May 15, 2002
 

My name is B. Cayenne Bird, I represent United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect (U.N.I.O.N.) which is composed of 6000 plus humanitarians, especially those in the helping professions such as doctors, teachers, social workers, nurses, journalists, many of whom have a loved one in prison.

The UNION would like to point out that Mr. Alameida has thus far been unable to resolve some very serious issues which we believe endanger the public safety.

The goal of everyone should be to return those we have taken captive to their communities in much better shape than before incarceration. Prisons are a practice from the dark ages and there are no statistics anywhere to support them as an actual solution or prevention to crime.

But since our California legislature has turned the human bondage industry into our largest state product, we need a responsible CDC director. Mr. Alamaida has allowed the practice of cruel and unusual punishment in the form of lockdown to be accepted by the legislature and everyone
else as business as usual.

The UNION would like to emphatically state, that locking people in cages no larger than the size of a bathroom WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO MAY BE MENTALLY ILL for months and years at a time is just wrong!  Isolation is torture as any psychiatrist with proper credentials will agree. This practice is not at all beneficial to the public safety.  One example of a person who was tortured in prison then returned to his community much sicker was Michael Bowers, who parked his truck in the Capitol's parlor.  If you need evidence....just look at the high rate of recidivism.

Most correctional institutions have four separate facilities.  A, B, C, and Minimum Camp.  If there is an incident on one of the facilities, ALL FOUR are locked down.  This is a terrible policy, one we feel is to solely designed to make the guard's job easier.  Guards get time and half overtime pay during periods of lockdown.  Actually we feel they should be paid less instead of more, since the job becomes much easier.

At a time when the State is bankrupt it makes no sense to keep this policy in force.  What it does is encourage correctional officers to create disturbances so they can cause lockdown to get overtime. 
This attitude of punishment instead of healing permeates every layer of the California Department of Corrections.

Callousness and inhumanity begins at the top. These isolation practices are destroying the minds of people who may be in for a very minor crime.  We know 70% of the prisoners fall into the nonviolent category and shouldn't be in prison at all. There are so many alternative sentencing
methods that do create actual healing, and do contribute to the public safety.  These include education, rehabilitation, strengthening and encouraging those who have made a mistake. Too little of these actual solutions to crime is happening under Mr. Alameida's management.
 

There is no regard for the mentally ill in California's prison.  Our professionals have observed that such cruel practices as lockdown are creating more mental illness than they are curing.

During lockdown the inmates are cell fed, they lose all privileges, yard, visits, canteen, phone calls, medical and dental visits, can't go to their jobs, have access to the legal library and are cut off from everyone to an inhumane degree. We're not talking a day or two here, Pelican Bay has been on lockdown for 2.5 years. They're all doing it and getting away with it! 

During lockdown, inmates are allowed a shower every third day.  They are handcuffed, escorted to the shower, uncuffed in the shower, and treated as if they are animals.  This abuse makes even the most "model" prisoner sullen and grouchy, it makes them depressed and distraught.

The inmates turn in slips to see doctors and dentists, but only "emergencies" are allowed, until the time comes for the Captain of each facility to allow a few to trickle down for even the most minor treatment.   Meanwhile our tax dollars are wasted on fully staffed clinics with few if any inmates being treated for months and years at a time.

The inmates wonder, "what did I do to deserve to be locked up?" The person who committed the offense resulting in lockdown might even be a mentally ill person They  cannot ever be expected to follow the rules. So perpetual lockdown has become a way of life.

The medical people rarely care, they laugh at inmates who insist on being seen through numerous ducats (appt. slips).  Some MTAs even throw the medication at the inmates as they walk past their cells while delivering pills in the morning. This is happening at Folsom, Represa, where four guards were recently stabbed.  Is it any wonder? Treat a person as an animal and they will respond in kind every time.

Of course officers love lockdown. They have a lot of down time, no inmates to supervise, no yard to watch....the inmates are kept in their cells 24 hrs a day until lockdown is over.  Guards get overtime for cell searching, another "safety" rule that has been perverted into terrorizing and psychologically intimidating inmates.

What purpose does this huge expense and cruelty serve?  The people who committed the offenses can be removed and treated without locking down the entire institution.

There are many other issues that I am just going to briefly mention here today.  These burning topics are likely to result in millions of dollars of lawsuits filed by our people which will nullify any proposed
budget cut.  In order to prevent these, Mr. Alameida will need to take into tow his unbearably incompetent staff. Firing them all is not a bad idea.

These are continuous issues around medical neglect.  We are still having the same problems with having our member's complaints resolved.  Denied surgeries,  no dental care except for pulling teeth, people dying because the clinics are nothing but concocted band-aid stations. There's a failure to train the guards in basic first aid and it is killing people daily! MTA's who are really guards violates the Hippocratic oath of medicine.  There is absolutely no dedication of CDC to healing. There is only punishment, which doesn't work and endangers us all.

The UNION objects to Alameida denying the press access to prisoners. This violates the first amendment of the federal Constitution and serves no purpose except to cover up medical neglect and injustice within CDC's kangaroo courts.

Any CDC Director who is supportive of this practice, and all the other inhumane methods, does not have the compassionate balance we think should be a requisite for a good CDC director. We
urge Mr. Alameida to rail against Governor Davis for denying him the proper budget necessary to care for all those in cages. He shouldn't just proceed and participate in these actions that would make God himself cry!

Compassionate release should be high on his agenda.  He must stand up and refuse to mistreat or allow people to die over the fact that we simply have too many people in prison.  This will take courage, but courage is needed here to stop the destruction of so many lives.  We taxpayers did not commission our government to destroy people.

Not only will mistreatment result in even more lawsuits  where everyone from the MTA on up to the President of the United States are named, but there will be a Judgment Day for everyone who murdered through medical neglect, or caused or allowed anyone to suffer and die needlessly
through unbearable incompetence and callousness.

We don't know the source of the proposed visiting regulations, which are proof positive that prisoners and their families are considered to be less than human beings, but we intend to file a lawsuit over any worse impingement of our rights to the pursuit of happiness to name one.

It is a sad day when our pleading and reasoning for people to act as good Christians can only be heard through lawsuits. A very sad day.  I hope that I can be there in person to cover Judgment Day and watch what each and every person is dealt out by God for the hurt they're causing to millions of people.

And doing it with our tax dollars.  There are at least 3 million people destroyed by injustice and these inhumane practices. They are people who vote, write, demonstrate, and who have no toleration for callousness and injustice.

We know the system is out of control, that the Guard's Union has bought off most of our legislators and that the money the human bondage creates is more important than people. But do not think that their families, many of them now middle class are going to quietly tolerate lockdowns, murder through medical neglect, bans of the press, denial of visits, psychological intimidation or any of the other nonsense happening now.

Thank you for allowing me to voice our position. If Mr. Alameida's current performance is the best he can do, then we oppose him as CDC Director.

B. Cayenne Bird,
UNION
United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect
P.O. Box 22765
Sacramento, Ca. 95822

All may be posted, circulated or published.

5/28/02

Present at today's Meeting held at the behest of Senator John Burton as a follow up to the Warden Confirmation hearings for Dave Runnels, High Desert State Prison and  John Dovey, Chino Institute for Women were:

Robert Presley, Agency Secretary (see resume below)
Edward Alameida, CDC Director
Ken Hurdle
Mike Neal
B. Cayenne Bird, UNION Director

I will give you a summary overview and then specific statements made in response to your concerns.

I found everyone's attitude to be civil and re-voiced all the concerns I expressed at Warden Alameida's confirmation hearing on May 15 and the Warden's hearings on May 22.  I was able to describe some specific cases for Mr. Presley, a former senator and the Youth and Adult Agency secretary.

Whenever I had an accurate depiction of a circumstance, wrong-doing, or even illegal activity by CDC, Ken Hurdle didn't lie but would simply confirm his knowledge of the situation and state "that is under investigation." So, we didn't have as many under-estimations of  my knowledge of the inner workings today as we had at the first hearings. 

Mr. Presley is CDC's boss and 90% of the time he seemed to be unaware of the legal cases I referred to as examples, but he was definitely interested.  His attitude didn't reflect that purely "cop"
mentality that you see so often in CDC employees. He had more depth than that and some wisdom for his years.  He reflected more of an interest in restorative justice than the normal retribution-style,
injustice practiced through every layer of CDC.

I couldn't cover six file cabinets full of complaints in a couple of hours but I was able to focus in on the following high points.

1.  Lockdowns as a means of controlling visiting, that the practice
     is inhumane and making everyone sicker, isolated from their
     families and punishes inmates who did nothing wrong.

2.  Punishment of the mentally ill instead of healing and treatment
     creates even worse behavior problems.

3.  Education via television for those in the SHU and on lockdown,
     and for all inmates.

4.  Food

5.  The fact that the Inspector General's office has no real teeth to
     handle complaints.

6.  Retribution for those who complain and file 602's

7.  Medical neglect, lack of emergency training and services.

8.  Continual mail blockage

The way that meetings with bureaucrats usually go, especially  those that would alert the public and "bosses" to problems, is that everyone blames other agencies or individuals for the dysfunction. 

"It's not our responsiblity,  it's supposed to be isomeone elses'  responsibility, therefore it can't be an issue with us."

Or, "the Governor and the legislature wants this done but aren't willing to allocate the budget to get it done.  Of course this year, there will be less done than ever before with the budget crisis." This statement is always delivered with a pained look and a slight moan at the end for emphasis.  If only they had money, it would be possible to do the right thing....

And, "the legislature creates this problem for us, then holds us responsible for it." 

Pass the buck, deny the problem, have a fistful of excuses if I have too much solid evidence for a denial to be possible.  Then, we refuse to take no for an answer, are forced to file a few lawsuits IF we can find volunteer lawyers, write letters to editors, show up for years at hearings, bug the legislators and Governor, protest, do initiative campaigns and generally wear ourselves thin.

Begrudgingly,  we finally make tiny baby steps of progress or we just stave off bills or attitudes that would make it even worse.

This has been our pattern, and I'm certain the pattern of everyone else who challenges the bureaucracy.

I always leave the meetings feeling that the decision-makers are well intended, slightly overwhelmed with the sheer number of people in prison and have good faith that their objectives trickle down to the employees directly involved with the inmates.

In theory, they may have good intentions but rules and policies are rarely, if ever, executed in the fashion they think is happening.  And there are almost no consequences for violators because their exceptions to the rules were done "to protect the safety of the institution."  There is always that excuse to justify whatever they want to do, and everyone goes along with it in a trusting manner.

If I were an outsider who did not have years invested in listening to and trying to mediate complaints from inmates and families, personally living the nightmare through the experiences of a precious loved one, I could also be sucked into thinking that some of these excuses were valid.

But such is not the case, and I perceive many of the problems coming from the CDC gang's power trips to control the other gangs. Not to heal, but to control and punish is their highest priority. Those who know me well usually agree that I have a keen perception of the nature of those
I meet almost instantly. Call it intuition.

The CDC is in my perception highly testosterone-driven and hell-bent to break spirits of the mostly young people in their care in a military fashion. They refuse to recognize that they, too, are a "gang."
They call themselves a Labor Union, but they're a gang who despises other gangs and the prisons are their turf.  They're willing to do anything to make it go their way, even if it means perpetual lockdown and cruel SHUS. They feel this is necessary to prevent insurrection.  In their way of thinking,
punishment is their job and the only way to handle criminals. They have the guns, mace, extraction teams, power over visits and budgets, high salaries and callousness.

We humanitarians and menopausal mothers could be classified as a gang.  We're also victims of crime but that will never be recognized in our lifetime.  We're the gang bound together by compassion, sorrow, loss extreme poverty and anger over what has happened in the courts in the
name of justice. Our weapons are pens, picket signs, initiative campaigns, votes and our ability to empower others just as devastated by educating them to what needs to be done to curtail this never-ending cycle of retribution.

Then you have the nearly 500 members of the legislature who are the law-making gang from La, La Land who have no idea how 900 laws per session are destroying families by the tens of thousands for no good reason.

Mr. Presley told me today there are 900 gangs in prison. In Los Angeles, wherever three or more Hispanics and Blacks are gathered is considered a "gang."  It might only be young people who grew up in the same neighborhood, but in the eyes of the CDC gang, they're the evil ones and CDC wears
white hats.

In the eyes of the legislature, the inmates are mostly all evil and whatever CDC needs to do to "keep them in line" is accepted.  There are only a few instances that can break that cycle of acceptance. 

Lawsuits are recognized, but the majority have no idea the millions, possibly billions being paid
out in mismanagement lawsuits in our prisons and jails. 

Multiple complaints which appear in news stories  can break the cycle of callousness to problems
in both CDC and the legislature. 

A big signature count on an initiative campaign also works because this is the physical evidence of voters with the power to elect or impeach them over their stances.

Massive crowds of 1000 or more at public hearings also draws attention to problems and nothing less is respected by either the legislature or the media.

We have been achieving a number of these items: Lawsuits, crowds at hearings, published articles by
the hundreds through our writers and letters to the editors from families, and now we're test driving our machine on the Amend 3X law.

They can see that we are organized.  Not nearly as much as we're going to be organized when you finish building our database with new subscribers by June 10 I hope, but they know that a Citizen's Group changes everything for them, especially a group that isn't playing politics and is made up
of what every bureaucrat fears most - humanitarians.

So all your hard work has paid off in that there is dialogue  with us and your problems are at least being heard. There is no doubt in my mind that when you have a Governor, legislature of various individuals, committees and a powerful union all vying for power that no stride will be made easily.

If it were simple, lawsuits and initiatives wouldn't be necessary. However, there is a great deal that each one of us can do to facilitate some policy changes which sometimes occur when
there is a new CDC Director, which is the situation now.

You're in charge of the education of the public (they listen when it's in the papers) and generally making noise and continuously proving that you're organized and willing to back up your objections.
Even after you're long weary of having to do this, we can't quit until each battle is definitely won or lost. Soon they learn that we say what we mean, mean what we say, and don't go away.  Once
that is clear, a phone call will do the same work that required a picket in the past.

All of this said, I feel that the majority of reform will be slow in coming but that some of it might be achieved short term with what I've already set in motion at these recent hearings.
 

Specifics:

The primary focus today was lockdowns. Here are some of the retorts from the meeting.

1.  CDC fully denied that lockdowns give the guards overtime "at most
     facilities" but do give overtime at "some facilities."  I believe that lockdowns
     create overtime and action for the guards, but we'll need to make a
     strong case to prove it.  We can do that because the truth is undeniable.

2.  CDC stated that guards do not like lockdown.  We have former CDC
     employees as subscribers to the UNION who contend that guards love
     lockdown since it makes their jobs much easier.  It is common sense
     that fewer showers,  cell feeding, no yard, no privileges and no interaction
     with inmates is easier than to have them moving about freely.

3.  CDC has told the entire legislature that the prisons are not on continual
     lockdowns at all.  They have a second term called "modified programming"
     which is similar to a lockdown but applies only to a yard, as opposed
     to the full prison. EVERYONE is anxious to see our finished report of
     the dates of lockdowns, reasons on all yards at all prisons. CDC's
     position until we furnish this data is that continuous lockdowns aren't
     happening at all.  We can do this people, and it is very important that
     we do within the next 30 days, so that we don't lose the heat of the moment's
     interest with just their denial.  This is called backing up one's claim.

4.  CDC says it's against federal law for them to segregate people. They didn't say which law and I'd like to hear from some of our legal beagles on this one. Their mindset is that it's ok to isolate people in the cruel SHU's or keep them on lockdown perpetually, but not good to segregate them so that the rival gangs won't fight.

I suggested that if the most violent people are purposefully put at Pelican Bay, High Desert and Lancaster to protect other inmates, why not segregate them in the same manner than any other
mentally ill person would be handled.  Here was the response.

CDC quote of the day "Not everyone who commits violence is mentally ill.  They're just pre-disposed to violence.  I couldn't assume that someone was mentally ill just because they are violent until a doctor told me so."

I was then able to discuss with Mr. Presley who has far more background dealing with mental illness than the others at great length the problems with punishing people eternally who are incapable of following rules. After all, that's what makes them "mentally ill."

5.  Mr. Presley didn't hesitate one bit in letting me know that CDC does not want to be in the business of being a mental hospital.  He said that the legislature forces this role upon them and he agrees that punishment and healing are at far ends of the spectrum. This opened the door for me
to describe the lurid detail of the James Diesso case.  Mr. Presley was under the impression that when the court passed a sane ruling that it was legitimate.  When I told him of the documentation and opinions of others who viewed the case he was truly shocked.  He knew about it but had no details on it at all. I assured him that a lawsuit should be filed and he couldn't figure out against whom, but agreed that this would certainly air the issues of the mentally ill in prison. 

He blamed the Reagan administration for closing the mental hospitals and subsequent administrations for never building replacements.  He is at least fully aware that prisons are not hospitals and prison goons could never be nurses.  He seemed astounded when I told him the mentally ill are punished
with charges being filed with the DA, extended terms, long periods of isolation , cell extractions and restraints simply for acting out their mental illness.

He says the problem is with the legislature who refuses to take the mentally ill out of prison, to treat people on the streets to prevent crime and was quite disturbed by the inhumanity of this situation.
He did not try to lie, cover up, or defend routine mistreatment of the mentally ill at all.

Even he, with all his compassion, could not fully connect the dots between extremely violent gang members and mental illness, but he did better with this than CDC officials.  I believe CDC has no
business housing the mentally ill AT ALL.  Surprisingly, this was met with across the board agreement.

But with the "budget cuts" nobody had a solution to the dilemma.

Bottom line:

CDC and Mr. Presley thinks there are 900 gangs in prison that can't be segregated by law.  CDC doesn't want to make any effort in this area at all.  It is ok with them to leave inmates on lockdown,  two people in a room the size of a bathroom, and if there's one day break in between lockdowns, that's good enough for them....they do not see their blanket punishment as wrong....they believe perpetual lockdown is the only way to handle violence. They are defending and denying lockdowns and our report on the histories will be vital to get the problem recognized by the press and legislature.  Vital.

I stressed that Tigers are mean critters but nobody locks them up two by two continuously.  I stressed education of other cultures, world religions, sociology, psychology, anger management, relationship training, art, and ability to get a GED via cable television as a way to ease some of the stress of the SHU and lockdown, as a way to better people.  I encouraged rewards and involvement in meaningful work and activities as a way to end the narrow mindset of the gang mentality.  A good self worth is of utmost importance to healing but is very low on CDC's list. 

I also asked more education for the guards, which would naturally remedy some of these testosterone-driven non-solutions and reactions to inmates. 

I mentioned Warden Diana Butler again of Old Folsom as a shining example of a person with just the right amount of firmness and compassion who has a low incidence of violence at her prison.  I reiterated again that I believe it's because she treats people as human beings instead of animals.  CDC said Old Folsom had a "mini riot" there last week.  There is absolutely no way they can open their mind to education, rehabilitation and treating people well as part of a healing process.  That's how ingrained the punishment philosophies are....and women ARE NOT highly regarded in their own ranks.  I saw this at the Senate Rules Committee hearing as well.

Evil, narrow, callous Senator Pete Knight told the rest of the Committee that Ms. Butler's prison had a low violence rate because of a median age of 37 and invalidated all the good things about her. All I can say about him is thank God for Prop 45.  There were a number of female legislators sitting
on that panel and I can only pray they received my messages loud and clear.  We'll soon see.

Food

CDC fully objects to an increase in the food budget.  Either that or they just don't want to be accused of making a mistake with the heart-healthy diet.  Even though there hasn't been an increase
in 15 years in the food budget, there are people going ALL OUT to prevent a common sense raise.

This is sad when so much money is wasted on far less important things, such as guards who make more than teachers with only a high school education.  People of conscience would be too ashamed
to object to this basic improvement.  The legislature has responded with great interest however and we may have a good chance at actually getting this through.

No one can eat on $2.45 per day.  The way this is achieved is that every day for lunch a "mystery meat" cold sandwich is served. If people are too sick to make it to breakfast, they don't get a sack lunch. Nobody brings the food to cells, the doctors don't go to cells if someone needs help and there aren't really special diets.

CDC said that "some people" get special meals in the infirmaries.  Is there anyone on the list who has ever witnessed this actually happening?  I would need to speak to people on these "special" diets to believe this....I do know that an ducat can be issued for an extra food item for diabetics, but the food is not all that nutritious.

The new heart-healthy diet is high in carbohydrates.  It is the fats and proteins which are filling and the letters are pouring into us that the inmates are hungry.

They claim to be worried about their health, but here are some of the practices that prove this is mostly hype and, well, nonsense.

All natural sugar and honey has been replaced with artificial sweeteners that are full of chemicals. 

Natural citrus, necessary to prevent Scurvy Disease, is denied to inmates except in very, very rare circumstances.

The reason that sugar and citrus is denied, is the fear that the inmates will make "pruno" an alcoholic beverage.  Of course anyone can make pruno out of almost anything, even catsup, but nobody ever really thinks "solutions" through.

Sandwich meat such as "turkey ham" is full of sodium and nitrates. And one ounce of it doesn't feed these mostly young men well enough. Go to the visiting room and take a look at the inmates.  It is evident they are underfed.  The absence of fresh food on the menu is very apparent.  When the menu says "fruit" they are talking about apples, apples and more apples, maybe a banana once in awhile.  A salad is rare and if and when fresh produce is served it is brown or defective in some way.

I asked why proteins couldn't be furnished through legumes such as beans, lentil soup, black-eyed peas, items which would be filling and heaven forbid, a little comforting!  They didn't want to move off their position that their heart healthy diet should be forced upon the inmates regardless of multiple complaints of hunger, absence of fresh food and the technique of cheap mystery meat lunches.

CDC and some of the legislators have no conscience and are very closed in this matter.  But Senator Burton noticed Turkey about six times on one menu and may have heard me.  Whatever complaint we voice is attacked and justified by CDC and others who want no reforms or changes, and especially no criticism. So we'll have to stand firm and make lots of noise to get the fact that inmates are hungry and by all laws of common decency deserve to be fed.  But we can do that and the ball is already rolling.  I am optimistic on this one.

Coffee was taken away and is sometimes available in the canteen for $1 per cup.  Of course the inmates usually only make 20 cents an hour, so they would have to work five hours for one cup of coffee.

CDC says they are ordering the proper size serving ladles after I pointed out that portions are cut short by failure to train inmates on proper serving procedures.

CDC checked on our complaint at Ironwood that the inmate welfare fund was being diverted due to "budget cuts" and about 80 canteen items eliminated.  Considering that the canteen means the difference between hunger or have some extra food, this is important.  CDC says it happening
statewide but that the cut items are being replaced with different items. I'd like to see a full investigation of Inmate Welfare Funds and how this money is really used.  Canteen and packages, the inmate's main tools to get enough food is unavailable to tens of thousands who have no family to send them money or whose family is too poor.

We have no right to put people in cages and not feed them, deliver proper medical and dental care or allow psychological abuse through isolation, careless double celling, inhumane lockdowns and many other practices fully accepted as business as usual.

We spoke at length about medical neglect and the $120 million lawsuit that we worked for years to influence has had a big impact on their priorities.  Mr Presley and I discussed the shamefulness that it took a lawsuit to do the right thing.  I informed him of the death of Inmate Horn, how he lay on the concrete seizing for 27 minutes and no basic first aid or a carry to the infirmary was even offered by the guards.  Presley was appalled.  CDC said they're "investigating the incident." 

I spoke about the absence of defibrillators, a basic life saving device so inexpensive that most airplanes have one. I described the nightmare Stephanie Hardie death and a visitor who died in front of the entire visiting room that same day. They have the message loud and clear that major advancements must be made to bring prison clinics up to regular community care licensing standards.
But remember, only lawsuits forced them to do so.  And our years of writing articles on these various cases which outraged the public sufficiently so that a lawsuit could be won.  Mr. Presley and I agreed that it's a shame people only take action when lawsuits are awarded.

There was much, much more to this segment of the conversation where I detailed some of our UNION members' nightmare complaints. CDC wanted to assure me that federally appointed "keepers" are in several prisons.  I recall there was a federal "keeper" in CMF Vacaville
when the Diesso torture was taking place, so this doesn't impress me one bit.

We should pursue our Eddie Dillard, Stephanie Hardie and I hope we find a lawyer for Diesso soon lawsuits arduously and with great support. People are suffering and dying due to medical neglect just as much today as they were four years ago as these reforms are not in effect yet. We can't handle every case but we can certainly write and show up to these hearings as if these are our own personal battles.  Indirectly they affect everyone.

I discussed at length how inmates who need surgery or file complaints are often punished for needing help.  I let them know fully that the 602 system is not working.  There is an 800 number for inmates to call now, a separate one for women.

I will be given that phone number and will forward it on to you.  They said it is posted on bulletin boards throughout the system. I'm interested in knowing if this is true, what happens when an inmate calls the number and all the details.

I complained that the Inspector General's office doesn't have enough "teeth" to actually remedy serious complaints.

I spoke at length about the mail blockage and violation of privacy citing the Jerry Wayne Morgan case.  An investigation was launched into it as soon as I mentioned it in our newsletter and CDC admitted there had been a problem that was being "investigated" at High Desert Prison. We know that the guards open Legal mail, block it to and from most State Prisons.

I criticized the inane practice of blocking mail from the internet.  I cited its ban as a violation of the First Amendment.  Alameida was quite contentious with me on this point and very proud of this ban.  He said, "Violation of the First Amendment has never been tested in court."   Just as curtly I responded that it's about to be.....and I really hope that we find a lawyer who will file a lawsuit against  the ban of the press, blockage of mail and internet material, certain educational books, and
interference with legal mail which prevents access of prisoners to the legal system.

We need about 200 lawyers for various bones I'd like to pick on your behalf, and now is the time for you to recruit this necessary back up. We will only do a couple of campaigns at a time, but there is no reason in the world that we can't have lawyers filing lawsuits on multiple issues pro bono or on a contingency basis.

----------
The other two wardens who are being confirmed  with  Michael Knowles, Mule Creek on June 5 are those from Ironwood and Calipatria. I will have more details on this tomorrow.  Knowles deserves some good opposing testimony from several people.  You tell me about the other two.

----------
I informed Mr. Presley of the killing of the Lancaster inmate by his cellmate during lockdown last week. Lockdowns don't really prevent killings and might even create a few that would never happened without the stress of confinement.  Inmates have little or no say in their cellmates.  Imagine this.

----------
A great deal more transpired but I'm tired of writing and you're probably tired of reading.  Each battle requires work and time but I think we can hold our ground and achieve more food, better food, less lockdowns, and educational cable television channels for those on lockdown and in the
SHUs.  Idleness is a hotbed for mischief...so much of this is common sense.

I have agreed to "tour" some of the  prisons supposedly on a "surprise" basis next.  I tour them through the mail I receive daily, believe me.

B. Cayenne Bird
United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect
U.N.I.O.N.
 http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/parliament/2398/home.html

ROBERT PRESLEY
Agency Secretary

Robert Presley has had a distinguished and varied career, first as a highly decorated soldier of World War II; then in law enforcement and the California State Senate; and now in the statewide criminal justice system.

As a World War II combat veteran, Presley was awarded the Bronze Star for Heroic Achievement in Action while serving with the Fifth Army in Italy. Presley is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Washington, D.C. He holds a lifetime teaching credential in Police Science and served 24 years with the Riverside County sheriff’s Department, the last 12 years as Undersheriff.

Presley served in the State Senate 1974-1994. In a survey of the Capitol Press Corp, Legislators, legislative staff and governmental advocates, the California Journal rated Presley number one out of 40 State Senators. He was also selected as one of ten outstanding State Legislators in the U.S. by the National Assembly of Governmental Employees.

During his tenure in the California State Senate, he served on the Judiciary, Agriculture and Water, Natural Resources and Budget Committees. In 1985 he was chosen Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Presley also served on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which oversees spending and performance of state agencies. He has been a leading advocate of streamlining government. As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on California’s Business Climate, he aggressively worked to ensure that government policies encourage business reinvestment in California.

As Chairman of the Joint Legislative Prisons Committee, Presley carried major anti-crime and prison construction legislation and provided oversight of the state’s prisons as well as the California Youth Authority. He also authored air quality and consumer protection laws and workers compensation reform. As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Children and Youth, he authored major legislation to improve children’s services.

Presley has been named "Legislator of the Year" by groups such as the California Peace Officers’ Association, the State Parks and Recreation Association, the County Supervisors Association of California, the Family Services Council of California and the Chief Probation Officers of California. He was recognized as a "Fraud Buster of the Highest Order" by the Independent Business Coalition Against Workers Compensation Fraud. Presley has been honored by the Small Business Exchange and the National Federation of Independent Business for his efforts to assist small business development. He has received special recognition for his landmark legislation strengthening disciplinary systems for doctors and lawyers.

Presley was the first Chairman of the Board of the Crime Control Technology Research Center at the University of California, Riverside. He was appointed by Governor Wilson as Chairman of the California Youthful Offender Parole Board. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has appointed Presley Chairman of the County Commission on Reorganization and Structure. He is also a former President of the State Medical Podiatry Board and a board member of the Children’s Advocacy Institute, based in San Diego.

On January 4, 1999, Governor Davis appointed Presley Secretary of the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency
 

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For Immediate Release
September 20, 2001

#01-06 EDWARD S. ALAMEIDA, JR. APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
 
 

(Sacramento) – Gov. Gray Davis appointed Edward S. Alameida, Jr. Director of the California Department of Corrections (CDC) effective Sept. 19, 2001.

"I am both humbled and honored to be appointed by Gov. Davis as the new director of the largest state agency," Alameida said. "This is a great department with many high caliber professionals and I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of these dedicated people. It is a tremendous challenge and privilege to serve the people of California in this position."

Alameida was serving as Assistant Deputy Director for CDC’s Institutions Division since March 13, 2000. In this position, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division and managed the Institutions Operations Unit, institutions programs, and the Education and Inmate Programs Unit.

Alameida began his career with CDC in 1973, working in the accounting office at Folsom State Prison. Throughout the past 28 years, he has held a broad range of positions at CDC headquarters in Sacramento, California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Folsom State Prison, and Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy. He served as an associate budget analyst, departmental budget officer, correctional administrator, associate warden of business services, chief deputy warden, chief administrator and operations officer, and warden.

"It has been said that preparation precedes usefulness. I feel that Ed’s 28 years of experience with CDC has prepared him to take on this responsibility," Youth and Adult Correctional Agency Secretary Robert Presley said. "Throughout the years, Ed has demonstrated his expertise in correctional administration and management. I am confident that his experience in budget and fiscal issues, his rapport with staff and his management style will serve the Department well."

Alameida, 52, received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Alameida and his wife Mary Beth have three children, two sons and a daughter. They are involved in numerous community activities.

CDC is one of the largest correctional agencies in the free world and the largest state agency in California, employing 47,382 people and supervising nearly 159,000 inmates and more than 121,000 people on parole. CDC operates 33 state prisons, 41 conservation camps, 16 community correctional facilities, eight prisoner mother facilities, 32 re-entry centers, 182 parole units in 81 locations and four parole outpatient clinics with a $4.8 billion budget.