CCPOAIronwood.com - Internet Bulletin Board for Members of ISP Chapter CCPOA

According to accounts posted on the San Diego Union-Tribune website (www.signonsandiego.com), sixteen correctional officers were taken to outside hospitals. The initial attack began when a correctional officer attempted to search an inmate suspected of carrying a concealed weapon, said a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The correctional officer was slashed in the head, and a second officer was struck in the head from behind in the struggle. Lance Corcoran, Executive VP of CCPOA told reporters that officer was undergoing a CT scan for significant injuries, but that he was lucid. All sixteen officers are expected to be released from the hospital Thursday evening, including the two most seriously injured.

One inmate was fatally wounded and four others were taken to outside hospitals, according to prison spokesman Lt. Ray Madden, including a second inmate who was shot. No information was made available identifying the two inmates that were shot, nor of the condition of the second inmate. Another six inmates were taken to the prison infirmary and a total of 25 inmates were treated in what is being called a “major riot.”

Lance Corcoran told the press that the inmates “attempted to take the unit over… they attempted to breach the control booth. They were throwing brooms and shoving sticks in.” Corcoran quoted a sergeant who said that a tower guard “literally saved their lives today” after firing lethal rounds from a Mini-14.

The riot broke out shortly before 3 p.m. in a Level-4 exercise yard, according to the CDC&R spokesperson. The first officer was stabbed in the head and then kicked on the ground, while the second officer in the yard was struck from behind. The other officers suffered their injuries while re-taking control of the yard. The spokesperson stated that possibly 20 inmates were involved in the main struggle with the two yard-officers, then more incidents began on different parts of the yard.

Officers at Ironwood State Prison and other neighboring institutions were put on alert to aid in the riot at Calipatria, but the institution re-gained control of its yard and assistance was not needed. More information will be made available on this website as it is released.

To: All Unit 6 Members

Re: A Dark Road

It seems that we have come to a crossroad. CCPOA Ironwood Chapter has tried in good faith to talk, deal and reason with Ironwood Administration. It has fallen on deaf ears, doors slamming in our faces.

Perhaps you have noticed many things going wrong at Ironwood State Prison and with this Department. We have addressed many different issues with the local administration. Some of the issues have been administrators violating departmental inmate property procedures. When CCPOA addressed these issues, we were assured that administration would follow them, they did not. They were dishonest to local CCPOA on these issues. Other issues are the multiple post vacancy violations, once again local CCPOA was lied to during a meeting with administration. Ironwood tries to blame officers for vacant positions, they say sick leave is the reason for the excessive vacant posts. Despite their claims Ironwood is currently under staffed by more than 50 officers. This is the true reason for post vacancy violations.

It has also come to our attention that many adverse actions have been brought against Unit 6 Members. Many of these adverse actions are questionable to say the least. Administrators say that Unit 6 Members are going to be held accountable. Ironically, administrators are the only employees who lack necessary oversight.

Our local chapter has and will continue to try to bargain in good faith. Wardens statewide have mutually agreed to stymie CCPOA in their efforts to bargain on behalf of its members.

Once again we are at the crossroad. The road we must take is one that seems long and dark. A road pot marked with dishonest, deceptive and unfair administrators. We ask all Unit 6 Members to stand up for their rights and do their duties to the letter. It is time to hold administration accountable.

On July 15, 2005, two correctional officers were stabbed at Salinas Valley State Prison. [LINK] Because of this incident, the institution was put on lock down while investigations occurred and administration attempted to assess the situation.

I was reading an article on AlterNet.org the other day about the impact that this stabbing has had on the institution. Of course, this being AlterNet I expected the typical media POV on the subject (pro-inmate, anti-officer), but never did I expect to read the opening Editor’s Note attached:

When two guards were stabbed in July at the Salinas Valley State Prison, the facility went on “lockdown” — an increasingly common occurrence in California’s state prisons, and one with grave effects on inmates’ mental and physical health.
www.alternet.org/rights/23863/

I began reading about the stabbing, the lockdown and got to the phrase “an increasingly common occurrence in California’s state prisons.” I paused for a moment, thinking to myself that it was amazing that this particular media source was recognizing that stabbings are becoming such a common occurrence in California’s state prisons.

I have to admit I was a little shocked, but impressed. This was not typical of the recognition CDC officers get from the media. But then I re-read the sentence again in its entirety. I realized what they were saying. They weren’t saying that the stabbings were becoming a common occurrence - but were focusing instead on the lockdown and oh what a shame it was, how it affected inmates’ “mental and physical health” - nothing about what the stabbings themselves do to the officers and the institution mentality as a whole.

The letter that was to follow the Editor’s Note was written by a 63-year old inmate at Salinas Valley about four days after the incident while lock down was still imposed. A long oration about lack of physical exercise, mental stimulation, lack of human contact and communication followed by an even longer rant about prison healthcare, reform and other complaints. The title of this essay - “Locked Down and Forgotten.” With quotes like this one throughout the letter, “No matter, the worst they can do to me is kill me. Looking around, that would not be such a horrible thing,” no wonder the public has such a low opinion of correctional officers.

Do we as a society expect inmates to be happy with their surroundings, be comfortable in their situations and not complain about every detail when given a chance? It’s prison people - and while no one I know advocates cruel and unusual punishment and most correctional officers agree that the administration needs a major overhaul for the benefit of safety to both inmates and officers - there’s no way that even a perfect situation would yield a so-called “happy inmate.”

Letters from inmates whining about four days’ worth of lock down. What won’t the media print?