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California Guards Union Intimidates Prison Staff For Infracting Guard Misconduct
California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) local chapter president Chris Trott, of Calipatria State Prison in Imperial, admitted his union placed a rat trap on the prison CCPOA bulletin board in an intimidating retort to three union members having been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation regarding their alleged use of excessive force to subdue a prisoner. The symbology, according to the accompanying union flyer, was to catch" the Captain and Warden and to challenge the suspensions. Trott added that the rat trap was a union tactic" to complain about unspecified management problems at Calipatria.
Todd Slosek, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections (CDC) said that this intimidation of the ratting" Captain was precisely the type of Code of Silence" misconduct that CDC wants to stop, calling it unacceptable" and completely unprofessional."
The three suspended staff, a sergeant, a guard and a medical technical assistant (MTA), were observed by Captain Serchel Leapheart subduing life prisoner Adron Cowains after Cowains allegedly assaulted an MTA at the Facility B clinic. Leapheart wrote the three up.
Not satisfied with just intimidating Captain Leapheart, the union also posted a display reading, 2005: The Year of Shame," accompanied by a picture of acting Warden Ryan. The union has long ridiculed Corrections Secretary Roderick Hickmanwhom they nicknamed Spudand called him a disgrace to their profession for attacking the Code of Silence. But from the other side of their mouths, union leaders still insist that no such Code of Silence exists.
Source: Los Angeles Times.
Todd Slosek, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections (CDC) said that this intimidation of the ratting" Captain was precisely the type of Code of Silence" misconduct that CDC wants to stop, calling it unacceptable" and completely unprofessional."
The three suspended staff, a sergeant, a guard and a medical technical assistant (MTA), were observed by Captain Serchel Leapheart subduing life prisoner Adron Cowains after Cowains allegedly assaulted an MTA at the Facility B clinic. Leapheart wrote the three up.
Not satisfied with just intimidating Captain Leapheart, the union also posted a display reading, 2005: The Year of Shame," accompanied by a picture of acting Warden Ryan. The union has long ridiculed Corrections Secretary Roderick Hickmanwhom they nicknamed Spudand called him a disgrace to their profession for attacking the Code of Silence. But from the other side of their mouths, union leaders still insist that no such Code of Silence exists.
Source: Los Angeles Times.
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