California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation concerns

Honorable Judge Thelton Henderson
United States District Court
450 Golden Gate Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94102

RE: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation concerns

Dear Judge Henderson,

I am writing this letter out of concern for the appalling conditions of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the recent placement of its medical care under Federal Receivership. Since the receivership was ordered little has changed for the inmates. There is still a lack of proper medical diagnosis and treatment.
It is quite clear that the entire system is on the brink of failure. Our loved ones will continue to suffer and die inside CDCR’s walls and fences.

As noted previously in letters to you, the entire CDCR system is plagued with racial tension and is on the verge of collapse. The CCPOA union is responsible for this and continually makes and enforces decisions to create chaos, turmoil, and violence to assure their staff receives optimum benefits and nearly impossible overtime pay.

The action of placing violent offenders in population is simply a tool by the CCPOA to create and maintain their hold on the CDCR system through violence which in turn guarantees union employee benefits and excessive overtime pay to the tune of more than $100,000.00 per year for several CDCR employees. We are all aware of how powerful the CCPOA union is and how they wield their political clout. This matter is beyond state control and the CDCR is already in such a quagmire it won’t escape without untold numbers of assaults and deaths of both inmates and staff.

Now we have the transferring of inmates to other states that are just as overcrowded as California. How will this ease anything? The cost is high on both sides. For those that are being transferred, what about visits with family? Not to mention the cost of collect calls, and packages. We are simply "warehousing" & "storing" - there is no rehabilitation. Would not the money that is being allocated for these transfers be better utilized for programs, or expanding the facilities we have?

The CDCR system has collapsed and is not about corrections or rehabilitation. The only viable option is to take the steps to place the entire system under receivership and bring in federal authority to recoup the system before a total breakdown occurs and countless inmates are allowed to die from medical neglect or murder in a hostile environment meant to rehabilitate and return them to society
.
There are hundreds of thousands of family members, friends, and concerned citizens who urge prison reform on the failed CDCR system. Please consider all of our pleas to correct this system by placing the CDCR under complete federal receivership before it is too late.
Sincerely,




Carol Leonard
http://www.groups. yahoo.com/ group/PrisonMovement
Prison Reform is NOT soft on crime