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| Bill Would OK Moving CA Death Row Inmates |
| By San Francisco Gate |
| Published: 06/15/2001 |
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Acknowledging the problems created by San Quentin Prison's dilapidated and overcrowded Death Row, the Assembly approved a bill yesterday to move some condemned inmates to Folsom Prison. If the bill becomes law, it would be the first time since the 1930s that Death Row inmates would be housed somewhere other than San Quentin. 'This bill is not about moving Death Row,' said Assemblyman Joe Nation, D- San Rafael. 'This bill is about the safety and security of guards at San Quentin.' The measure is a small step in the bigger debate about the future of the crumbling, 150-year-old prison. More than 570 inmates facing execution are housed at San Quentin in a space originally designed to hold 70. Nation's bill would allow the Department of Corrections to ship to Folsom condemned inmates who are gang members, have committed homicide in prison, tried to escape using force or committed violent assaults. The idea is that the most violent inmates would be placed in what is called a security housing unit, where they can be segregated from other inmates. San Quentin has no such unit. Corrections Department officials also chose Folsom because it is near a metropolitan area, Sacramento, making it easier for inmates to confer with their attorneys. No more than 5 percent of the condemned prisoners at San Quentin can be relocated to Folsom under the bill. That means probably fewer than 30 inmates would be transferred. No executions would occur at Folsom under Nation's bill. Inmates removed from San Quentin would be returned there at least 60 days before their scheduled execution. Assembly GOP leader Dave Cox of Carmichael opposed the bill, echoing the sentiments of Folsom residents, who fear the influx of more dangerous prisoners. 'It's a matter of how an agency is dealing with another public entity,' Cox said. 'It may be Folsom today, but it may be your community tomorrow.' Cox was on the losing end of a 68-to-3 vote in the 80-member house. The bill still must be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Gray Davis before becoming law. |
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