Correctional officer killed at USP-Atwater

[lwinger]

Originally Posted by bop_steward

I got this in my email yesterday. I think it is a great way to show our support for our fallen brother. I also think this is something the union should grab a hold of and purchase a very large amount of, and give to the members.

Attachment 642

If this is not just for the ATW staff, can a LT get one as well? We can't be part of the union but I would like to have one if it is possible.

[bop_steward]

Originally Posted by lwinger

If this is not just for the ATW staff, can a LT get one as well? We can't be part of the union but I would like to have one if it is possible.

I don't see why not. Check with ATW Hack to get one, I guess. Or you could get with the company on the flyer.

[lwinger]

Just saw this on the CNN.com news website. Thought everyone would want to know.


From Kelli Arena and Kevin Bohn
CNN


ATWATER, California (CNN) -- Jose Rivera survived two tours of duty in Iraq, but his job as a corrections officer at a high-security federal prison in California cost him his life.


Jose Rivera was guarding 100 inmates when he was stabbed to death at a federal prison in California.

1 of 3 Two inmates using a homemade shank are accused of stabbing Rivera to death in June at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, California.

The inmates -- Jose Sablan, 43, and James Guerrero, 40 -- were indicted earlier in August and charged with murder. They have not yet entered a plea.

"It was two against one, you know, and no one helped him," said Rivera's grieving mother, Terry. "I didn't think that it would happen, but it was not safe for him to work there."

Rivera was 22 and had been in his job at the 960-plus inmate prison for just 10 months when he died.

He was alone guarding about 100 inmates at the time of the attack and had a radio to call for backup in case of trouble. He didn't have what many guards in California's state prisons routinely count on: pepper spray, a protective vest and a collapsible baton. Watch how Rivera's death has ignited debate on guard security »

Federal officers are not allowed to have those items.

CNN asked the federal Bureau of Prisons why it opposes giving its corrections officers nonlethal weapons. In a statement, the bureau said the issue is under review and no final decisions have been made.

"However," the bureau added, "we also know through 75 years of experience that federal correctional facilities are managed most effectively through frequent and direct communication with inmates."

Rivera's death has generated support for more protective gear and nonlethal weapons for federal corrections officers and has brought nationwide attention to the threats facing them, said guards and their union officials.

One officer who has worked for several years at Atwater, where Rivera was killed, said he feels threatened every day. Unless the federal government provides additional protection, he said he's thinking about leaving the job.

The officer requested his name not be used because he fears retaliation. He recounted how a fellow corrections officer's jaw was broken in nine places in an inmate attack last year.

"Every single inmate in there is armed to the teeth for his own protection," the officer said. "I am not Bruce Lee, so I can't take on 110 inmates by myself.... Every day it is like David vs. Goliath. You are taking on the world by yourself."

Prisoners make shanks like the one used to kill Rivera and other weapons from otherwise benign objects -- toothbrushes, toilet parts and kitchen utensils to name a few. Gang rivalries exacerbate an already volatile situation.

Gearing up isn't the only solution, said union officials who represent the federal prison system's 15,427 officers. The American Federation of Government Employees said the federal prisons are severely overcrowded and understaffed. On average, they are at 136 percent of capacity.

"The homicide rates among the inmate populations are at the highest levels they've ever been in the history of the Bureau of Prisons," said Bryan Lowry, the president of the union's prison councils. "The assaults on staff, whether weapons or no weapons, has intensified," he added

More officers are needed to ensure safety in the federal prisons, which house 165,000 inmates, the union said.

The Bureau of Prisons said 14 percent of its jobs are unfilled at its 114 prisons and there is an "urgent need" for officers at several of the high security penitentiaries.

It is taking specific action at Atwater by offering a 17 percent recruitment incentive for new hires.

But the bureau disputed that violence toward guards is on the rise.

Federal officials said the rate of "serious assaults" on staff at penitentiaries has not increased over the past several years. But they said inmate assaults on both staff and fellow prisoners are more severe.

While not agreeing to provide officers with pepper spay or batons, the bureau said it has reviewed operations at 12 high-security prisons and is making some changes. The agency said it will buy protective vests and divide inmates into smaller groups when they are being moved. Two staff members will be added to beef up supervision at the prison housing units.

"The safety and security of our staff continues to be the highest priority of the Bureau of Prisons," the bureau said in its statement. It refused an interview request.

Officials in California's state prison system opened their doors for a CNN crew and talked openly about the nonlethal weapons and other protective gear that have become standard issue.

In the state prisons, each guard wears a stab-resistant vest and carries a can of pepper spray and an expandable baton. Officers said they would feel completely vulnerable if they didn't have them.

"The population is just too unpredictable and you never know if they are going to turn on you or not," said James Walker, warden at the California State Prison-Sacramento.


At that institution, more than 3,000 prisoners are housed in sections depending on their history of violence, whether they have any mental health problems or have posed any danger while incarcerated.

Prison officials said the pepper spray is used several times a week to quell incidents, while officers use their batons at least a few times a month.

[Cosmo Kramer]

I'd be interested in the memorial coin. In large enough quantities, they could be provided for every union member (employees club member, etc., whoever was buying them).

If anyone is interested in the Memorial Coin Msg me or ATW-Hack and I would be glad to give you the name of who has them.

[ATW-Hack]

Originally Posted by lwinger

If this is not just for the ATW staff, can a LT get one as well? We can't be part of the union but I would like to have one if it is possible.

Originally Posted by bop_steward

I don't see why not. Check with ATW Hack to get one, I guess. Or you could get with the company on the flyer.

Originally Posted by Cosmo Kramer

If anyone is interested in the Memorial Coin Msg me or ATW-Hack and I would be glad to give you the name of who has them.

I started a new thread for the memorial coin... "Officer Jose Rivera memorial coin". One of our union guys is the one who designed them and is getting them (already has the first batch...going fast!), I posted his work e-mail there and you can get in touch with him that way. Thanks y'all.

[cwillie23]

cant seem to find your thread on the site what is it under

[shakedownshorti]

Originally Posted by cwillie23

cant seem to find your thread on the site what is it under

Where it says "search" at the top of the page, type in, Officer Jose Rivera Memorial Coin, and it will take you right to it!!!!

[ATW-Hack]

Well now that very little has changed and we are back to normal operations, I can't help but feel like this terrible event could be ready to happen again. We all felt this comming for a long time, just hoping and praying that it didn't happen to us or in our institution.

Be safe, watch eachothers 6's and do all you can to make your jail safer. Shake inmates down all day, nothing wrong with tossing 10 cells a shift instead of the minimal 5. Nothing saying that you can't pat dudes down all day long. Be safe out there Brothers and Sisters, we are the only ones who will step up and make our jails safer!!!

[Insidethestorm]

I understand there was a large fight on the first day ATW was let back up, anyone confirm? Several i/m sent to local hospital, and general mayhem?

[ATW-Hack]

Originally Posted by Insidethestorm

I understand there was a large fight on the first day ATW was let back up, anyone confirm? Several i/m sent to local hospital, and general mayhem?

Small fight the first day, big fight was on the third day. 2 inmates sent to hospital.