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| Agencies investigate violation at Calif. Prison |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/18/2005 |
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Three state agencies are investigating allegations that inmates at an overcrowded prison in central California may have been locked in small holding cells for up to a week in violation of departmental regulations. The secretary of the California Youth and Adult Correctional Agency said Tuesday that investigators began arriving at the Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad last week to determine whether two inmates were kept in two 36-by-36-inch holding cells for seven days in January. The inmates apparently refused to be bunked together in the same cell. "This type of action, if true, cannot and will not be tolerated in this agency," said Roderick Q. Hickman, secretary of the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. "If the investigation bears out the allegations, we will act appropriately to ensure that this type of incident never happens again." The incident may have involved several prison staff members, Hickman said. Along with the YACA, the state's Internal Affairs Unit and Office of the Inspector General are investigating. YACA officials are not releasing more details until the investigation is finished. In a news release Tuesday, the YACA said it may discipline or fire some staff members, depending on the outcome of the probe. The prison, which has an annual operating budget of $111 million and employs 1,286 staff members, was opened in May 1996 to hold about 2,200 prisoners. The 300-acre facility currently houses about 4,200 minimum and maximum custody male inmates. |
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