Impacted employees will also have a hiring preference if they chose to transfer to a different prison or state agency. At LAC, 76 inmates and 17 staffers have contracted coronavirus. Over the past few days, California Mens Colony (CMC) has seen an increase in the number of incarcerated people testing positive for COVID-19, said Lt. John Hill, CMC public information officer. Most cases are likely asymptomatic. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Heres what experts say, Update: Paso Robles man dies after crash on Highway 46 West, SLO veterans museum closed indefinitely due to flooding, Search for 5-year-old lost in SLO County floodwaters to continue all week. Outbreaks of COVID-19 at the California Men's Colony prompted family members of inmates to host a demonstration outside the prison back in August. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. California Men's Colony (CMC) is a male-only state prison located northwest of the city of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California, along the central California coast approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco Facilities. They will need to be relocated to another prison, and their rehabilitative, educational and self-help program credits will transfer with them. Eleven inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at California Men's Colony, in San Luis Obispo, according to corrections department data. On Thursday, SLO County reported seven new positive cases of the virus for a total of 149 confirmed cases. If a CDCR prison reaches over three, it would revert back to Phase One lockdown, which entails complete quarantine, back to video visits only, no in-person visits, according to Maria Moore. 2023 Copyright 2022 Mustang Media Group. CMC is authorized for a staffing level of nearly 1,500 employees, which makes the prison one of San Luis Obispo Countys top employers. Henderson said the 20 people who won't be present have either been paroled or transferred to another institution. CMC is authorized for a staffing level of nearly 1,500 employees, which makes the prison one of San Luis Obispo Countys top employers. Subscriber Exclusive: Everything is fresh, the owner of Zio Brand Meats and Sausages. Universities and colleges that participate in the correspondence program include Palo Verde College, Coastline College, Lassen Community College, Feather River College, and Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. It isn't the first time this newspaper has carried that story. Either they are shipping in sick inmates, which we should oppose, or they are experiencing a sudden spike that could well leak out of that facility infecting our community. In partnership with Cuesta College, Henderson said, the California Men's Colony has the largest enrollment in the state. As of June, it housed around 2,000 inmates. We, AOL, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. He said that its impossible to say whether the pandemic has been beneficial in changing the functionings of prisons in terms of people being let out early. Officials provided cleaning supplies to allow the incarcerated population to keep their living areas clean. The comments below represent the opinion of the writer and do not represent the views or policies of CalCoastNews.com. According to the CDC website, a total of 10 CMC staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Simas said exact numbers and timelines will not be immediately available. At the California Men's Colony, the area to be closed is known as the West Facility, which houses medium and minimum-security inmates. About 80% of incarcerated people at the Mens Colony are fully vaccinated. During the past two days, SLO County has seen a slight increase in the number of new cases. With staff bringing it in unknowingly, that created a wildfire, Maria Moore said. The lower-security West Facility has been slated for closure. Send pics, videos and tips to CCN. No CMC inmate or staffer has died of coronavirus. Hand sanitizer dispensers are placed throughout the institution for staff and inmate use. Reported by students for the greater SLO community. I hear that number has now jumped to 76 from 43. Inmates housed in the facility also had access to academic and technical education and self-improvement programs such as cognitive behavior therapy programs, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships. According to the correctional departments release, employees will have the option to transfer both within and outside of impacted counties. Pond fire destroys 1 home, damages another, Nipomo cannabis growers agree to pay $500,000 for alleged illegal activity, Two more bodies found in SLO County hotel room, IRS extends tax deadlines for people in SLO and Santa Barbara counties, Surviving Boomer, Cayucos' beloved nightmare, Los Osos diverts water from failed basin, neighbors call foul, Los Osos schedules meeting to discuss possible lawsuits over flooding, SLO County's latest mudslides and damaged roads, photos, SLO County weekend rainfall totals, dry days ahead, Another mudslide damages Highway 1, in Big Sur, Construction site fire injures three people in Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande police seek help capturing alleged thieves. To learn more about CDCR sustainability efforts visit: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/green/, Contact: Joe Orlando (916) 445-4950 or joe.orlando@cdcr.ca.gov, Copyright 2023 California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation. The California Men's Colony prison, shown here in March 2020, is in need of a $1.5 billion upgrade. Re-offending rates, which is known as recidivism, are around 83% over nine years according to the FBI. December 26, 2019 A total of 49 state prison inmates have died of coronavirus. Impacted employees will also have a hiring preference if they chose to transfer to a different prison or state agency. 5 were here. I cant imagine what that must have felt like., The Vera Institute, an organization devoted to criminal justice reform, described what they believe to be the root of high COVID case levels in prisons: correctional facilities create unique risks for disease transmission.. CMCs West Facility is a Level I and II complex with four independent facilities. Learn More{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Afterwards, CMC did such a good job of quarantining people, Maria Moore said. Whoops! As part of a string of reductions statewide, the lower-security West. The Mens Colony reported 2,460 cumulative inmate COVID-19 cases and 13 COVID-19 related deaths among incarcerated people, placing the prison fourth in cumulative cases and seventh in most deaths among all the states prisons, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). November 2, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak at the California Men's Colony (CMC) has worsened significantly, with 43 inmates testing positive for the virus over the past two weeks. SAN LUIS OBISPO California Mens Colony is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak 43 inmates have tested positive in the past 14 days, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Follow us on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. . Please reload the page and try again. At CIM, 69 inmates and 22 staffers have tested positive for the virus. the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo; North Kern State Prison in Delano; and the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran . As part of a string of reductions statewide,. Alaniz said the staff in prisons was one reason why COVID-19 rates were so high. Out of five inmates . Any person entering the prison undergoes temperature and verbal screening for symptoms daily. At the California Men's Colony, the area to be closed is known as the West Facility, which houses medium and minimum-security inmates. In the past 14 days, 9 percent of CMCs incarcerated population (309) has been tested for COVID-19. Chloe Jones for The San Luis Obispo Tribune, Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. They are housed in the East Facility, which is made up of five separate units. Be part of the news. Paso Robles Press As part of a string of reductions statewide, the lower-security West Facility at CMC will be shut down. It's going to be a special event because the students will have family there supporting them," said Joshua Henderson, a proctor for the college programs at the Men's Colony. They are housed in the East Facility, which is made up of five separate units. It was a petri dish in prisons.. "It makes them feel, for lack of a better term, normal. Send pics, videos and tips to CCN. Designed by William Avery Baker (deceased) and built-in Cambridge . It houses medium- and minimum-security, non-designated programming facility inmates in a dormitory setting, according to the departments website. Keep up with Noozhawk's daily COVID-19 coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. Comment Guidelines. Project expected to save millions of dollars and will be built at no cost to taxpayers. SLO-based designer redefines smaller living spaces with Rm, Rancho Burro Donkey Sanctuary in Arroyo Grande seeks helping hands for donkey care, Devastation: Residents are grappling with the aftermath of the deluge that battered SLO County Jan. 9 and 10, 1010 Marsh Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401PHONE/805/546-8208 FAX/805/546-8641, 2023 California Mens Colony is SLO Countys fifth-largest employer, supporting 1,500 good-paying jobs, the Regional Economic Action Coalition (REACH) said in a statement to The Tribune. Students can earn associate degrees in human development or liberal arts; an Associate in Arts in Sociology for Transfer degree; and certifications in addiction studies and culinary studies. It is unclear how soon the West Facility will be closed and how many employees will be affected at this time. A day after announcing the second coronavirus case among inmates at the California Mens Colony, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced a staffer at the San Luis Obispo County prison had tested positive for the virus. Constructive debate is good; mockery, taunting, and name calling is not. Like all CDCR institutions, CMC has implemented several measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Hill said. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. The Folsom State Prison's Women's facility, along with individual facilities within Pelican Bay State Prison, California Rehabilitation Center, California Institution for Men, and the California Correctional Institution also face closures. Staff Writer Karen Garcia wrote this week's Strokes and Plugs. Which is concerning. Staff at the prison were notified of the closure in an email sent earlier in the day. The facility was slated to shut down . There are now 105 cases among staffers spread out across 27 facilities in the state prison system, according to CDCR. Your email address will not be published. The move comes with an eye toward fiscal responsibility, according to a news release from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Renewable power provides a clean . The other educational option is face-to-face classes. As for staff, CDCR says it will offer employees options to transfer within and outside of affected counties. CDCR did leave open the possibility that these facilities, including CMC's West Facility, could be reactivated, "Should a significant need for capacity arise in the future due to a natural disaster or other serious need". According to Mens Colony Public Information Officer Lieutenant John Hill, the prisons population decreased from 3,828 in March 2020 to 3,065 in September 2021. 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