LAC ISU Officer gone missing (updated)

 The following was sent from a Rider at DVI via an email from LAC.  I received information from staff at CIM that worked at LAC that the information received via email is true.  The officer missing to date is yet to be found (9-30-11)  The area being search is near Palmdale, I'm told their is a command post set up in the area.  Many friends and staff are volunteering in the search efforts.  I have also been told that this made the local KCAL9 news, and it's basically being called a "missing hiker" story.
Of course this story hits more to home for the staff that worked with "Tommy", he has many close friends at CIM, that are sending prayers his way.  Some staff may head up and help in the efforts, if I get information and you would like to lend a hand, I will post information.  I have additional information but I will not post until news stories are released.

A brother of us all here at CSP-LAC went missing yesterday Sept 28, 2011 on a walk with his dog prior to work. He is a member of our ISU and is a well respected officer, husband, and father. LA County Search and Rescue searched all day yesterday for him including many current and former staff from LAC to no avail. The fear is he may have fallen in the aqueduct he was walking along side. This morning a dive team entered the water and began their search for our missing brother. LAC is currently under a modified program pending the outcome of the search. My request is that you might put this information out there for more prayers and thoughts of encouragement in this time of need.

(the photo is not the Officer)





G. Marshall


Facility B Sergeant

Cell Phone Watches

I remember a few years ago when the first style of cell phone watches were hitting the yards.  They were kinda of obvious if you inspected carefully.  We know that Cell phones is our biggest contraband problem in all California Institutions.  The following was found from a bust at ISP.

Well this new style of Cell phone watch is appearing on the yards, as you can see from the photos these will be very hard to detect.  The digital screen can be maneuvered with ease, the pictures show changing the watch face screen to menu and key pad.  Also shown is the SIM card at the back of the watch.

Keep your eyes open (this information is to be shared with all your partners)

C/O held in 92 counts of abuse

A suspended correctional officer from Pittsburgh's state prison was arrested Tuesday and charged with 92 criminal counts alleging that he sexually and physically abused more than 20 inmates under his control. Harry Nicoletti, 59, of Coraopolis, was arraigned Tuesday night and held in the Allegheny County Jail on $75,000 bond.
He is charged with 10 counts of institutional sexual assault, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, 27 counts of official oppression, 13 counts of criminal solicitation, eight counts of indecent assault, six counts of indecent exposure, multiple counts of simple assault and terroristic threats and one count of criminal attempt.
The charges date to early 2009 and include allegations ranging from slapping inmates with an open hand, to forcing their heads into toilets and repeatedly flushing them, to having other inmates urinate in the food of convicted sex offenders, to rape and forced oral sex.

According to the 34-page criminal complaint, Mr. Nicoletti, who was assigned to the 2 to 10 p.m. shift on the F Block -- the reception unit in the prison -- primarily targeted inmates who had been convicted of sex crimes against children or those who were gay or transgender.
The most serious allegations charge Mr. Nicoletti with raping a transgender inmate twice and attempting to use a broom to sodomize a mentally challenged inmate who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a child.
According to the complaint, a transsexual man taking hormone therapy to have a more feminine physique was sent to F Block on April 12, 2010. He alleges that Mr. Nicoletti first asked the inmate to expose his breasts and then forced the inmate down on his cot and raped him while calling him a variety of derogatory names.

One inmate "stated that new inmate arrivals convicted of sex offenses involving children were sought out and abused by the defendant."
In some instances, those inmates who abused others were rewarded -- sometimes with cigarettes, pizza, snuff and even prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Xanax.
Another inmate was instructed by Mr. Nicoletti to set the mentally challenged inmate on fire. Mr. Nicoletti gave the inmate a lighter that he used to singe the man's chest hair, the affidavit said.

Ms. McNaughton said her agency will work with law enforcement to seek prosecution of any employees who may have been involved in the alleged activities.

The state Department of Corrections employs about 17,000 people in Pennsylvania, including nearly 600 at SCI Pittsburgh. Of those, 300 are corrections officers.

Mr. Nicoletti, in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story on Friday, denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
"There is no truth to any of this whatsoever," Mr. Nicoletti said. "It makes me sick to my stomach that someone can make accusations like that. It's totally false, and there's eight [correctional officers] out on the street with no pay, no benefits."

RCE Staff Reductions

As many of you know the CIM East yard staff reductions are going to happen. Our CIM local union is currently in Sacramento on a "Meet and Confer" over the east yard reductions. I'm yet to hear of a Supervisor table for the Supervisor reductions.

What we do know is that RCE will delete approximately 66 positions! Staff reductions can never be a good thing. I'm hoping that CIM management took into consideration alarm response as well as escape detail. With the inmate population dropping on East and the plan to go to an SNY yard, the reductions will sure to happen. Just want to remind the powers at be to keep it SAFE!

Also expected for the month of October, is the implementation of the SOMS program. This means that approximately 9 Sergeants will be out of a Control Sergeant Position. I'm hearing the plan will take effect 10-14-11 through 10-18-11.

I did remind you here that there would be big changes coming to CIM months ago. I told you about the CIM Shuffle and folks losing their positions. There will still be a couple of more retirements announced! Stay tuned for more of the "CIM Shuffle"

Have A safe 8

Two Sergeants attacked by inmate (Florida)

A 63-year old Inmate Jerry Miller is accused of attacking two sergeants at the Taylor Correctional Institution last Thursday. One sergeant has several broken bones in his face. The other received minor injuries.

Miller has since been moved to Florida State Prison, which is the most secure facility in the state.

"They had found a contraband item from the inmate at the time. The inmate started to get agitated, they asked the inmate to cuff up. It appeared that he was going to do so, but when they went to cuff him, he started punching them," says DOC Spokesperson Gretyl Plessinger.

Miller was sentenced to life in prison in 1991 for second degree attempted murder and aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer. The inmate now faces new charges of aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer.

We are told the Inspector General's Office is looking into the matter and further invesigating.
______________________________________________________
Perry, Florida - September 26, 2011 -

Eyewitness News has confirmed that two Taylor Correctional Institution officers were beaten by an inmate, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

The incident happened around 4pm on September 22nd at the Taylor Correctional Institution. The beating is being investigated by Inspector General’s office.

Two Days of Riots at "SQ"

(Unofficial Report)On Sunday September 25, 2011 at approximately 1750 hours, a riot broke out inside Dining Hall 3, involving approximately 30 inmates. Correctional Officers used OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) Pepper spray and Batons to quill the riot.
No staff member reported any injuries. Inmates used inmate manufactured stabbing and slashing weapons. Weapons were removed after the riot on the dining hall floor. Some inmates received serious cuts to their facial and upper body area. The riot was between White and Northern Hispanic (Level 4) Badger Section inmates.

Badger Section is on modified lock down pending investigation


(Unofficial Report)
On Saturday, September 24, 2011 at approximately 0930 hours, major riot broke out on West Block yard, involving approximately 50 inmates. Correctional Officers used OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) Pepper spray, ten (10)40MM Direct Impact rubber rounds were fired to quill the riot. No staff member reported any injuries. The riot was between White and Northern Hispanic inmates. West Block is on modified lock down pending investigation.

Go buy some Ammo

Local officials are bracing for a radical realignment of the state penal system that will place thousands of low-level felons in county jail rather than prison.
Depending on whom is doing the analysis, the change, set to take place Saturday, could either result in a huge crime spike or a noticeable drop in recidivism rates.

Concerned about the plan and its potential impact on public safety, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet with Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday in Los Angeles, Supervisor Michael Antonovich said.

"We had a phone conference call with the governor and were shocked at his lack of understanding of the consequences of dumping state felons on the doorstep of every county in this state," Antonovich said.

"Many of these people are mentally ill - severely mentally ill - and the board's position was that we will not accept any of the severely mentally ill," he said. "If we are forced to do that, we will sue the state. That's what led to this meeting with the governor."

The realignment came about as the result of AB 109, a bill signed by Brown in April that promised to "stop the costly, ineffective and unsafe `revolving door' of lower-level offenders and parole violators through our state prisons."

In different ways county court officials, prosecutors and cops are preparing to deal with the fallout.

Rising crime

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley - for one - warns the
plan will result in a "public safety nightmare."

"We are going to go from the lowest crime rate in 60 years to the biggest spike in crime in our lifetime," Cooley said. "On top of that it's going to force more case settlements and the quality of prosecutions will decline."



Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_18969387?source=rss#ixzz1YzT3dMQE

Back by popular demand

I have decided to re-start what I started two and half years ago. The last few weeks many of you have asked that I consider starting the site over again.
Well, after thinking it over I have decided to start up again. It may not be as pro Union as before, but I will attempt to give all parties a fair shake!
My main goal will be current information as it relates to CIM and CDCR. I will remain objective and partial to all that I write about.

Limited Term Appointments

To: CCPOA Chapter Presidents

From: Steve Weiss, CCPOA Chief of Labor
Re: Limited Term Appointments

On September 2, 2011, a memorandum was released by CDCR HQ to all Executive Staff which provided instructions regarding the process for the conversion of Limited Term (LT) to Permanent Full Time (PFT) appointments.

A clarifying memo issued by CDCR LR HQ states (among other issues): "The intent of allowing the conversion of limited-term appointments to permanent is to reduce the number of positions with mandatory right of return and allow CDCR to effectively identify true vacancies."

You will find attached a copy of;
1) The criteria for converting an LT position to PFT,
2) The List of Impacted Classes by County,
3) Classifications on Reemployment.

If a classification is listed on the "List of Impacted Classes by County" or on the "Classifications on Reemployment" they are EXCLUDED from the LT to PFT conversions.

Per the HQ memo;
1) There is no requirement to end existing LT appointments.
2) New or extensions of LT appointments will only be considered to cover a vacancy caused by a temporary situation (ie. covering IDL) or to protect an employee's mandatory right of return.
3) Staff currently in LT positions may be converted to PFT if they meet the criteria (see attachment for criteria) for a PFT appointment. 4) Headquarters will develop new freeze exemption documents, which will enable institutions/facilities/programs to fill positions on a PFT basis, provided the criteria permits the hire (ie., classification cannot be impacted by any reduction plans; reemployment list and existing SROA lists must be cleared if The memo states further: "For those staff with no prior right of return within CDCR and those that cannot be appointed PFT due to the various restrictions, their limited term appointment will be terminated on the last day of the 24 month appointment unless conditions change during the process and the person is able to be appointed prior to the 24 months or upon notification of a placement.".
The memo further states; "For those staff with no prior right of return within CDCR and those that cannot be appointed PFT due to the various restrictions, their limited term appointment will be terminated on the last date of the 24 month appointment unless conditions change during the process and the person is able to be appointed prior to the 24 months or upon notification of a placement.".

I hope this information proves to be useful and clarifies some of the current issues with LT appointments.
Steve Weiss

Turning off the lights for Now on CIMriders

hmmmm