Click to see preamble.

   

 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

WE THE PEOPLE RADIO

 

"The Truth Behind Gavin Newsom's

Prison Closures"

 with Hunter Anglea

Hour 1 WE THE PEOPLE RADIO

Hour 2

WE THE PEOPLE RADIO
 REPEAT FROM AUGUST 1, 2021
 
About our guest Hunter Anglea:

Hunter worked at California Correctional Center (CCC) for 25 years (1989-2014); then at High Desert State Prison 2014-2017. Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) 2017-2019. He began a career as a Correctional Officer at Folsom State Prison in 1983.

At CCC he was promoted from Correctional Sergeant through the ranks to Associate Warden. He was the Chief Deputy Warden in an acting capacity for 7 months, including during the Wardens absence for weeks at a time.

At SCC he was the Chief Deputy Warden for 9 months and the Warden for 2 years.

CCC and SCC are sister institutions in that they are the only 2 institutions that train inmate firefighters and oversee the Conservation Camps in partnership with CAL-Fire.

He also spent 2 years as a Camp Commander, managing one of the Conservation Camps.

At CCC Hunter also spent time as the Associate Warden over the Northern Camps. 18 Camps at the time.

About the California Correctional Center (CCC)

  • CCC has consistently maintained lower than average recidivism rates with its population.
  • CCC's per inmate, per year cost is amongst the lowest in CDCR
  • CCC has a recognized high school and graduates some of the highest numbers of offenders with high school diplomas in CDCR
  • CCC has a GED program that is one of the most successful in CDCR
  • CCC has some of the most successful vocational trade programs in CDCR.  Thousands of male offenders have graduated these programs and successfully found employment in the trades.
  • CCC has historically generated some of the highest inmate Welfare Fund (IWF) monies in CDCR.  IWF is centralized and used to support many programs for the entire State's prison population.
  • Over the years, CCC has contributed tens of thousands of dollars towards victims of crime advocacy programs in Lassen County through its inmate activity groups and in collaborative projects involving the institution and its conservation camps.
  • CCC's fire Department continues to regularly contribute to the region's public safety, responding to traffic collisions, fires, medical emergencies and even helping to coordinate traffic for public health COVID vaccination efforts at Lassen Community College.
  • The health care benefits provided to employees at CCC contribute greatly to the volume of health care providers available to residents of Northeastern California.
  • Health care provided to CCC's prison population further contribute to the volume of health care workers in Lassen Countywho in turn also provide services to the general public of the region.
  • CCC is able to provide an emergency workforce of offender crews to supplement what is routinely available in the area.  This would include, for example, emergency snow removal, even on private property when requested by the local Office of Emergency Services (OES).  CCC was responsible for having this clause included in the State's penal code many years ago.
  • CCC is completely capable of sustaining itself.  It generates its own water via wells, treats its own sewage, is able to generate its own power and it maintains a 30-day supply of goods that would enable it to survivie without outside help for a month.

A little peek behind the curtain:

On April 13, 2021, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced the closure of California Correctional Center (CCC) with a slated closure date of June 30, 2022. CDCR and the Governors Office never contacted local authorities i.e., the Mayor or City Council to inform them of the imminent closure of CCC. The closure currently effects approximately 1100 employees and if allowed to close, the city of Susanville, and the county of Lassen may lose $134 million in revenue. This revenue loss will ultimately affect all Emergency Operations (Sheriff, Police, Ambulance, Hospitals, CHP, and Fire Departments). Other entities such as Colleges, High Schools, Grade schools will be affected especially hard. It has been reported that the school district has predicted (prematurely) a 30% drop in attendance. If true, there will be school closures, teacher losses, among many children losing out on great learning opportunities. The state contends that the closure will save millions in infrastructure costs, however, the state has already invested $58 million dollars in two new kitchens, additional medical facilities and remodeling of already existing facilities.

CCC is unique as it is one of only two Institutions within the state who can house, train and provide low level inmates for the purposes of firefighting. CCC originally operated 18 Northern Fire Camps, however the state has since closed two of the northern camps and reduced the potential population to 1,400 inmates. The training for inmates is conducted through the collaboration with Cal-Fire. Inmates are paid for the work they do and have job opportunities opened to them when they parole. There are inmates who have gone through the training while at CCC, paroled, received jobs with Cal-Fire and have moved up through the ranks within the organization. Many inmates have expressed to staff that the firefighting program is the absolute best rehabilitative program the state offers, have stated the program actually saved them from re-offending and becoming a statistic.

All CDCR employees have been ordered to complete training by December 31, 2021. The training has placed a gag order on staff in relation to posts on all social media sites. If staff violate this order they could face firing or other civil recourse. Why? What is the state afraid of? How can the state violate the first amendment?

Since the announcement of the closure citizens of the city of Susanville, along with the City Council have formed a committed known as the stakeholders. These individuals have taken it upon themselves to question the legitimacy of the closure of CCC and whether or not the closure can be stopped. With the assistance of the City Council a law firm has written and filed an injunction with Lassen County Superior Court requesting a temporary restraining order to stop the closure of CCC. The injunction contends that prior to commencing closure, and contrary to legislative mandate, the State did not conduct review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQUA,” Public Resources Code section  et seq.) The State failed to conduct such review, and prior to ending contracts with its private facilities.

The Prison Law Office (PLO) has also questioned the decision to close CCC. Specifically, the PLO has requested that CA Dept of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) utilize the lower populations to spread out the inmate population throughout the state to slow the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases. However, with the closure of CCC and other low level yards, the PLO has expressed concerns with the potential for an increase in the inmate population and causing an overcrowding within the remaining institutions. As many know CDCR has been under scrutiny for over crowding and was mandated by a three-judge panel to reduce over crowding within the prison system.

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Current progression of the closure. One of the three main facilities has been closed (Facility A) and all inmates from that facility have been moved to Facility B, increasing the inmate population on Facility B to about 900 plus from 550-560. Facility B has been able to remain within CDCR’s mandated 24 inmates per dorm standards, but every dorm is at its max. A program currently known to the staff as the Delayed Lateral Transfer has been created in an effort to get as many staff as possible to transfer to other institutions. This is an increase in the speed of the closure and was not on the original timeline of events provided by the state. This has lead staff to believe the state is working extra quickly to close CCC due to the back lash they have experienced from the city and the citizens of Susanville. The Warden Suzanne Peery has promised 20 Correctional Officers to voluntarily transfer to High Desert State Prison by August 16, 2021. If 20 staff do not volunteer, then the remaining shall be picked by inverse seniority and involuntarily transferred to High Desert State Prison.

 

CCC Closure in Susanville (front of flyer shown below)
CCC Closure_front.PNG
PNG File [1.6 MB]

 
CCC Closure in Susanville (back of flyer shown below)
CCC Closure_back.PNG
PNG File [1.6 MB]