARS COMING. IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE MAIN PAGE THEN I GUESS THE EMAIL HAS BEEN DISABLED.

AND IN CASE THIS DOES MAKE IT. I HOPE YOU GUYS MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE DOWN IN VEGAS. PLEASE.

YOURS TRUELY

MISFIT FROM NOWHERE

ANOTHER CORRECTIONS OFFICER BUSTED FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS

Santa Clara County deputies arrest Salinas prison guard for smuggling drugs to inmates

By Lisa Fernandez

lfernandez@mercurynews.com

Posted: 10/27/2010 10:36:15 AM PDT

Updated: 10/27/2010 01:45:44 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Sergio Noguera, prison guard, arrested on charges of smuggling drugs... ( Santa Clara County Jail )

Working with the state department of corrections, Santa Clara County Sheriff's detectives arrested a prison guard in Salinas in connection with smuggling drugs and cell phones to inmates in return for thick wads of cash.

This is the second time this month that a local peace officer has been arrested on criminal charges.

Sgt. Rick Sung, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, say members of the special operations division arrested 38-year-old Sergio Javier Noguera of Salinas late Tuesday night in Gilroy. He is being held in the Santa Clara County jail on $130,000 bail.

Sung said that arrested a fellow peace officer comes with mixed emotions.

"We are all saddened that something like this happens," Sung said. "But it's good that we police ourselves and we need to be able to hold ourselves accountable to the community.''

Sung said a confidential informant came to sheriff's detectives in April, tipping them off that Noguera routinely took bribes for smuggling in drugs and phones to inmates at the Salinas Valley State Prison, where he worked.

Sung said an undercover drug detective posed as someone who wanted to get drugs and phones into his buddies at the prison. Working with the prison, whose own internal affairs unit was already onto Noguera, Sung said the undercover detective handed Noguera an ounce of methamphetamine, an ounce of heroin, 3.5 ounces of marijuana, four cell phones and $2,500 as payment at a pre-arranged meeting

---

Advertisement

---

spot on Leavesley Road off U.S. Highway 101 in Gilroy.

When he took the stash, Noguera was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and transporting drugs into a correctional facility.

Sung did not know exactly how much illegal contraband Noguera had smuggled in, or for how long it had been going on, saying the investigation was still ongoing. State Correctional Department Sgt. Kim Trynham would not elaborate on anything related to the matter, other than Noguera had worked at the prison for eight years.

Earlier this month, Santa Clara police arrested one of their officers on a $250,000 warrant charging him with felony conspiracy. Authorities say Clay H. Rojas, a 5-year-veteran of the Santa Clara Police Department, who had previously served on the San Jose police force, had given confidential information to a member of the Hells Angels.

Anyone with information about the correctional officer's case is asked to call the sheriff's Special Operations

Prison safety a concern

Violent incidents at state prisons in Norco and Chino as well as recent state budget cutbacks have resulted in concerns being expressed by residents, local officials and corrections officers about the safety at these facilities.

The state plans to cut $1.1 billion from its corrections agency, according to a report from the state Legislative Analyst's Office.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is already considering cuts to corrections officer staffing as well as implementing a 12-hour workday for the officers in response to the shrinking budget.

Prison officials say the savings are necessary and, despite ongoing cuts, the level of security at state institutions will not be compromised.

"No matter how deep those cuts go, we will come up with a way, if necessary, to modify our operations to make sure we don't jeopardize public safety in any way," said Lt. Mark Hargrove, spokesman for the California Institution for Men in Chino.

The state needed help from local resources to respond to an August 2009 riot at CIM that left more than 200 inmates injured and destroyed housing for more than 1,000 inmates.

Chino Mayor Dennis Yates has long been concerned about the security impacts to his city from CIM, which is surrounded by houses and businesses. Yates said the ongoing budget cuts compromise community safety.

"I know that the state's hurting for dollars, but public safety is paramount," Yates said. "You just don't cut public safety, especially for the tried and true criminals you have to supervise."

The state correctional officers' union has already voiced alarm over the proposed cutbacks.

"We're very concerned that they're starting to look at eliminating positions which will significantly impact the safety and security of the institutions and the public at large," said Ryan Sherman, spokesman for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

Sherman notes there are about 2,000 vacant positions for corrections officers throughout the state prison system.

Fred Stevens, the association's chapter president at the men's prison in Chino, voiced similar concerns over potential budget cuts to security staffing.

"Of course, we're concerned it will affect security of the institutions, especially with all the riots we've had in the past few years," Stevens said. "To make staffing cuts right now, after we've already experienced these types of things, we've got to be very careful, if that's what the plan is."

The Norco institution has seen a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks among inmates.

The most recent, on Oct. 10, sent four inmates to the hospital with stab wounds and sent 15 prisoners to the Chino prison under administrative segregation.

Joe Baumann, the correctional officers association chapter president at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, said he understands the need to cut costs in the budget, but he says typically the state has gone after rank-and-file corrections officers instead of administrators and middle management.

"Right now, the department is so top heavy because of that," Baumann said. "The problem becomes you've got fewer people supervising the same amount or more of inmates and none of the duties or responsibilities are going away. It's just more people speeding up what they're doing in order to get done with an eight-hour day."

Proposed implementation of the 12-hour workday for corrections officers would be tested at three prisons - High Desert, Pelican Bay and Salinas Valley - before it is adopted throughout the state, officials said.

Any implementation would not take place without discussions with labor, officials said.

Staff costs make up about 80percent of the institutional annual operating budget, according to a report by corrections officials.

Costs associated with staffing are by far the greatest expense that the state corrections agency incurs, according to the report.

Despite the shift, corrections spokesman Paul Verke said some eight-hour schedules would remain necessary to ensure that security would stay sufficient to operate safely and that the current daily operation has minimal changes.

In August, corrections officials also proposed a 3percent employee reduction - about 1,100 positions - to save $80 million to $100 million.

With the gubernatorial election on Nov. 2, the corrections officers association has endorsed state Attorney General Jerry Brown, a Democrat.

Corrections officer union officials are sour over Republican candidate Meg Whitman's pledge to exempt public safety officers from her proposed pension reforms - but not state corrections officers.

"(Brown) has told us, and he's been clear with the voters, that public safety is the main function of government and he would make sure the security and safety of the prisons and the public would be paramount," Sherman said.

"He's talking about making sure the facilities are safe and the public is safe, where Meg is talking about creating jobs in other states by shipping inmates to other states in private prisons and reducing the number of inmates in California."

A Whitman campaign statement said she is in support of sending inmates to other states with unused prison capacity, although her long-term solution would be to build new prisons in the state and to oppose early release.

GOP foes kindle governor's wrath

It was an unexpected glimpse at what went through Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's mind the night the fragile state budget vote was in jeopardy.

Schwarzenegger said in his weekly radio address that he was in his office at 2 a.m. when an aide told him fellow Republicans were blocking his pension reform measure; the governor was short Republican votes.

"You mean Democratic votes," Schwarzenegger said he told Legislative Secretary Michael Prosio. "He replied, 'No, no, no, no. We are short of Republican votes.' "

Schwarzenegger eventually prevailed, but not until dispatching his personal assistant, Daniel Ketchell, to Secretary of State Debra Bowen's house, knocking on her door at 3 a.m. to obtain a signature needed to call a special session of the Legislature.

The proposal to change the state pension system was folded into a special session bill and approved by a simple majority, circumventing the need for a two-thirds vote. After an all-night session, lawmakers approved the budget Oct. 8, and Schwarzenegger signed it on the 100th day of the fiscal year.

Still, the lame-duck governor was upset enough by the opposition from within his own party that he brought it up in his weekly radio address. He said he expected opposition from Democrats but was surprised that Republicans, too, were "in bed with the same unions, only hidden under the sheets."

The legislation at issue rolls back retirement benefits for new employees to pre-1999 levels and increases employee retirement contributions. It also authorizes the governor to continue furloughing state workers whose unions have not agreed to contract concessions. The state prison guard union, which has no such agreement, lobbied against the bill.

"Maybe these Republicans just simply sold out because they got campaign contributions from the state prison guard unions," Schwarzenegger said.

He estimated savings from the pension reform of $100 billion "over the next few decades."

Schwarzenegger singled out six Republican lawmakers by name, including GOP Senate leader Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga, Sen. Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo, and Assemblymen Kevin Jeffries of Lake Elsinore and Paul Cook of Yucca Valley.

Schwarzenegger said some Republicans, including Assemblymen Jeff Miller of Corona, and Dan Logue of Linda, changed their votes to take political cover once it passed.

"Not only did they try to block reform, but then they did not even have the courage to publicly stand behind their action," Schwarzenegger said.

The record shows Logue abstained until the measure passed, then voted aye.

"I voted for it," he said. "It's on the record."

But Logue said he was critical of the pension measure because of a contract agreement that Schwarzenegger reached with California's largest state employee union, the Service Employees International Union, just before the budget vote.

"He's the one who continues to roll over to the unions," Logue said. "He's trying to cover his rear end by not doing what everybody thought he was going to do, and that was to create real reform."

Schwarzenegger has long had a difficult relationship with his own party, but for a governor to speak out so critically is rare, particularly in scripted remarks.

"It's unusual for it to come out, not only in public, but in a prepared presentation … for the criticism to be that harsh, direct and premeditated," said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.

Of the Republicans singled out by Schwarzenegger, perhaps none returned fire more furiously than Jeffries, who chided Schwarzenegger for his failed measures to reform government in 2005 and for a relationship with lawmakers so distant that Republicans once had to wear name tags to a meeting with him.

"I have enjoyed working with the governor, and appreciate that he has finally decided to stand and fight for something – anything – even something he abandoned and apologized for after losing in the 2005 special election, leaving those of us who supported him and his efforts out to hang and dry," Jeffries said in a written statement. "And despite the misrepresentations in his remarks, it was very impressive to see that he was actually able to name six Republicans currently serving in the Assembly."

Jeffries went on, "He has been a very entertaining governor, and I wish him well in his renewed acting career."

Dutton, one of the senators who opposed the bill, said it would damage the state's ability to recruit and retain qualified prison guards.

"I would have been happy to vote for real reform, but once again, Gov. Schwarzenegger merely conjured up smoke and mirrors," Dutton said in a written statement. "His so-called pension reform is a result of his inability to reach an agreement with California's correctional peace officers, and will result in the best and brightest going to local police, fire and sheriff's departments."

Renee Van Vechten, an assistant professor of government at University of Redlands, said Schwarzenegger's address was "really unusual." But the governor has little, if anything, to lose, she said. "He's moving on," Van Vechten said. "He doesn't depend on their votes for anything at this point."

On Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at approximately 10:30 am, a riot began between 126 Black and Hispanic inmates at Calipatria State Prison. It began on Yard 1 in A-Facility wherein 2 warning shots were fired. Then it spread to Bldg A3 wherein 2 more shots were fired critically injuring those inmates. Fighting continued in Bldg A1 wherein an additional 2 warning shots were fired along with the use of chemical agent grenades and mace which quelled the riot. Approximately 14 inmates were injured and at least 6 inmates were taken to the hospital. Weapons were found on the yard and in both buildings. The reason for the riot has not been determined and the entire institution is on lockdown. No staff were injured.

State Board of Directors:

Today at 3:30 p.m., Julie Chapman, DPA held a conference call with several bargaining units to clarify the Governor's Executive Order S-15-10. The main points remain consistent with the information we have already released for SO6 and MO6. Effective Nov 1st, employee retirement contribution will increase from 8% to 11% minus $863 dollars. For current employees or those with prior state service returning to service the retirement formula 3.0% @ 50 will remain the same. For "brand new employees to state service" the retirement formula will be the three year highest average and the formula will convert to 2.5% @ 55. DPA is currently working with the state controller's office to establish new retirement codes.

Effective, Nov 1, 2010 furloughs end for SO6 & MO6. Employees will earn one PLP day per month which will be added at the beginning of the month to afford the employee the opportunity to use the PLP day the month it is actually earned. PLP days will have no cash value and must be used before termination of state service.

Lincoln's Birthday & Columbus Day are still NOT considered paid holidays. In place of these two holidays, SO6 & MO6 employees will earn two Professional Development Days (PDD) between November 2, 2010 and June 30, 2011. These days must be used prior to June 30, 2011 or they will be lost, you cannot carry them over. PDD days are to be requested and granted similar to the process of requesting annual leave or vacation. The employee is not to be asked where they are going, what they are doing, or why they are taking the days off. The intent of these days, is to be used for attending classes, seminars etc. that enhance the individuals professional and personal development. For those of you that belong to associations, you may use these days to attend sponsored association functions/events. For example, in the case of our CCPOA members these days could be used to attend the annual CCPOA Training Conference in December. Prior to this conference call there was little information on how these days were to be used.

Effective, July 1, 2013 SO6 & MO6 employees will receive a 3% general salary increase to the top step of the respective pay scale.

Sincerely,

Kevin Raymond
Supervisory Vice-President

PRESTON TO CLOSE

Preston Youth Correctional Facility to close

Thursday, October 21, 2010

By Matthew Hedger

Officials have confirmed that the Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione, the oldest operating facility for juvenile offenders in the state, will close.

A statement issued today by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the move is in response to a declining ward population at youth correctional facilities statewide. CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate said that the 224 youths currently housed at Preston would be moved to one of the five remaining Division of Juvenile Justice facilities in the state by June 2011.

CDCR spokesman Bill Sessa said the 445 employees who will be affected by the closure will be offered positions at other facilities.

"It depends on each employee's personal circumstances," Sessa said. "What kind of job they do, where we have need, their seniority within the department ... and what they would choose to do. Each employee's circumstances can be somewhat unique, and that's one of the reasons we present each employee with their options, based on the job they do and the needs within the department."

Sessa said displaced Preston workers could be eligible for employment in other regional juvenile, or even adult, correctional facilities.

"We will make every effort to extend opportunities to every employee, and to minimize the economic effect in Amador County," Sessa said. "Even if some of these employees end up working in Sacramento, or Stockton, or at some of the other nearby adult prisons, then obviously the economic effect would still remain in Amador County, except in all likelihood they would continue to live there."

Sessa downplayed the suggestion that the announcement of the Preston closure had been moved forward because of media reports.

"When we make these kinds of announcements, we have a very orderly process, and it was important that we had the appropriate staff in place to answer all of the questions of the staff at Preston," he said.

Sessa said Acting Chief Deputy Secretary for Juvenile Justice Rachel Rios had been scheduled to meet with Preston employees yesterday, along with human resource workers, to answer those questions. Results and comments from that meeting were not available by press time.

Sessa said more meetings with the affected workers were being scheduled during the coming week.

Rumors of an impending closure have been circulating for months, according to one employee at Preston, who asked that his name not be used, because he was not authorized to comment.

"I've been hearing they were going to close us down for a long time," he said. "Our union reps were supposed to be here last week, but they canceled and now they're coming next week. I can't believe I had to hear about it in the media."

Assemblywoman Alyson Huber released a statement Wednesday: "I am outraged that the California Department of Corrections has been moving forward with a secret plan to close Preston Youth Facility while denying that was the case and without any involvement from the community," she said. "This rogue department has tried to dump unwanted facilities on communities without telling us, now they're trying to take away a wanted facility without telling us. It's unacceptable and it has to stop."

Huber asked her colleagues from the region, assembly members Ted Gaines and Roger Niello, to join her in a public hearing so they can get answers from the department.

"I want Preston to stay open, helping protect the public and keeping badly needed jobs in the community, but even if the facility is one day to be slated for closure, it has to be after a process that fully involves the community and prevents economic harm to the community," she said. "The department's secret rush to judgment on this facility fails both those tests - and it raises red flags to all of us who have been pushing for more openness and accountability in government."

Responding to the rampant rumors, Amador County Supervisors sent a letter to the CDCR earlier this week, asking them to be transparent in their decision-making process and to consider the impact a closure of the facility would have.

"A closure of Preston YCF will have a ripple effect in the county of Amador," they wrote, "Any decision to shut the doors on the Preston Youth Correctional facility in Ione will have a tremendous negative impact on the community of Ione and the county."

The facility was opened in 1894 as the Preston School of Industry. Preston's original building, a castle-like structure, dominates the city skyline and has become an iconic symbol for Ione.

CUSA/CCPOA VERDICT

To: State Board of Directors

After extensive discussions with our legal team we are providing you with the following information to assist you in answering any member questions you may get.

• This lawsuit is about events that happened back in 2006.

• Full details of claims made against CUSA/CCPOA and counter claims against the plaintiffs can be found at:
http://www.ccpoa.org/news/entry/cusa_litigation_update/

• As a member of Corrections USA, CCPOA has been defending itself against this suit for four years.

* It is important to our members for two reasons, first it is our individual members money that we are fighting to protect. In 2006, hundreds of individual CCPOA members were paying nearly $700,000 in annual dues to CUSA – so CCPOA had an obligation to ask questions in order to look out for the members money. The second reason is CCPOA was sued, not the other way around. Brian Dawe and Gary Harkins sued CCPOA after CUSA petitioned the court to have them return CUSA records and property.

• We strongly disagree with the verdict and there are significant grounds for appeal.

• We are filing an appeal, and are confident the ruling will be overturned.

* We also have strong reason to believe that current and former members of CCPOA have spread disinformation concerning this matter throughout the trial and have been actively helping Dawe and Harkins.

Q: Is the union going bankrupt?
A: No, there is a bond for the damages while the appeal goes through. We may not have to pay any damages at all.

Q: How will this impact me?
A: It won’t. The most important thing for the union and our members right now is to get a contract, and that’s what we’re working on.

If you have any further questions please direct them to Dave Sanders as that will maintain attorney clien

POST AND BID

CCC'S NEW POST AND BID HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED YET. CCPOA AND MANAGEMENT STILL MUST SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS IT. RUMORS DON'T DO ANY OF US ANY GOOD. WE ARE NOT IN HIGHSCHOOL FOR CRYING OUTLOUD

DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER HERE

We received information today that CCC's personnal specialist had keyed in the wrong paycodes on over a 100 overtime checks. The series are the 204 series for staff. If this is you, you will not receive your overtime check until next week. Nice, huh? We will be contacting Labor Relations in Sacramento to see if there is any legality in this. This is bad news for the effected ones. Something like this should have never happened and should not be tolereated. Its totally amazing how a single person can single handed mess up staffs livelyhood because they made a "mistake" I bet nobody gets any discplinary action on this either. Just thought to let you guys know, Lori asked for this to be posted, so I did with comments attached ofcourse.

Prisons face cut of $1.1B

Proposals include trimming staff, creating 12-hour shifts

Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer

Created: 10/10/2010 10:15:43 PM PDT

The state is cutting $1.1 billion from the corrections system as part of the Legislature's approval of the state budget.

The cut was announced in a report on the 2010-11 budget released last week by the California Legislative Analyst's Office. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is already considering cuts to corrections officers staffing and implementing a 12-hour workday for the officers in response to shrinking coffers.

"Sure, we're in a situation in the state where everyone's got to do their part, so I expect corrections will take a cut like everybody else," said Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate during his visit to Chino last week to open reconstructed housing units at the California Institution for Men.

"Every year, we get more efficient, leaner and so forth. It's a challenge especially in the field. We do everything we can to keep the field whole and take our cuts to headquarters; to take steps to run more efficiently so we can still run these places."

The state cut about $1 billion from last year's corrections budget despite an overcrowding issue that officers say is stretching the security levels of the state prison system.

In 2009-10, the budget was at $9 billion. More than a thousand inmates were involved in a riot at CIM last year, which injured more than 200 prisoners and caused millions in damage to the housing units Cate visited on Wednesday. Officials said overcrowding was a contributing factor in the racially motivated riot.

Union officials have expressed concern about employee safety and staffing levels if new cuts to security staff are approved. Corrections officials said the savings are necessary because of the budget crisis.

"We're just very concerned if these cuts do include additional employee position cuts," said Ryan Sherman, spokesman for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

"We're very concerned about staffing over at the prisons ... correctional officers make up the bulk of employees. We're very concerned that they're starting to look at eliminating positions which will significantly impact the safety and security of the institutions and the public at large."

Joe Baumann, the chapter president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association at the Norco Correctional Rehabilitation Center, said cuts have traditionally been targeted at security staff members.

"If they go after security positions, there's going to be more riots and more mayhem, so easily they could cut that billion out of administration and medical without it impacting public safety and the security of the facilities," Baumann said.

The 12-hour workday proposal for corrections officers would reduce the number of shifts in a 24-hour period from three to two. It would reduce staffing, but also impact security, union officials said.

"With fewer staff, we're going to have less members to be able to protect each other and the inmates," Sherman said.

Fred Stevens, the California Correctional Peace Officers chapter president at CIM in Chino, drew parallels to doctors and nurses working 12-hour shifts in a hospital and said exhaustion is a concern.

"Doctors don't recommend doing it," Stevens said. "Medical malpractice goes up. I can see some of the same concerns when you're out on duty with longer shifts."

Proposed implementation would be piloted at three institutions before adoption throughout the state, officials said.

"The state is in a significant budget crisis and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a result has had to look at ways to save money," department spokesman Paul Verke said. "As a result of the budget reductions last year, and whatever is in store this year, we're exploring all options to save money."

Verke said the three prisons being considered for a pilot schedule change are High Desert, Pelican Bay and Salinas Valley.

"If we move forward on it, we would most assuredly conduct appropriate discussions with the labor union," Verke said.

The CDCR may expand to additional job classifications at some point in time, but targeted are correctional officers, sergeants and lieutenants, according to corrections document detailing the proposal, a report called the 2010 Staffing Project 12 Hour Shift Schedule.

Staff costs make up about 80 percent of the institutional annual operating budget, according to the report.

In converting from an 8-hour shift schedule to a 12-hour shift schedule for a 24-hour operation, the third watch swing shift would be removed, and the second watch day shift and first watch night shift would be expanded to four hours each, according to the report.

Despite the shift, some 8-hour schedules would remain necessary to ensure that security would remain sufficient to operate safely and that the current daily operation has minimal changes.

"The plan does include flexibility for the department," Verke said.

The report goes on to say the plan would create a "leaner work force, thus reducing annual expenditures."

In August, corrections officials also proposed a 3 percent employee reduction - about 1,100 positions - to save between $80 million and $100 million.

Details on recommended cuts at CIM and California Institution for Women, both in Chino as well as California Rehabilitation Center in Norco were not released by prison officials.

State prison officials would have to approve the cuts, following labor negotiations.