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| Prison officers' silence hampers investigations |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/05/2004 |
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Authorities investigating California's troubled prisons say they are confronting a stubborn "code of silence" among employees who have lied or refused to share information about inmates who were beaten or neglected by officers. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration promised last month to implement a "zero tolerance" policy for anyone suppressing wrongdoing in the corrections system or retaliating against whistle-blowers. But uncooperative witnesses have continued to stall investigations. "The code of silence exists to cover up wrongdoing. It's a conspiracy to lie," said Tip Kindel, spokesman for the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. A series of scathing reports and hearings have described California's prison system as overrun with violence. At least one legislator says state law and labor contracts may need to be changed to end the code of silence. "I absolutely support due process, but we're talking about witnesses here," said Democratic State Sen. Gloria Romero, who plans a hearing on the issue as early as this week. "We're talking about employees of the state of California. We're talking about peace officers." Romero said prosecutions for prison misconduct may need to be transferred from county prosecutors to the state attorney general. A bill that would have made that change failed in 1999. |
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