California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

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California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Common name California Department of Corrections
Abbreviation CDCR
Patch of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Logo of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Badge Patch of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Agency Overview
Formed 2005
Preceding agency California Department of Corrections
California Youth Authority
Employees 57,641
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional Structure
Operations jurisdiction* State of California, USA
CDCR Locations map
Size 163,696 square miles
Population 36,756,666 (2008 est.)[1]
General nature
Operational Structure
Headquarters Sacramento, California
Officers 32,772
Civilians 24,869
Agency executive Matthew Cate, Director
Website
CDC Website
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.


The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is responsible for the operation of the California state corrections, rehabilitation, probation and parole systems. CDCR is also responsible for enforcement and investigations of parolees and prison inmates. The CDCR is the second largest law enforcement or police agency in the United States right behind the New York City Police Department which employes approximately 41000 police officers. CDCR employees approximately 33000 state peace officers. Following are the top 5 largest law enforcemnt or police agencies in the United States: New York Police Department, 41000 Police Officers 2) CDCR 33000 state peace officers, 3) Chicago Police 11000 Police Officers, 4) Los Angeles Police (LAPD): 9900 police officers 5) Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, 9600 deputy sheriffs

Contents

[edit] History

In 1851, California activated its first state run institutions. This institution was a 268-ton wooden ship named "The Waban", and was anchored in the San Francisco Bay.[2] The prison ship housed 30 inmates who subsequently constructed San Quentin State Prison, which opened in 1852 with approximately 68 inmates.[3] Since 1852, the Department has activated thirty one prisons across the state.

[edit] Mergers

See also: California Division of Juvenile Justice

In 2004, a Corrections Independent Review Panel appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and led by former Governor George Deukmejian noted "California’s $6 billion correctional system suffers from a multitude of problems — out-of-control costs; a recidivism rate far exceeding that of any other state; reported abuse of inmates by correctional officers; an employee disciplinary system that fails to punish wrongdoers; and the failure of correctional institutions to provide youth wards and inmates with mandated health care and other services."[4] Among other recommendations to address these problems, the Panel suggested "Reorganizing the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency."[4] The Agency had consisted of "the Department of Corrections, the Department of the Youth Authority, the Board of Prison Terms, the Board of Corrections, the Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training, the Narcotic Addict Evaluation Board and the Youth Authority Board."[5]

Schwarzenegger made a reorganization plan public in January 2005 implementing many of the recommendations of the panel but without "a citizens commission overseeing the state's entire correctional operation."[6] The reorganization became effective on July 1, 2005.[5] The CDCR's current Divisions and Boards include (among others):[7][8]

  • Division of Juvenile Justice, formerly known as the California Youth Authority (Department of the Youth Authority). This has a 2006/07 budget of $530 million and 3,776 employees, of which 1,970 are custody staff.[9]
  • Division of Adult Institutions, responsible for the adult prisons, and Division of Adult Parole Operations. These have a 2006/07 budget of $8.75 billion and 57,641 employees, of which 32,772 are sworn peace officers.[10]
  • Board of Parole Hearings, which combines the old Board of Prison Terms, the Narcotic Addict Evaluation Authority, and the Youth Authority Board.
  • Corrections Standards Authority, whose functions parallel those of the former Board of Corrections and the former Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training.

[edit] Facilities and Jurisdictions

See also: List of California state prisons

According to the Department’s official Web site, "Currently there are 33 adult correctional institutions, 13 adult community correctional facilities, and eight juvenile facilities in California that house more than 165,000 adult offenders and nearly 3,200 juvenile offenders."[11] This inmate population makes the CDCR the largest state-run prison system in the United States.[12]

Regarding adult prisons, CDCR has the task of receiving and housing inmates that were convicted of felony crimes within the State of California. When an adult inmate arrives at a state prison, he/she is assigned a classification based on his/her committed offense. Each prison is designed to house different varieties of inmate offenders, from Level I inmates to Level IV inmates; the higher the level, the higher risk the inmate poses. Selected prisons within the state are equipped with security housing units, reception centers, and/or "condemned" units. These security levels are defined as follows:[13]

  • Level I: "Open dormitories without a secure perimeter."
  • Level II: "Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage."
  • Level III: "Individual cells, fenced perimeters and armed coverage."
  • Level IV: "Cells, fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security, more staff and armed officers both inside and outside the installation."
  • Security Housing Unit (SHU): "The most secure area within a Level IV prison designed to provide maximum coverage." These are designed to handle inmates that cannot be housed with the general population of inmates. This includes inmates that are validated prison gang members, gang bosses or shot callers, etc.
  • Reception Center (RC): "Provides short term housing to process, classify and evaluate incoming inmates."
  • Condemned (Cond): "Holds inmates with death sentences."

[edit] Correctional Peace Officers

In addition to managing state prison systems, they are also assigned to specialized units that handle many different aspects of prison operations in and out of state prisons and institutions. These include CDCR Investigations Services Unit, Gang Investigations, Transportation Units, Crisis Response Teams (Hostage Rescue or SWAT), Crisis Negotiators, K-9 units, Narcotics Units, etc. Currently there are over 30,000 Peace Officers including Supervisors (Sergeants, Lieutenants and Captains) employed by the State of California, over 3,000 counselors and over 1,500 State Parole Agents. CDCR Correctional Officers are State Peace Officers (Law enforcement officers) as they are to provide Public Safety in and outside of state grounds while engaged in the performance of their duties. In addition, CDCR employees about 700 Special Agents(criminal investigators) who are assigned to statewide organized crime, prison gang, and narcotics enforcement and investigations.


[edit] Correctional Officer Academy

CDCR Peace Officers are trained at the Basic Correctional Peace Officer Academy located in Galt, California and Stockton, California. Cadets must complete a 16-week, formal and comprehensive training program. The curriculum consists of hundreds of hours of training and ranks among the top three correctional academies in the nation according to the Department website. Instruction includes but is not limited to firearms training, chemical agents, non-lethal impact weapons, arrest and control techniques and State of California law and Department policies. Cadets must also successfully complete a simplified version of Peace Officer Standards and Training courses (POST). Upon completion of the academy cadets attend a graduation ceremony where they are then sworn in as State Peace Officers.[14]


[edit] Union

For more details on this topic, see California Correctional Peace Officers Association .

Officers of the department are represented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (the CCPOA.) It was founded in 1957 and its stated goals include the protection and safety of officers, and the advocation of laws, funding and policies to improve prison operations and protect public safety. The union has had its controversies over the years, including criticism of its large contributions to former California Governor Gray Davis.[citation needed] Since the California recall election, 2003, the CCPOA has been a vocal critic of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.[citation needed]

In June, 2008, the union came under investigation from the from both the California Office of the Inspector General and the CDCR for its role in the hiring of a 21-year-old parolee by Minorities in Law Enforcement, an affiliate of CCPOA.[15] Mike Jimenez, President of the CPOA, was critical of the investigation, and of the CDCR. He said "It doesn't surprise me that CDCR would do this. They spend a lot of time, money and effort talking about rehabilitation, but then doing everything possible to keep (parolees) from being successful." In response to concerns that his unions payment for flights to come to the capitol to work might be a violation of the terms of his release, he said "We're trying to make it so the kid is successful – why would they do that? [...] This is exactly what is wrong – sick – about our system."

[edit] Fallen officers

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page Web site, since the inception of what is currently CDCR, 33 employees have been killed in the line of duty.[16] Most recently, on January 10, 2005, Officer Manuel Ariza Gonzalez Jr. was killed in the line of duty at the California Institution for Men located in Chino.[17] An inmate fatally stabbed Officer Gonzalez with a shank (inmate manufactured knife).[18] The suspect was later charged with "assault by a life prisoner," which is a capital crime in California, and with murder[19]; however, as of October 2007 no trial date had been set.[20]

[edit] Prison overcrowding

See also: California Prison Growth

The California prison system is currently, and has been for many years, plagued with overcrowding due to an overwhelming inmate population. In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a $7.4 billion prison reform bill into law that will fund up to 40,000 new prison beds.[21] However, many state officials have agreed that even with the new prison beds, the situation with overcrowding in the prison system will not be fixed.[citation needed]

In July 2007, "two federal judges... create[d] a three-judge court that will be charged with reducing the number of state inmates."[12] On Wednesday, June 4, 2008, the California Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento ruled that the governor "was within his rights to declare a state of emergency at California's overcrowded prisons in 2006 and begin transferring inmates out of state."[22]

In addition to the overcrowding issue, the prison system is far understaffed with Correctional Peace Officers. The state is unable to hire and train enough new Officers to keep up with the flow of new offenders into the system.

[edit] Prison health care services

In June 2005, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson put the state prison health care system into receivership, citing the "depravity" of the system.[23] In February 2006, the judge appointed Robert Sillen to the position[24] and Sillen was replaced by J. Clark Kelso in January 2008.[25]

[edit] Parolees

According to the Department’s official Web site, "there are more than 148,000 adult parolees and 3,800 juvenile parolees supervised by the CDCR."[11] A 2002 article found that "California’s growth in the numbers of people on parole supervision — and in the numbers whose parole has been revoked — has far exceeded the growth in the rest of the nation."[26] California accounted for 12 percent of the U.S. population but 18% of the U.S. parole population, and almost 90,000 California parolees returned to prison in 2000.[26]

At San Quentin, the non-profit organization California Reentry Program "helps inmates re-enter society after they serve their sentences."[27]

[edit] See also

California portal
Law enforcement/Law enforcement topics portal


[edit] References

  1. ^ "Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico". U.S. Census Bureau. December 22, 2008. http://www.census.gov/popest/states/tables/NST-EST2008-01.xls. Retrieved on 2009-01-15. 
  2. ^ California Department of Justice. California Criminal Justice Time Line 1822-2000. Accessed 27 Apr 2008.
  3. ^ Reed, Dan. Killer Location May Doom San Quentin Prison. Also Calling It Outdated, State to Consider Razing Infamous Bayside Penitentiary for Housing. San Jose Mercury News, August 20, 2001.
  4. ^ a b Corrections Independent Review Panel. Reforming Corrections. June 2004.
  5. ^ a b Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Transform California's Prison System. Press release, 10 May 2005.
  6. ^ Furillo, Andy. Prisons plan shifts power to agency chief. Sacramento Bee, 7 January 2005.
  7. ^ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Organizational Structure, October 2007. Accessed 17 November 2007.
  8. ^ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Divisions and Boards. Accessed 17 November 2007.
  9. ^ CDCR Division of Juvenile Justice. DJJ Facts, Stats & Trends - Summary Fact Sheet (January 2007). Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  10. ^ CDCR Division of Adult Operations. First Quarter 2007 Facts and Figures. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  11. ^ a b CDCR Division of Adult Institutions. Visitors Information Page. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
  12. ^ a b Moore, Solomon. New Court to Address California Prison Crowding. New York Times, July 24, 2007.
  13. ^ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California's Correctional Facilities. 15 Oct 2007.
  14. ^ "Correctional Officer Training". Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Career_Opportunities/POR/COTraining.html. Retrieved on April 27 2008. 
  15. ^ Furillo, Andy (2008-06-21). "Chief of prison guards union defends hiring of parolee". Sacramento Bee. http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1029448.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-21. 
  16. ^ The Officer Down Memorial PageFebruary 2009
  17. ^ California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation. In Remembrance: Ofc. Manuel A. Gonzalez. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  18. ^ The Officer Down Memorial Page Remembers... Corrections Officer Manuel Ariza Gonzalez Jr. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  19. ^ Leveque, Rod. Dismissal of charge against inmate denied. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA), May 18, 2007.
  20. ^ Leveque, Rod. Suspect's father's testimony to be recorded for use in murder trial. Whittier Daily News, October 24, 2007.
  21. ^ Martin, Mark (May 4, 2007). "State's $7.4 billion prison expansion is signed into law. Plan calls for more programs to prepare inmates for release". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/04/MNG9SPL71J1.DTL. 
  22. ^ Bob Egelko (June 4, 2008). "Schwarzenegger can ship inmates out of state, court rules". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/04/BAS2113BOQ.DTL&tsp=1. 
  23. ^ Sterngold, James (2005-07-05). "U.S. seizes state prison health care". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/07/01/MNGOCDHPP71.DTL. Retrieved on 2007-12-21. 
  24. ^ Moore, Solomon (2007-08-27). "Using Muscle to Improve Health Care for Prisoners". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/us/27prisons.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-21. 
  25. ^ Kagan, Racheal (2008-01-23). "CPR PRESS RELEASE: Judge Appoints New Prison Health Care Receiver, 01/23/08" (pdf). http://cprinc.org/docs/press/PR_012308_NewReceiver.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  26. ^ a b Travis, Jeremy, and Lawrence, Sarah. California's Parole Experiment. California Journal, August 2002.
  27. ^ Moody, Shelah (2007-12-09). "California Reentry Program gives ex-cons a second chance". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/09/LV92TOP61.DTL. Retrieved on 2009-01-12. 

[edit] External links


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