SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 |
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"The Truth Behind Gavin Newsom's |
Prison Closures" |
with
Hunter Anglea |
Hour 1 |
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Hour 2 |
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REPEAT FROM AUGUST 1,
2021 |
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About our guest Hunter Anglea: |
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About the California
Correctional Center (CCC)
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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.
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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.
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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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