California prison guards union ends consulting contract with ex-president Novey

Sacramento Bee Staff Photo

Wearing his trademark fedora, Don Novey, former head of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the union for California prison guards.
The union that represents 30,000 correctional officers in California has ended its consulting contract with Don Novey, the one-time president of the organization credited with building its political muscle.
In an e-mail obtained by The Bee, Novey lashed out at Mike Jimenez, current president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, for terminating his three-year deal. Jimenez was Novey's second-in-command until taking the reins in 2002.
"Jimenez, it's fine to go after me, but your Stalin like attacks on the membership and inability to focus on the concerns of the troops disappoints me," Novey wrote. "Jimenez, you unfortunately will have to deal with me in the future and my respect for the line troops will continue."
Novey, 62, retired from the CCPOA presidency in 2002 after more than 20 years in command. During that time, union membership exploded as California built dozens of new prisons. Novey, a former amateur boxer and U.S. Army intelligence officer, ratcheted up the group's political presence by using the millions its members provided to sponsor tough-on-crime ballot measures, elect legislators and back union-friendly gubernatorial candidates.
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