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| 125 Honored for Courage, Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty |
| By California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation |
| Published: 09/16/2016 |
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SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) honored 125 employees today during its 31st annual Medal of Valor Ceremony. The Medal of Valor is earned by employees distinguishing themselves by conspicuous bravery or heroism above and beyond the normal demands of correctional service. It is the highest honor CDCR bestows upon its employees. “At the end of the day, the strength of a society is not its money, or its elections, much less its elected officials,” said Gov. Jerry Brown, who attended the ceremony. “It’s the people, their character, their virtue, and how they treat themselves, their families and their neighbors, and who are strengthening our state and country by what they’ve done. They go above and beyond the call of duty and act in a way that is profoundly humane and gives edification and inspiration to everyone else who hears about it or sees it.” One of this year’s Medal of Valor recipients is California State Prison-Sacramento (SAC) Correctional Officer Jaymi Appleberry. When she and a friend were attacked by an armed assailant, Appleberry’s quick thinking and self-defense training enabled her to not only release her friend from the attacker’s grip, but also to disarm the man even while his gun fired twice. The courage of Appleberry, who suffered a head laceration in the fight, saved her and her roommate from serious injury or even death. “I would like to express my gratitude for all the dedicated women and men who serve our department. They exemplify a commitment to selfless service day in and day out,” said CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan. “Our jobs have never been easy. However, we continue meeting the challenges as they arise, sometimes at great personal sacrifice. I am proud to lead our staff as we strive to make the agency a national role model for corrections and rehabilitation.” This year’s second Medal of Valor recipient is Salinas Valley State Prison Correctional Officer Mike Johnson, who pulled a woman to safety from a burning vehicle just seconds before it became engulfed in flames. Also honored with Silver Stars from the Sacramento area are SAC Correctional Officers Darrell Nygren, Ronnie Wheeler and Ted Zerr, who saved lives of both staff and inmates during an inmate attack. Staff members from state prisons, parole offices and divisions statewide received awards at Creekside Christian Church of Elk Grove. In addition to the Medal of Valor, CDCR awarded Distinguished Service Medals, Unit Citations and Bronze, Silver and Gold Corrections Stars. For a complete list of 2016 award winners, visit https://goo.gl/iaY95Q. For photos or more information, email Kristina.Khokhobashvili@cdcr.ca.gov. |
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