Return to Home Page
Logo Created By VSPW Graphics Art Program
"Thank You Ladies"
|
Appeals, Complaints
Active IFC Groups Inmate Welfare Fund HobbyCraft Minor NonContact Visits |
Medical
Pat Searches Quarterly Packages Visiting Food Vendor WAC |
Logo Created By VSPW Graphics Art Program
"Thank You Ladies"
VSPW INMATE FAMILY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Friday, October 3, 2003
EXECUTIVE OUTLINE
Friday, October 3, 2003
EXECUTIVE OUTLINE
1. New Title 15 rules prohibit visits with minors for inmates convicted of violating several listed sections of the Penal Code.
2. Incoming mail is currently ‘on time’. Mail procedures for all incoming and outgoing mail must follow procedures.
3. The Inmate Family Council would like to find out more about medical treatments provided by the prison to inmates. The Chief Medical Officer has been invited to the next meeting to explain procedures and answer questions.
4. In Inmate Welfare Fund is re-funded each year.
5. Quarterly packages will be vendor-direct as of January 1, 2004. The IFC opposes this.
6. All California prisons now have their own IFC groups. There is also a state-level IFC group that meets with the CDC Director. Our group would like to begin making contact with these other groups.
7. Larger Hobby Craft materials are still being stored at the prison.
8. The new vendor contract started at the Visitor Court on October 1, 2003. There are still some problems.
9. The IFC is still trying to get a copy of the Department of Rehabilitation Contract that covers the vendor for Visiting food services.
10. There are some problems with Visiting Hours.
11. The new Search Procedures video was shown to the IFC members, and it was discussed.
12. The IFC would like to establish some contact with inmate groups, and will try to get copies of the WAC minutes and the Long Termer’s Organization Newsletter.
13. Information was given about charitable contributions that can be listed by IFC members and by inmate family members.
14. We need new IFC members. Nominations are also due next meeting.
15. Agenda items for next meeting should be sent to the IFC secretary by November 18, 2003.
VALLEY STATE PRISON FOR WOMEN
INMATE FAMILY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Friday, October 3, 2003
Warden’s Conference Room
MINUTES
2. Incoming mail is currently ‘on time’. Mail procedures for all incoming and outgoing mail must follow procedures.
3. The Inmate Family Council would like to find out more about medical treatments provided by the prison to inmates. The Chief Medical Officer has been invited to the next meeting to explain procedures and answer questions.
4. In Inmate Welfare Fund is re-funded each year.
5. Quarterly packages will be vendor-direct as of January 1, 2004. The IFC opposes this.
6. All California prisons now have their own IFC groups. There is also a state-level IFC group that meets with the CDC Director. Our group would like to begin making contact with these other groups.
7. Larger Hobby Craft materials are still being stored at the prison.
8. The new vendor contract started at the Visitor Court on October 1, 2003. There are still some problems.
9. The IFC is still trying to get a copy of the Department of Rehabilitation Contract that covers the vendor for Visiting food services.
10. There are some problems with Visiting Hours.
11. The new Search Procedures video was shown to the IFC members, and it was discussed.
12. The IFC would like to establish some contact with inmate groups, and will try to get copies of the WAC minutes and the Long Termer’s Organization Newsletter.
13. Information was given about charitable contributions that can be listed by IFC members and by inmate family members.
14. We need new IFC members. Nominations are also due next meeting.
15. Agenda items for next meeting should be sent to the IFC secretary by November 18, 2003.
VALLEY STATE PRISON FOR WOMEN
INMATE FAMILY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Friday, October 3, 2003
Warden’s Conference Room
MINUTES
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Marvin Coolbaugh, Chair
Dr. John Videen, Co-Chair
Nancy Rubinstein, Secretary
Elizabeth Muniz
Tammy Rust
Louisa Camorlinga
Maureen Burgess
Jim Gilmore
MEMBERS/ALTERNATES ABSENT:
Ruby Lockett
Wanda Patton
John Errante
STAFF PRESENT:
Deborah Jacquez, Chief Deputy Warden
P. Callahan, Correctional Captain
Tina Hornbeck, Associate Warden
Javier Cavazos, Administrative Assistant
Sylvia Hedlind, Community Resources Manager
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m.
A. AGENDA ITEMS
1. Inmate Visits with Minors
1. New Visiting Guidelines/Rules in Title 15 regarding inmate visits with minors: Captain Callahan passed out the new California Department of Corrections Visiting Guidelines, dated May 1, 2003 (attached), which have been issued by the State. It includes new information on Page 4 about prohibiting visits with minors for any inmate convicted of violating several listed sections of the Penal Code. These new rules are in Title 15, and the changes were made by the California Department of Corrections (CDC). The inmates who are affected by this new rule have been made aware of it -- they should have been called before a committee previous to the change. The new Visiting Guidelines have also been posted in each Housing Unit and throughout the institution. While visitors don’t have a good way of knowing ahead of time what code violations affect their loved ones, the inmates should know by now, and should let their visiting family and friends know ahead of time.
There was a discussion of how CDC makes changes to Title 15. On a regular basis, via legislation, etc., changes are proposed to Title 15. There is a chance for the public to review these suggested changes, and for the public to give input on them. This occurs during an open period of time before the changes are adopted and written into Title 15. The last major changes were mitigated by public comment, so there is some room in the process to have an impact on the final outcome of changes to the rules. At the prison, Mr. Cavazos said the proposed changes are posted in the Housing Units. He also provided post-meeting information regarding public postings:
There are three ways that proposed changes are noticed to the public. The first is on the CDC website, at www.corr.ca.gov. The second way is through inmates who see the proposed changes (which are posted ahead of time in the housing units), and who let their family members know. The third way is by requesting to be on the mailing list through the CDC Regulation Management Unit in Sacramento. This office has a very large mailing list, including a number of libraries, special interest groups, law offices, and individuals, who are notified by mail any time changes to Title 15 are proposed. One must request placement on this mailing list in writing to the Policy and Management Branch, Department of Corrections Regulation Management Unit, PO Box 942883, Sacramento, CA 94283-0001.
2. Mail a. Mail currently on time: Incoming mail is currently being distributed within 3½ days, and money orders are on time (1 day to Accounting).
b. Mail procedures: An IFC member asked what happens to Outgoing inmate mail. Captain Callahan explained the basic procedures. There is a box for Outgoing mail that is located at the Officer’s Station in each Housing Unit. The 1st Watch (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is responsible for collecting the mail out of the box, and then opening it, checking for contraband, and skimming or scanning the letter for inappropriate information (like death threats). The mail is then put back in the envelopes, and the envelopes are stamped “State Prison”. The contents of the letters are not stamped. If inmate correspondence itself has any marks on it, this is incorrect procedure. Inmates are allowed to send out newspaper clippings, as we are allowed to send in newspaper clippings. The contents of the correspondence is not to be shared with other staff members unless there is a question regarding inappropriate information. It should not be shared or disseminated to inmates, or read out loud. If there are any problems noted in this procedure by inmates, they should file an appeal and Administration will deal with individual staff members who may be acting inappropriately. Chief Deputy Warden Deborah Jacquez says that inmate appeal numbers are high, and the Administration investigate all complaints. Title 15 does not address mail procedures directly, and only indicates that mail should be “inspected per local procedures”. Section 3146, covering mailing language other than English, states that mail “may be delayed by contents [that need to be translated] by staff”.
c. Incoming Mail Screening: A question was asked about screening procedures for incoming mail. Occasionally a family member might inadvertently send in something that is considered ‘contraband’. In one case, a photocopy of a type of currency was sent in, and it didn’t meet guidelines, and was rejected as ‘contraband’. Unfortunately, it was only part of a letter that included time-sensitive information. The whole letter was rejected. The question was this; can the letter be forwarded to the inmate, even when the ‘contraband’ materials are rejected?
Captain Callahan said that the letter, if not including inappropriate or contraband materials, should be forwarded in a case like this.
ACTION ITEM #1: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL FOLLOW UP ON PROBLEMS WITH MAIL, INCLUDING DEFACING OF CORRESPONDENCE, SHARING CONTENTS WITH STAFF OR OTHER INMATES, AND THE FORWARDING OF NON-CONTRABAND MATERIALS TO THE INMATE. HE WILL PROVIDE TRAINING FOR STAFF IN THESE MATTERS. HE WILL LET THE IFC KNOW WHAT ACTIONS HE HAS TAKEN TO FOLLOW UP ON THESE MATTERS.
B. GENERAL DISCUSSION ITEMS
3. Medical Questions; Action CMO
a. Medical Questions: An inmate related to one of the IFC members recently needed treatment and surgery by a specialist. The IFC member asked what the procedure is for seeing a specialist, and expressed concern about potential delays and other problems with medical care, especially as related to specialist visits.
Chief Deputy Warden Jacquez said that variables influence scheduling to see specialists. Visits to specialists can be difficult to schedule rapidly, as many specialists in the medical community are booked several months in advance. When there is a serious problem, the inmates are encouraged to use the Appeal process to initiate a review, and if there is an emergency, then an “emergency appeal” should be submitted.
Dr. John Videen checked his notes regarding medical treatment from past IFC meetings, and reported that there was nothing specific regarding specialist visits in his notes. His notes say that inmates are first assessed in-house by a nurse, and should be seen within 7 days.
b. Acting CMO: Who is the current Chief Medical Officer at VSPW? The regular CMO is a Reserve Officer in the US Armed Forces, and is occasionally called out for reserve training.
It was requested that the CMO or acting CMO attend the next IFC meeting.
ACTION ITEM #2: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL INVITE THE CMO TO OUR NEXT IFC MEETING.
4. Inmate Welfare Fund: Marvin Coolbaugh received the name and phone number of the Chief of the Inmate Welfare Fund in Sacramento. Marvin talked to him, and the gentleman said that there was still fund money in the Inmate Welfare Fund. However, in the May 23, 2003 minutes of the Recreation Subcommittee of the WAC, it was reported that there would be no more movies for the time being, as there was no money in the Inmate Welfare Fund at VSPW.
ACTION ITEM #3: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL INQUIRE WHY THE WAC REPORTED THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE INMATE WELFARE FUND AS OF MAY 23, 2003, AND WILL LET THE IFC SECRETARY KNOW BEFORE THE NEXT IFC MEETING. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH IFC MEMBERS, AND REPORTED ON AT THE NEXT MEETING.
(NOTE: OCTOBER 15, 2003, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT IN MAY, 2003, THE FUND WAS EMPTY AT THE END OF THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT HAS BEEN RE-FUNDED FOR THE NEW 2003-2004 FISCAL YEAR.)
5. Quarterly Packages and Vendor Box Changes: Walkenhorst has been chosen as the startup vendor for the new vendor boxes, starting January 1, 2004. This current quarter is the last quarter that inmate families will be allowed to send quarterly packages in direct to the inmates. On October 10th, the Administration will be having a secondary option meeting with D&D Vending. This was the company whose procedure was discussed during our last meeting, and who is currently handling the Wasco packages. D&D is a group that operates out of Visalia. The final item list has been delayed slightly, due to the fact that Walkenhorst is working with prison officials to try and place various cheeses on the list. They don’t have refrigeration, so cheeses have to be certain kinds only, wrapped specific ways. This is being worked on. There was no mention of when the list would be circulated, although it should be shortly. It was mentioned that ALL CDC prisons will be going to Vendor Boxes as of January, 2004.
Marvin did some comparison pricing, and gave us an example: A six ounce can of Bugler Smoking Tobacco at a retail smoke shop in California costs $9.99. At the VSPW canteen, the price is $11.40. Walkenhorst has the same can of tobacco for $18.99. This is a substantial extra cost, and this is a serious problem. Captain Callahan thinks that there will be an increase in competition for box sales as the whole state gears up for Vendor box sales, and that this should drive prices down shortly. He is continuing to investigate the possible secondary options, including D&D.
Several board members also pointed out their concerns about the new vendor-only box procedure. Families would not have a chance to customize boxes, hoping to give inmates some personal attention and showing personal concern. Families would not be able to shop ahead, or take advantage of sales. It was also mentioned that although contraband has been given as the main reason for vendor-only boxes, it is commonly believed that there may be much less contraband traffic through boxes than there is through staff trafficking -- that the added risk is not enough to justify the new policy.
Marvin Coolbaugh, acting as spokesperson for the IFC Board and representing inmate families, submitted a request that Quarterly Packages should not be restricted to vendor-only.
6. What Other Prisons Have an IFC Group? All California prisons now have an IFC group. There is a central ‘state’ group that is separate, and is a ‘director’s’ group, which meets with the CDC Director. IFC members asked if anyone knew when the statewide group met, what criteria for participation might be, and where it met. No one had that information, but we may be able to get it from a person in the High Desert State Prison IFC. Marvin has recently been in touch with a member of the High Desert IFC, after receiving contact information from Sylvia Hedlind. He contacted this person, Kathy Vick, an alternate chairperson for the group, and was able to get some information on the statewide group meetings. He can probably find out more from her.
Apparently all 33 prison facilities in the state now have IFC groups. They were started by the Director of CDC, and the bylaws of our IFC were from an original template provided by the Director’s office.
ACTION ITEM #4: MARVIN COOLBAUGH WILL CONTACT KATHY VICK AND SEE IF HE CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE STATEWIDE DIRECTOR'S IFC MEETINGS. HE WILL COORDINATE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE VSPW COUNCIL TO SEE ABOUT SITTING IN ON A MEETING.
7. Hobby Craft: There has been a rumor that the larger Hobby Craft materials may be shipped out of the facility. Once they are shipped out, they may not be able to be retrieved. Staff told us that the bulk items and large items are still locked up in lockers, and some individual supplies are in the keeping of individual inmates. The larger materials are still stored on-site, and were just recently inventoried, but Tina Hornbeak, the Associate Warden, said she would double-check on this. She assured us that the materials are still safe and secure, and they will be staying on-site. IFC members asked that we be told ahead of time if there is a decision to send the materials home.
ACTION ITEM #5: TINA HORNBEAK WILL CHECK ON HOBBY CRAFT SUPPLIES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE STILL ON-SITE. SHE WILL LET US KNOW AT THE NEXT MEETING, OR PASS THE INFORMATION ALONG TO WHOMEVER WILL BE REPRESENTING HER AT THE NEXT MEETING.
8. Visitor Food Services: The new contract vendor services are in start-up right now, as the new contract took effect on October 1st. As of October 2nd, there was only one vending machine in the Visitor Court, and family members needed to give the money to the vendor, and have the vendor put it in the machine. It only had potato chips in it. However, there was still a table with cake, snacks, fried chicken and chicken strips and nuggets, and seafood salads available, along with a cooler that had ice cream, and a selection of sodas and other drinks. The Administration was surprised that the Visitors had all of this available, as the Staff cafeteria has been completely closed down, without even sodas available. Staff has been going all the way to town to get something to drink. Things should be worked out shortly. Everything hasn’t had time to be set up yet. Sam, the previous vendor, was awarded the vending contract from the Department of Rehabilitation for the Visitor Court. A different vendor got the contract for the staff cafeteria. Apparently, this new vendor has had a little more trouble gearing up at the beginning. The Staff is hoping the cafeteria may open by next Wednesday.
9. Visitor Food Services Department of Rehabilitation Contract: Nancy Rubinstein contacted the Department of Rehabilitation about the contract between VSPW and themselves. She was told that a copy of the contract would be mailed to her. She has not received it yet, but will write a synopsis of it when it arrives, and e-mail/mail it out to IFC members.
ACTION ITEM #6: NANCY RUBINSTEIN WILL OBTAIN A COPY OF THE DoR CONTRACT WITH VSPW REGARDING VENDOR SERVICES, AND WILL PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE A SYNOPSIS FOR IFC MEMBERS.
10. Visiting Hour Problems: The VSPW CDC Operations Manual Supplemental, April 3, 2003, states, in Section 5.a) that arrival on institution grounds is allowed forty-five minutes prior to the beginning of visiting hours. This means that people should be able to arrive at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Recently people have been turned away until 8:30 a.m. on weekends. Deborah Jacquez said that this will be looked into and fixed.
ACTION ITEM: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL LOOK INOT THE PROBLEM AND WILL WORK ON TRAINING WITH STAFF TO ELIMINATE THESE PROBLEMS.
A 10-minute break was called at 2:00 p.m. The meeting was continued at 2:13 p.m.
11. SEARCH PROCEDURES; a Video on Pat Searches A video tape, created at CCWF, was shown to IFC members after the break. This was an 8-minute tape, and it was the same tape that was recently shown to the inmates. It discussed search procedures. These are newly instituted procedures, and differ from past procedures.
The Chief Deputy Warden gave us a little bit of history on search procedures as they have been followed for the last five years at VSPW. Five years ago the prison had several problems with sexual misconduct. There was no court case that stopped search procedures at that time. Instead, interim leadership intervened, and directed Correction Officers to ‘avoid the crotch area’. This directive has stayed in place since that time, contrary to statewide departmental procedures. While the Administration understands that there is still some potential for sexual harassment, they feel that this has been dealt with at length, and sufficiently enough to return to standard statewide procedures. However, there are some checks and balances in place to reduce the chances of harassment. First of all, all inmates are encouraged to use the appeal process if problems occur. They are also encouraged to communicate problems with family members, the IFC, or other outside groups that can help expose any problems. The newly institute procedures, as demonstrated in the video, now place VSPW in compliance with all other women’s prisons in the state.
We watched the video, then had a question and answer session.
The searches are to be conducted in a ‘random’ manner, not selecting out anyone for extra scrutiny or harassment without cause. The Corrections Officers may need to search individuals if there is a reasonable suspicion, otherwise random searches allow the staff to sample the inmate population without having to search every individual -- there is not enough staff for that.
There is no specific mention of clothed search procedures in Title 15 - it only mentions searches must be done in a ‘professional manner’ when the inmate is unclothed.
IFC family members have heard of some abuses of the search procedures already, including staff being instructed to do the crotch search ‘palm-up’ and laughing about it at chow hall.
The ‘602’ appeal procedure should be used by inmates if they feel a CO has behaved incorrectly. The Chief Deputy Warden says they have not seen any appeals yet at the Associate Warden level, but there may be 602s working their way through the system, that haven’t been seen yet by the Warden’s Office. An IFC member asked about the effectiveness of the appeal procedure, and how it works. Every facility (A, B, C, and D) have an “Appeals Box” on the yard. An inmate may place an appeal in the box, and these are picked up daily. The first level of the appeal is dealt with at the facility level. If this does not satisfy the problem, the appeal is sent to the 2nd level, and is dealt with by an Associate Warden. There is a timeline in Title 15 for how long an appeal may take. It is at least 10 days before it gets to the 2nd level. An inmate may wish to communicate with the Warden’s office by ‘Direct Communication’. It does not get treated like an appeal, but may be placed in the Appeals Box. It will be reviewed by the Warden’s office and may or may not be responded to, but it will be read. There is also an Ombudsperson Box on each facility. This is a person who mediates between the inmates and staff. Sometimes problems can be noticed and taken care of this way. Inmates should use whatever methods get the message through, especially if there is a serious violation of any person outside of the specifically allowed procedures.
Acting as spokesperson for the IFC Board, Marvin Coolbaugh requested that the search procedure be changed back to the previously approved methods, and that the new procedure be removed from policy.
C. OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS
12. IFC Contact with Inmate Groups
a. Sitting in on a WAC Meeting: Would it be okay for a member of the IFC to sit in on a WAC meeting? Staff says no, but we may get the minutes from an inmate. The minutes are posted in the housing units, and the inmates may request a copy from the WAC representative in each Housing Unit.
b. Long Termer’s Organization Newsletter: The Long Termer’s Organization has also recently put out a newsletter that is very good, and a copy of that can be made available to the IFC.
ACTION ITEM #7: Sylvia Hedlind will get a copy of the recent Long Termer’s Organization newsletter and forward it to the IFC secretary.
13. Charitable Contributions for IFC Members and Family Members
a. Tax Deductibility of IFC Volunteer Work: Nancy Rubinstein researched the tax codes regarding deductibility of our expenses for IFC-related work. All out-of-pocket expenses, including rooms, food (if we stay overnight), and gas may be deducted as a charitable donation on state and federal long forms. If we spend more than $250, we need to get a note from the Administration verifying our participation. IFC members may request a verification of participation letter from Sylvia.
b. Charitable Organizations: Families may donate to a variety of organizations that work with inmates or work for inmate welfare in general. This is one way that families can help inmates in general. It is also a way that inmates can know what groups are available for their assistance. The prison Administration is unable to give the IFC a list of organizations that are approved to work at the prison, because it might lead to a family member donating money directly to an organization who might then work directly with that prisoner; and inmate family members are not allowed contact by proxy within the prison walls. Nancy Rubinstein is developing a list of Charitable Organizations that work within VSPW by ‘asking around’. If anyone knows of a charitable group that functions within the prison population, please send her a message and let her know, so she can put that organization on the list. So far we have Catholic Charities, Toastmasters, Mother’s Voice, Habeas Project, Free Battered Women, and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.
14. IFC Membership Needed; Officer Nominations Coming Up
a. IFC Membership Drive: We need new alternate members for the IFC. There is an IFC Box in Visiting Processing, but Michael Cox has the key, and he is no longer an active IFC member. However, Captain Callahan says that he usually sees Michael on Sundays, and that he will ask him for a key so we can check the box. John Errante has the other key, but he is very ill, and it is possible we will not be able to get that key from him. We also need to update the flier that is posted on the Visitor Court C.O. booth, and include a request for volunteers.
ACTION ITEM #8: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL SEE ABOUT GETTING THE IFC SUGGESTION BOX KEY FROM MICHAEL COX.
ACTION ITEM #9: NANCY RUBINSTEIN WILL DEVELOP A NEW FLIER AND HAVE IT APPROVED FOR POSTING AT THE VISITOR COURT.
b. Officer Nominations and Membership Terms: New officers are to be elected for the next 2-year term starting in April, 2004. We need to bring nominations in to our next meeting in December, 2003. We will vote on the nominations in February, 2004. All members are asked to write down nominations for Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. Sylvia Hedlind will be collecting them at the next meeting. All members are automatically renewed after two years right now, as we do not have any excess of applicants to participate. This may eventually change if our membership grows significantly, but for now, members will stay members indefinitely (or until their loved one is released).
ACTION ITEM #10: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL PROVIDE A NOMINATION FORM, AND MAIL IT OUT TO ALL IFC MEMBERS PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING.
15. Agenda for Next Meeting: The IFC Secretary, Nancy Rubinstein, will begin drafting the Agenda. She will need all agenda items by November 18, 2003. Marvin has requested that the current CMO be present at the next meeting.
Marvin Coolbaugh, Chair
Dr. John Videen, Co-Chair
Nancy Rubinstein, Secretary
Elizabeth Muniz
Tammy Rust
Louisa Camorlinga
Maureen Burgess
Jim Gilmore
MEMBERS/ALTERNATES ABSENT:
Ruby Lockett
Wanda Patton
John Errante
STAFF PRESENT:
Deborah Jacquez, Chief Deputy Warden
P. Callahan, Correctional Captain
Tina Hornbeck, Associate Warden
Javier Cavazos, Administrative Assistant
Sylvia Hedlind, Community Resources Manager
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m.
A. AGENDA ITEMS
1. Inmate Visits with Minors
1. New Visiting Guidelines/Rules in Title 15 regarding inmate visits with minors: Captain Callahan passed out the new California Department of Corrections Visiting Guidelines, dated May 1, 2003 (attached), which have been issued by the State. It includes new information on Page 4 about prohibiting visits with minors for any inmate convicted of violating several listed sections of the Penal Code. These new rules are in Title 15, and the changes were made by the California Department of Corrections (CDC). The inmates who are affected by this new rule have been made aware of it -- they should have been called before a committee previous to the change. The new Visiting Guidelines have also been posted in each Housing Unit and throughout the institution. While visitors don’t have a good way of knowing ahead of time what code violations affect their loved ones, the inmates should know by now, and should let their visiting family and friends know ahead of time.
There was a discussion of how CDC makes changes to Title 15. On a regular basis, via legislation, etc., changes are proposed to Title 15. There is a chance for the public to review these suggested changes, and for the public to give input on them. This occurs during an open period of time before the changes are adopted and written into Title 15. The last major changes were mitigated by public comment, so there is some room in the process to have an impact on the final outcome of changes to the rules. At the prison, Mr. Cavazos said the proposed changes are posted in the Housing Units. He also provided post-meeting information regarding public postings:
There are three ways that proposed changes are noticed to the public. The first is on the CDC website, at www.corr.ca.gov. The second way is through inmates who see the proposed changes (which are posted ahead of time in the housing units), and who let their family members know. The third way is by requesting to be on the mailing list through the CDC Regulation Management Unit in Sacramento. This office has a very large mailing list, including a number of libraries, special interest groups, law offices, and individuals, who are notified by mail any time changes to Title 15 are proposed. One must request placement on this mailing list in writing to the Policy and Management Branch, Department of Corrections Regulation Management Unit, PO Box 942883, Sacramento, CA 94283-0001.
2. Mail a. Mail currently on time: Incoming mail is currently being distributed within 3½ days, and money orders are on time (1 day to Accounting).
b. Mail procedures: An IFC member asked what happens to Outgoing inmate mail. Captain Callahan explained the basic procedures. There is a box for Outgoing mail that is located at the Officer’s Station in each Housing Unit. The 1st Watch (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) is responsible for collecting the mail out of the box, and then opening it, checking for contraband, and skimming or scanning the letter for inappropriate information (like death threats). The mail is then put back in the envelopes, and the envelopes are stamped “State Prison”. The contents of the letters are not stamped. If inmate correspondence itself has any marks on it, this is incorrect procedure. Inmates are allowed to send out newspaper clippings, as we are allowed to send in newspaper clippings. The contents of the correspondence is not to be shared with other staff members unless there is a question regarding inappropriate information. It should not be shared or disseminated to inmates, or read out loud. If there are any problems noted in this procedure by inmates, they should file an appeal and Administration will deal with individual staff members who may be acting inappropriately. Chief Deputy Warden Deborah Jacquez says that inmate appeal numbers are high, and the Administration investigate all complaints. Title 15 does not address mail procedures directly, and only indicates that mail should be “inspected per local procedures”. Section 3146, covering mailing language other than English, states that mail “may be delayed by contents [that need to be translated] by staff”.
c. Incoming Mail Screening: A question was asked about screening procedures for incoming mail. Occasionally a family member might inadvertently send in something that is considered ‘contraband’. In one case, a photocopy of a type of currency was sent in, and it didn’t meet guidelines, and was rejected as ‘contraband’. Unfortunately, it was only part of a letter that included time-sensitive information. The whole letter was rejected. The question was this; can the letter be forwarded to the inmate, even when the ‘contraband’ materials are rejected?
Captain Callahan said that the letter, if not including inappropriate or contraband materials, should be forwarded in a case like this.
ACTION ITEM #1: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL FOLLOW UP ON PROBLEMS WITH MAIL, INCLUDING DEFACING OF CORRESPONDENCE, SHARING CONTENTS WITH STAFF OR OTHER INMATES, AND THE FORWARDING OF NON-CONTRABAND MATERIALS TO THE INMATE. HE WILL PROVIDE TRAINING FOR STAFF IN THESE MATTERS. HE WILL LET THE IFC KNOW WHAT ACTIONS HE HAS TAKEN TO FOLLOW UP ON THESE MATTERS.
B. GENERAL DISCUSSION ITEMS
3. Medical Questions; Action CMO
a. Medical Questions: An inmate related to one of the IFC members recently needed treatment and surgery by a specialist. The IFC member asked what the procedure is for seeing a specialist, and expressed concern about potential delays and other problems with medical care, especially as related to specialist visits.
Chief Deputy Warden Jacquez said that variables influence scheduling to see specialists. Visits to specialists can be difficult to schedule rapidly, as many specialists in the medical community are booked several months in advance. When there is a serious problem, the inmates are encouraged to use the Appeal process to initiate a review, and if there is an emergency, then an “emergency appeal” should be submitted.
Dr. John Videen checked his notes regarding medical treatment from past IFC meetings, and reported that there was nothing specific regarding specialist visits in his notes. His notes say that inmates are first assessed in-house by a nurse, and should be seen within 7 days.
b. Acting CMO: Who is the current Chief Medical Officer at VSPW? The regular CMO is a Reserve Officer in the US Armed Forces, and is occasionally called out for reserve training.
It was requested that the CMO or acting CMO attend the next IFC meeting.
ACTION ITEM #2: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL INVITE THE CMO TO OUR NEXT IFC MEETING.
4. Inmate Welfare Fund: Marvin Coolbaugh received the name and phone number of the Chief of the Inmate Welfare Fund in Sacramento. Marvin talked to him, and the gentleman said that there was still fund money in the Inmate Welfare Fund. However, in the May 23, 2003 minutes of the Recreation Subcommittee of the WAC, it was reported that there would be no more movies for the time being, as there was no money in the Inmate Welfare Fund at VSPW.
ACTION ITEM #3: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL INQUIRE WHY THE WAC REPORTED THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE INMATE WELFARE FUND AS OF MAY 23, 2003, AND WILL LET THE IFC SECRETARY KNOW BEFORE THE NEXT IFC MEETING. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH IFC MEMBERS, AND REPORTED ON AT THE NEXT MEETING.
(NOTE: OCTOBER 15, 2003, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT IN MAY, 2003, THE FUND WAS EMPTY AT THE END OF THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT HAS BEEN RE-FUNDED FOR THE NEW 2003-2004 FISCAL YEAR.)
5. Quarterly Packages and Vendor Box Changes: Walkenhorst has been chosen as the startup vendor for the new vendor boxes, starting January 1, 2004. This current quarter is the last quarter that inmate families will be allowed to send quarterly packages in direct to the inmates. On October 10th, the Administration will be having a secondary option meeting with D&D Vending. This was the company whose procedure was discussed during our last meeting, and who is currently handling the Wasco packages. D&D is a group that operates out of Visalia. The final item list has been delayed slightly, due to the fact that Walkenhorst is working with prison officials to try and place various cheeses on the list. They don’t have refrigeration, so cheeses have to be certain kinds only, wrapped specific ways. This is being worked on. There was no mention of when the list would be circulated, although it should be shortly. It was mentioned that ALL CDC prisons will be going to Vendor Boxes as of January, 2004.
Marvin did some comparison pricing, and gave us an example: A six ounce can of Bugler Smoking Tobacco at a retail smoke shop in California costs $9.99. At the VSPW canteen, the price is $11.40. Walkenhorst has the same can of tobacco for $18.99. This is a substantial extra cost, and this is a serious problem. Captain Callahan thinks that there will be an increase in competition for box sales as the whole state gears up for Vendor box sales, and that this should drive prices down shortly. He is continuing to investigate the possible secondary options, including D&D.
Several board members also pointed out their concerns about the new vendor-only box procedure. Families would not have a chance to customize boxes, hoping to give inmates some personal attention and showing personal concern. Families would not be able to shop ahead, or take advantage of sales. It was also mentioned that although contraband has been given as the main reason for vendor-only boxes, it is commonly believed that there may be much less contraband traffic through boxes than there is through staff trafficking -- that the added risk is not enough to justify the new policy.
Marvin Coolbaugh, acting as spokesperson for the IFC Board and representing inmate families, submitted a request that Quarterly Packages should not be restricted to vendor-only.
6. What Other Prisons Have an IFC Group? All California prisons now have an IFC group. There is a central ‘state’ group that is separate, and is a ‘director’s’ group, which meets with the CDC Director. IFC members asked if anyone knew when the statewide group met, what criteria for participation might be, and where it met. No one had that information, but we may be able to get it from a person in the High Desert State Prison IFC. Marvin has recently been in touch with a member of the High Desert IFC, after receiving contact information from Sylvia Hedlind. He contacted this person, Kathy Vick, an alternate chairperson for the group, and was able to get some information on the statewide group meetings. He can probably find out more from her.
Apparently all 33 prison facilities in the state now have IFC groups. They were started by the Director of CDC, and the bylaws of our IFC were from an original template provided by the Director’s office.
ACTION ITEM #4: MARVIN COOLBAUGH WILL CONTACT KATHY VICK AND SEE IF HE CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE STATEWIDE DIRECTOR'S IFC MEETINGS. HE WILL COORDINATE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE VSPW COUNCIL TO SEE ABOUT SITTING IN ON A MEETING.
7. Hobby Craft: There has been a rumor that the larger Hobby Craft materials may be shipped out of the facility. Once they are shipped out, they may not be able to be retrieved. Staff told us that the bulk items and large items are still locked up in lockers, and some individual supplies are in the keeping of individual inmates. The larger materials are still stored on-site, and were just recently inventoried, but Tina Hornbeak, the Associate Warden, said she would double-check on this. She assured us that the materials are still safe and secure, and they will be staying on-site. IFC members asked that we be told ahead of time if there is a decision to send the materials home.
ACTION ITEM #5: TINA HORNBEAK WILL CHECK ON HOBBY CRAFT SUPPLIES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE STILL ON-SITE. SHE WILL LET US KNOW AT THE NEXT MEETING, OR PASS THE INFORMATION ALONG TO WHOMEVER WILL BE REPRESENTING HER AT THE NEXT MEETING.
8. Visitor Food Services: The new contract vendor services are in start-up right now, as the new contract took effect on October 1st. As of October 2nd, there was only one vending machine in the Visitor Court, and family members needed to give the money to the vendor, and have the vendor put it in the machine. It only had potato chips in it. However, there was still a table with cake, snacks, fried chicken and chicken strips and nuggets, and seafood salads available, along with a cooler that had ice cream, and a selection of sodas and other drinks. The Administration was surprised that the Visitors had all of this available, as the Staff cafeteria has been completely closed down, without even sodas available. Staff has been going all the way to town to get something to drink. Things should be worked out shortly. Everything hasn’t had time to be set up yet. Sam, the previous vendor, was awarded the vending contract from the Department of Rehabilitation for the Visitor Court. A different vendor got the contract for the staff cafeteria. Apparently, this new vendor has had a little more trouble gearing up at the beginning. The Staff is hoping the cafeteria may open by next Wednesday.
9. Visitor Food Services Department of Rehabilitation Contract: Nancy Rubinstein contacted the Department of Rehabilitation about the contract between VSPW and themselves. She was told that a copy of the contract would be mailed to her. She has not received it yet, but will write a synopsis of it when it arrives, and e-mail/mail it out to IFC members.
ACTION ITEM #6: NANCY RUBINSTEIN WILL OBTAIN A COPY OF THE DoR CONTRACT WITH VSPW REGARDING VENDOR SERVICES, AND WILL PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE A SYNOPSIS FOR IFC MEMBERS.
10. Visiting Hour Problems: The VSPW CDC Operations Manual Supplemental, April 3, 2003, states, in Section 5.a) that arrival on institution grounds is allowed forty-five minutes prior to the beginning of visiting hours. This means that people should be able to arrive at 1:15 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Recently people have been turned away until 8:30 a.m. on weekends. Deborah Jacquez said that this will be looked into and fixed.
ACTION ITEM: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL LOOK INOT THE PROBLEM AND WILL WORK ON TRAINING WITH STAFF TO ELIMINATE THESE PROBLEMS.
A 10-minute break was called at 2:00 p.m. The meeting was continued at 2:13 p.m.
11. SEARCH PROCEDURES; a Video on Pat Searches A video tape, created at CCWF, was shown to IFC members after the break. This was an 8-minute tape, and it was the same tape that was recently shown to the inmates. It discussed search procedures. These are newly instituted procedures, and differ from past procedures.
The Chief Deputy Warden gave us a little bit of history on search procedures as they have been followed for the last five years at VSPW. Five years ago the prison had several problems with sexual misconduct. There was no court case that stopped search procedures at that time. Instead, interim leadership intervened, and directed Correction Officers to ‘avoid the crotch area’. This directive has stayed in place since that time, contrary to statewide departmental procedures. While the Administration understands that there is still some potential for sexual harassment, they feel that this has been dealt with at length, and sufficiently enough to return to standard statewide procedures. However, there are some checks and balances in place to reduce the chances of harassment. First of all, all inmates are encouraged to use the appeal process if problems occur. They are also encouraged to communicate problems with family members, the IFC, or other outside groups that can help expose any problems. The newly institute procedures, as demonstrated in the video, now place VSPW in compliance with all other women’s prisons in the state.
We watched the video, then had a question and answer session.
The searches are to be conducted in a ‘random’ manner, not selecting out anyone for extra scrutiny or harassment without cause. The Corrections Officers may need to search individuals if there is a reasonable suspicion, otherwise random searches allow the staff to sample the inmate population without having to search every individual -- there is not enough staff for that.
There is no specific mention of clothed search procedures in Title 15 - it only mentions searches must be done in a ‘professional manner’ when the inmate is unclothed.
IFC family members have heard of some abuses of the search procedures already, including staff being instructed to do the crotch search ‘palm-up’ and laughing about it at chow hall.
The ‘602’ appeal procedure should be used by inmates if they feel a CO has behaved incorrectly. The Chief Deputy Warden says they have not seen any appeals yet at the Associate Warden level, but there may be 602s working their way through the system, that haven’t been seen yet by the Warden’s Office. An IFC member asked about the effectiveness of the appeal procedure, and how it works. Every facility (A, B, C, and D) have an “Appeals Box” on the yard. An inmate may place an appeal in the box, and these are picked up daily. The first level of the appeal is dealt with at the facility level. If this does not satisfy the problem, the appeal is sent to the 2nd level, and is dealt with by an Associate Warden. There is a timeline in Title 15 for how long an appeal may take. It is at least 10 days before it gets to the 2nd level. An inmate may wish to communicate with the Warden’s office by ‘Direct Communication’. It does not get treated like an appeal, but may be placed in the Appeals Box. It will be reviewed by the Warden’s office and may or may not be responded to, but it will be read. There is also an Ombudsperson Box on each facility. This is a person who mediates between the inmates and staff. Sometimes problems can be noticed and taken care of this way. Inmates should use whatever methods get the message through, especially if there is a serious violation of any person outside of the specifically allowed procedures.
Acting as spokesperson for the IFC Board, Marvin Coolbaugh requested that the search procedure be changed back to the previously approved methods, and that the new procedure be removed from policy.
C. OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS
12. IFC Contact with Inmate Groups
a. Sitting in on a WAC Meeting: Would it be okay for a member of the IFC to sit in on a WAC meeting? Staff says no, but we may get the minutes from an inmate. The minutes are posted in the housing units, and the inmates may request a copy from the WAC representative in each Housing Unit.
b. Long Termer’s Organization Newsletter: The Long Termer’s Organization has also recently put out a newsletter that is very good, and a copy of that can be made available to the IFC.
ACTION ITEM #7: Sylvia Hedlind will get a copy of the recent Long Termer’s Organization newsletter and forward it to the IFC secretary.
13. Charitable Contributions for IFC Members and Family Members
a. Tax Deductibility of IFC Volunteer Work: Nancy Rubinstein researched the tax codes regarding deductibility of our expenses for IFC-related work. All out-of-pocket expenses, including rooms, food (if we stay overnight), and gas may be deducted as a charitable donation on state and federal long forms. If we spend more than $250, we need to get a note from the Administration verifying our participation. IFC members may request a verification of participation letter from Sylvia.
b. Charitable Organizations: Families may donate to a variety of organizations that work with inmates or work for inmate welfare in general. This is one way that families can help inmates in general. It is also a way that inmates can know what groups are available for their assistance. The prison Administration is unable to give the IFC a list of organizations that are approved to work at the prison, because it might lead to a family member donating money directly to an organization who might then work directly with that prisoner; and inmate family members are not allowed contact by proxy within the prison walls. Nancy Rubinstein is developing a list of Charitable Organizations that work within VSPW by ‘asking around’. If anyone knows of a charitable group that functions within the prison population, please send her a message and let her know, so she can put that organization on the list. So far we have Catholic Charities, Toastmasters, Mother’s Voice, Habeas Project, Free Battered Women, and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.
14. IFC Membership Needed; Officer Nominations Coming Up
a. IFC Membership Drive: We need new alternate members for the IFC. There is an IFC Box in Visiting Processing, but Michael Cox has the key, and he is no longer an active IFC member. However, Captain Callahan says that he usually sees Michael on Sundays, and that he will ask him for a key so we can check the box. John Errante has the other key, but he is very ill, and it is possible we will not be able to get that key from him. We also need to update the flier that is posted on the Visitor Court C.O. booth, and include a request for volunteers.
ACTION ITEM #8: CAPTAIN CALLAHAN WILL SEE ABOUT GETTING THE IFC SUGGESTION BOX KEY FROM MICHAEL COX.
ACTION ITEM #9: NANCY RUBINSTEIN WILL DEVELOP A NEW FLIER AND HAVE IT APPROVED FOR POSTING AT THE VISITOR COURT.
b. Officer Nominations and Membership Terms: New officers are to be elected for the next 2-year term starting in April, 2004. We need to bring nominations in to our next meeting in December, 2003. We will vote on the nominations in February, 2004. All members are asked to write down nominations for Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. Sylvia Hedlind will be collecting them at the next meeting. All members are automatically renewed after two years right now, as we do not have any excess of applicants to participate. This may eventually change if our membership grows significantly, but for now, members will stay members indefinitely (or until their loved one is released).
ACTION ITEM #10: SYLVIA HEDLIND WILL PROVIDE A NOMINATION FORM, AND MAIL IT OUT TO ALL IFC MEMBERS PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING.
15. Agenda for Next Meeting: The IFC Secretary, Nancy Rubinstein, will begin drafting the Agenda. She will need all agenda items by November 18, 2003. Marvin has requested that the current CMO be present at the next meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m.
Next Meeting: Friday, December 5, 2003 at 1:00 P.M.
VSPW Warden’s Conference Room
Minutes prepared by Nancy Rubinstein
Return to Top
Return to Homepage
Web Page Designed and Published By:
Computer Consulting Services
Next Meeting: Friday, December 5, 2003 at 1:00 P.M.
VSPW Warden’s Conference Room
Minutes prepared by Nancy Rubinstein
Return to Top
Return to Homepage
Web Page Designed and Published By:
Computer Consulting Services