READY ALL RIGHT. WE LIKE TO CALL
THE, ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUB SIX
PUBLIC SAFETY TO ORDER. WE ARE
GOING TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON
TAKING ISSUES, OUT OF ORDER.
ISSUE ONE WILL GO AFTER, ISSUE
TWO, AND WE WILL START THE
HEARING WITH ISSUE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND
REHABILITATION WITH ISSUE TWO
COVID 19 MITIGATION PROPOSAL AND
THOSE THAT WILL BE GIVING
TESTIMONY. DUANE REEDER, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA
CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE
SERVICES DOCTOR RENEE CANNON,
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MEDICAL
SERVICES, CDCR. ALYSSA
CERVANTES, DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE. ALLISON HEWITT,
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. ORLANDO
SANCHEZ ZAVALA, FOR LEGISLATIVE
ANALYSIS OFFICE. ANDREW
SODERBERGH, LEGISLATIVE
ANALYSIS, OFFICE. AND WE'LL
START WITH DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
READER. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
MEMBERS, MY NAME IS DUANE
READER. I'M DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR
CALIFORNIA CORRECTIONAL HEALTH
CARE SERVICES, BEFORE YOU, WE
HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR 38.4 MILLION
OF ONGOING GENERAL FUND TO
SUPPORT OUR RESPONSE TO COVID 19
PREVENTION AND MITIGATION
ACTIVITIES. THESE RESOURCES WILL
LIMIT THE FUTURE IMPACTS OF
COVID 19 ON OUR INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS AND CDCR STAFF AS A
WHOLE. THE FUNDING INCLUDES
MONEY FOR EMPLOYEE TESTING,
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL TESTING,
STAFFING AND OPERATIONAL COSTS,
AS WELL AS PPE AND VACCINES. SO
WE DON'T HAVE AN, ANY ONGOING
FUNDING FOR COVID 19. AND,
THAT'S WHAT THIS REQUEST
REPRESENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
FOR THAT. AND DOCTOR RENEE
CANNON. YES. HELLO. I DON'T HAVE
ANY STATEMENTS, PER SE. I'M HERE
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY
HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS OFFICE. LEO
ORLANDO SANCHEZ WITH THE LAO. WE
RECOMMEND THE LEGISLATURE
WITHHOLD THE ACTION ON THIS
PROPOSAL AND DIRECT THE
DEPARTMENT TO UPDATE ITS REQUEST
BASED ON UPDATE MORE RECENT
DATA. IN DOING SO, THE
DEPARTMENT SHOULD USE A STANDARD
SNAPSHOT OF MONTHS WHEN
CALCULATING ITS NEED FOR EACH OF
THE ACTIVITIES. IT'S REQUESTING
RESOURCES FOR AND PROVIDE
JUSTIFICATION WHY THOSE SET OF
MONTHS IS REFLECTIVE OF THOSE
COSTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE
DEPARTMENT SHOULD ADJUST THE
PROPOSAL TO REFLECT THAT THE
PRISON POPULATION IS GOING DOWN.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE DIRECT CDCR TO
EXPLORE OPTIONS TO LEVERAGE THE
STATE'S EMPLOYER SPONSORED
HEALTH INSURANCE TO REDUCE THE
FUNDING NEEDED FOR EMPLOYEE
VACCINES THAT THIS PROPOSAL
INCLUDES FUNDING FOR, THESE
ADJUSTMENTS WOULD LIKELY REDUCE
THE OVERALL COST OF THE
PROPOSAL, FREEING UP GENERAL
FUND RESOURCES. FINALLY WE
RECOMMEND THAT THE LEGISLATURE
REJECT THE FUNDING PROPOSED IN
THE FUTURE YEARS AND FUND THE
DEPARTMENT'S COVID 19 HEALTHCARE
RELATED WORKLOAD ON A ONE TIME
BASIS. THANK YOU. HAPPY TO TAKE
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. GOOD
AFTERNOON, ALYSSA CERVANTES WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. SO
ONGOING COVID 19 FUNDS WILL BE
USED NOT ONLY TO ADJUST CURRENT
COVID CASES, BUT TO ALSO
MAINTAIN A STATE OF READINESS
AND ASSIST WITH ENSURING ONE OF
CALIFORNIA'S MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS ARE PROTECTED, THE
REQUEST IS BASED ON CURRENT YEAR
ACTUALS FOR THE MOST RECENT DATA
AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THE
PROPOSAL WAS PUT FORTH, THE USE
OF THIS DATA SET WAS INTENTIONAL
IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE MOST
LIKELY EXPENDITURE NEEDS. HAPPY
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE
COMMITTEE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE
DO HAVE A QUESTION. ALSO AND
UNDERSTANDING WHY, THESE
VACCINES AND TESTING FOR
PRISONERS, BUT EMPLOYEES THAT
HAVE STATE HEALTH INSURANCE,
SHOULDN'T THOSE COSTS BE COVERED
, SO THERE IS SOME DEPARTMENT OF
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS TITLE EIGHT
CODING THAT, HAS THE DEPARTMENT
MAKE AVAILABLE VACCINES TO STAFF
FOR ATVS, AEROSOL TRANSMISSIBLE
DISEASES, CURRENTLY ON THAT LIST
IS INFLUENZA, MEASLES, MUMPS,
RUBELLA AND TETANUS, WE
ANTICIPATE THAT COVID 19 AS AN
ATD WILL MOST LIKELY BE ADDED TO
THAT LIST IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IN
ADDITION, IF WE WERE TO REQUIRE
STAFF TO SEEK VACCINES FROM
THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE PROVIDER,
WE MAY HAVE TO PROVIDE TIME OFF
FOR THAT ACTIVITY, WHICH WOULD
POSSIBLY DRIVE A COST AS WELL
FOR, THE VACCINES THAT WE'VE
SEEN, IT'S MOSTLY FOR THE
PATIENTS THEMSELVES. SO WE
HAVEN'T SEEN A BIG UPTICK OF
STAFF GETTING THE VACCINES. THE
MAJORITY OF THE VACCINES WE HAVE
UTILIZED HAVE BEEN FOR THE
INCARCERATED POPULATION. THANK
YOU. AND YOU BELIEVE THAT THE
GENERAL FUND, SHOULD FUND THAT
PURPOSE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S
POSSIBLY A FUTURE REQUIREMENT
AND IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
OUR INCARCERATED POPULATION.
IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD
RELIEVE GENERAL FUND THAT WOULD
THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IDEAL,
BUT BASED ON SOME OF THAT DRY
REGULATIONS AND OUR POPULATION
ITSELF, WE DO WANT TO OFFER IT
TO STAFF TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE
PROTECTED AND THEY'RE PROTECTING
OUR OUR PATIENT POPULATION, OUR
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, CHAIR, IF
I MAY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD
QUICKLY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE
ARE, KIND OF THIS IS NOW MORE OF
AN OPTION FOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK
THROUGH THEIR EMPLOYER SPONSORED
HEALTH CARE PROGRAM. I JUST WANT
TO NOTE THAT PART OF THE REASON
AND, TOTALLY REASONABLE THAT WE
WANT TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, BUT I
THINK THE THING IS, IS THAT WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE
SERVICES CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED
ON SITE TO SOME EXTENT. WHILE
COVID RATES HAVE GENERALLY
FALLEN AND WE'RE AT A STATE
STEADY RATE, THAT'S NOT AS BAD.
I JUST WANT TO BRING BACK TO THE
POINT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE
PANDEMIC WHERE THERE WAS, VERY
MUCH CONCERN THAT CDCR WASN'T
DOING ENOUGH. AND SO I THINK WE
WANT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THAT
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POPULATION
AND STAFF AND PEOPLE COMING INTO
THE PRISON ARE, VACCINATED AND
TESTED AT RATES THAT, ALLOW FOR
US TO CONTINUE THIS BECAUSE I
JUST WANT TO POINT BACK THAT AT
THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, YOU
KNOW, THERE WAS A CALL FOR, AS
YOU KNOW, FOR MORE FUNDING TO BE
AVAILABLE. SO I THINK WE'RE
TRYING THIS IS PART OF TRYING TO
HAVE A STEADY STATE. READINESS
IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A
STATE ARE PREPARED, TO PREVENT,
THIS IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON
COVID, BUT, JUST TRYING TO MAKE
SURE THAT THAT'S OPERATIONALLY
AVAILABLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. SO
JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ON TO
MR. READER'S COMMENTS. THANK
YOU. AND SPECIFICALLY, THIS IS
FOR, COVID 19. BUT WHAT ABOUT
OTHER, TRANSMITTABLE, FLU
DIFFERENT AREAS OUT. DO WE ALSO
HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THAT
OR IS THAT PART OF THE THOUGHT
PROCESS GOING INTO. SO WE DO
HAVE BASELINE FUNDING FOR THE
OTHER VACCINATIONS WE DO PROVIDE
THAT ARE DIRECTED TO US BY TITLE
EIGHT. AND HAS THAT ALSO
INCREASED OR DECREASED, I COULD
LOOK INTO THAT AND PROVIDE SOME
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, BUT I
THINK IT'S BEEN PRETTY STEADY
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. I
HAVEN'T SEEN OR WE HAVEN'T DONE
ANY SORT OF BUDGET, ADJUSTMENTS
TO THAT FUNDING. ALL RIGHT. ELIO
WE'LL JUST ADD, TO CLARIFY A
LITTLE BIT ON WHAT WE'RE
SUGGESTING IS WE'RE SUGGESTING
THAT THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN
JUST EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS,
WHETHER THOSE CAN BE THE
EMPLOYER SPONSORED HEALTH
INSURANCE CAN BE LEVERAGED, NOT
THAT THEY SHOULDN'T, THERE'S
ALSO OPTIONS THAT CDCR COULD
WORK WITH, TO BRING IN SOME OF
THOSE CONTRACTORS AND OFFSET THE
COSTS FROM THEIR EMPLOYER
SPONSORED. WE CONSULTED WITH,
CALPERS, WHICH PROVIDES THE
STATE. AND THEY SAID EVERY
SINGLE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN,
OFFERED BY THE STATE COVERS
THOSE COSTS. SO WE'RE JUST
SIMPLY SAYING TO EXPLORE THOSE
OPTIONS RATHER THAN COVERING
THEM FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND
THERE COULD BE OTHER OPTIONS
THAT THE DEPARTMENT COULD
EXPLORE, SUCH AS HAVING SOME
CONTRACTORS COME ON SITE AS
WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. AS NOW WE TRANSITION
TO ISSUE THREE. AND WE HAVE THE
SAME EXCEPT FOR JANICE. SO
MALLORY MALLEY RIGHT, DUANE,
READER ISSUE THREE, DOCTOR RENEE
CANNON, ORLANDO SANCHEZ ZAVALA.
DREW SODERBERG, ALYSSA
CERVANTES, ALLISON HEWITT, AND
JANICE O'MALLEY. YEAH. DIRECTOR
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN. CDC IS
REQUESTING A 40,000,001 TIME
GENERAL FUND AUGMENTATION IN
2425 TO ADDRESS A DEFICIT IN THE
MEDICAL PROGRAM, DRIVEN BY
INCREASES IN VARIOUS PERSONNEL
RELATED AND OPERATIONAL COSTS.
THIS IS A ONE TIME FUNDING WILL
CORRECT FOR THE PROJECTED
SHORTFALL IN THE MEDICAL PROGRAM
, WHILE PROVIDING TIME TO
EVALUATE AN ONGOING SOLUTION TO
SUSTAIN INCREASING PERSONAL
SERVICES PROGRAM COSTS. THE
COSTS LARGELY ARE BEING DRIVEN
BY WORKERS COMP, LUMP SUM
OVERTIME AND REGISTRY, WHICH IS
PRIMARILY USED TO COVER
VACANCIES. WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT. AND SO THIS FUNDING
IS CRITICAL. WE'VE RAN
DEFICIENCIES FOR, THE LAST FEW
YEARS. AND, THIS FUNDING WILL
HELP SHORE THAT GAP. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THAT. ANY COMMENTS?
NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. ELIO.
ORLANDO SANCHEZ WITH THE LAO WE
RECOMMEND THE LEGISLATURE REJECT
THIS PROPOSAL. WE FIND THAT IN
RECENT BUDGET YEARS, THE
DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO
ADDRESS ITS OVERSPENDING WITHOUT
NEEDING AN ADDITIONAL
AUGMENTATION BY USING SAVINGS
ELSEWHERE IN ITS BUDGET.
HOWEVER, THE PROPOSAL ALSO
DOESN'T MAKE IT CLEAR WHY THE
DEPARTMENT CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO
SO. IN ADDITION, EVEN IF
OVERSPENDING CANNOT BE ADDRESSED
BY REDIRECTING FUNDING AS
THEY'VE DONE SO IN THE PAST, THE
DEPARTMENT CAN SEEK ADDITIONAL
FUNDING, THROUGH ITEM 9840 OR A
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION. AND
FINALLY, THE DEPARTMENT DID NOT
PROVIDE ADEQUATE JUSTIFICATION
ON HOW IT PROJECTED THE 40
MILLION IT'S REQUESTING
RESOURCES FOR. THANK YOU AND
HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
OKAY, SO THIS PROPOSAL IS
REQUESTED TO COVER A PROJECTED
SHORTFALL WITHIN THE MEDICAL
PROGRAM AND PROVIDES THE
ADMINISTRATION WITH ADDITIONAL
TIME TO IDENTIFY AN ONGOING
SOLUTION NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THE
PROGRAM. LONG TERME, RELYING ON
THE UTILIZATION OF SAVINGS FROM
OTHER PROGRAMS IS NOT A
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION, NOR IS IT
FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. IT ALSO
DOES NOT SOLVE THE UNDERLYING
ISSUES THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO
THIS BUDGETARY SHORTFALL.
ADDITIONALLY, ITEM 9840 FUNDING
WOULD TYPICALLY NOT BE AVAILABLE
FOR THESE PURPOSES AS THOSE
FUNDS ARE SET ASIDE FOR
UNANTICIPATED COSTS. CONSIDERING
THE ADMINISTRATION IS PUTTING
FORTH THIS PROPOSAL AT THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, AND THERE
HAVE BEEN FUNDING SHORTFALLS IN
THE PAST, IT WOULD BE
CHALLENGING TO IDENTIFY THESE
COSTS AS UNANTICIPATED. THANK
YOU, JANICE O'MALLEY. YES. GOOD
AFTERNOON. CHAIR, JANICE
O'MALLEY, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE
WITH THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL
EMPLOYEES. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF
THE UNION OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS
AND DENTISTS, UPD AND AFSCME
LOCAL 2620, OTHERWISE REFERRED
TO AS BARGAINING UNIT 16 AND 19.
AT CDCR, OUR MEMBERS ARE THE
PHYSICIANS, THE PSYCHIATRISTS,
PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND REHAB
SPECIALISTS THAT PROVIDE MEDICAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO SOME
OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AND
CHALLENGING PATIENTS IN THE
STATE AND APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THESE
PERSONNEL ISSUES, AND THE ISSUES
OF VACANCIES IN THE DEPARTMENT
AT THE SHORTAGE OF HEALTH CARE
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
AT CRISIS PROPORTIONS FOR
DECADES, WITH FACILITIES
STATEWIDE EXPERIENCING ALARMING
VACANCY RATES ACROSS VARIOUS
POSITIONS, INCLUDING PHYSICIANS,
NURSES, PSYCHOLOGISTS,
PSYCHIATRISTS AND SOCIAL
WORKERS. THESE VACANCIES NOT
ONLY STRAIN THE EXISTING
WORKFORCE, BUT ALSO COMPROMISE
THE QUALITY AND TIMELINESS OF
HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVIDED TO
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. THE
HUMAN TOLL OF CHRONIC
UNDERSTAFFING IS FELT ACUTELY
DAILY BY OUR MEMBERS. HEALTH
CARE PROFESSIONALS AT CDCR ARE
FORCED TO WORK LONG HOURS FOR
LOW BREAKS AND VACATIONS, AND
SHOULDER UNSUSTAINABLE WORKLOADS
AS THEY ATTEMPT TO FILL THE GAPS
LEFT BY VACANCIES. THE RESULTING
STRESS, BURNOUT AND FATIGUE TAKE
A TOLL ON THE PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL WELL-BEING OF OUR
MEMBERS, LEADING TO DECREASED
MORALE, INCREASED ABSENTEEISM,
AND HEIGHTENED TURNOVER RATES
WITHIN CDCR WORKFORCE, MAKING IT
DIFFICULT TO RETAIN EXPERIENCED
STAFF. MOREOVER THE SHORTAGE OF
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
EXACERBATES THE CHALLENGES OF
ADDRESSING THE MENTAL HEALTH
NEEDS OF INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS, MANY OF WHOM ARE AT
HEIGHTENED RISK OF SELF-HARM,
SUICIDE, AND PSYCHIATRIC
DECOMPENSATION IN THE ABSENCE OF
TIMELY AND ADEQUATE CARE.
WITHOUT SUFFICIENT STAFFING
LEVELS, OUR MEMBERS STRUGGLE TO
PROVIDE THAT THERAPEUTIC
INTERVENTIONS, COUNSELING AND
CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES
NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THE
RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH
ILLNESSES, OUR MEMBERS ARE TRULY
ONE OF A KIND. THEY BELIEVE IN
THE VALUE OF THEIR WORK AND ARE
COMMITTED TO THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF HELPING THOSE WITH COMPLEX
HEALTH CARE NEEDS, THESE JOBS
ALREADY COME WITH UNIQUE
CHALLENGES AND STRESSORS. THE
ADDED BURDEN OF UNDERSTAFFING
ONLY EXACERBATES THESE ISSUES.
POTENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE
DETERRED BY THE PROSPECT OF
WORKING IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE
THEY MAY BE OVERWORKED,
UNSUPPORTED, AND UNDERPAID
COMPARED TO THEIR PRIVATIZED
COUNTERPARTS, FOR LONG TERME
SOLUTIONS, MEMBERS OF UPD AND
LOCAL 2620 HAVE BEEN MORE THAN
WILLING TO WORK WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION TO FIND SOLUTIONS
TO THIS CRISIS. CRISIS AND
FRANKLY, THEY THEY NEED THE
AGENCY TO STEP UP AND DO BETTER
BY ITS EMPLOYEES, AGAIN, WE'VE
WE'VE SEEN A STAFFING CRISIS FOR
DECADES. AND DESPITE THE
MULTIPLE COURT ORDERS AND
BALLOONING INFLATED COSTS THAT
CONTINUE TO BE REQUESTED BY THE
AGENCY, NOT ENOUGH HAS BEEN DONE
TO MAKE TRUE, EFFECTIVE CHANGE
WITHIN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL.
THERE ARE NO AUGMENTATIONS AND A
GENERAL LACK THEREOF TO INCREASE
CIVIL SERVICE. WHEN WILL THE
STATE TRULY PRIORITIZE AND
INVEST IN ITS WORKFORCE? WHEN
CDCR CONTINUES TO THROW MONEY AT
CONTRACTORS TO SOLVE THE
STAFFING CRISIS, PAYING
CONTRACTORS 2 TO 3 TIMES THAT OF
THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES, THEY ARE
DIMINISHING THE WORK OF ITS
CIVIL SERVICE STAFF, HAVING SAID
THIS, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE
THAT IN LAST YEAR'S CONTRACT
NEGOTIATIONS, WE DID SEE SOME
HEADWAY WITH CAL HR TO ENHANCE
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR
SOME OF OUR CLASSIFICATIONS,
INCLUDING SALARY ADJUSTMENTS,
SIGN ON BONUS AND LONGEVITY
BONUSES, AND LOAN REPAYMENT
PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN
QUALIFIED STAFF. YET MANY OF OUR
MEMBERS ARE STILL WAITING TO SEE
FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE
SALARY SPECIAL SALARY
ADJUSTMENTS REFLECTED IN THEIR
PAYCHECKS. AND THIS IS SEVEN
MONTHS AFTER SIGNING THE
CONTRACT, ALL WHILE THE STATE
CONTINUES TO PAY THESE PRIVATE
CONTRACTORS 2 TO 3 TIMES THE
AMOUNT OF OUR CIVIL SERVANTS.
ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES ARE
ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING THE
DELIVERY OF QUALITY, HEALTH AND
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS
ISSUE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TESTIMONY, CDCR. WOULD YOU
HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? ONE
MOMENT WITH ME TODAY IS JACINTA
MUHAMMAD, WHO'S THE DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF OUR HUMAN RESOURCES
DIVISION. AND SO SHE CAN GIVE AN
UPDATE ON SOME OF, THE HIRING
CHALLENGES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING
TO CIRCUMVENT THOSE. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, JACINTA MUHAMMAD,
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HUMAN
RESOURCES FOR CSC'S. WE, LIKE
OUR COUNTERPARTS IN THE
COMMUNITY, ARE FACING SEVERAL
CHALLENGES. CHALLENGES WITH
HAVING CANDIDATES COME INTO OUR
SYSTEM. BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE TO
ADDRESS THAT IS INCREASE OUR
LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL,
IN CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT,
EXPANDED OUR RECRUITMENT
PLATFORMS TO BE ABLE TO MEET IN
CANDIDATES WHERE THEY ARE IN
THEIR EMPLOYMENT CHOICES. WE'RE
DOING A LOT OF OUTREACH TO
EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. THOSE
ARE YOUR STATE AND LOCAL
COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES,
PROFESSIONAL ENTITIES WHERE
WE'RE ENGAGING THESE CANDIDATES.
IN 2022, WE EMBARKED ON AN
EFFORT TO DO END TO END HIRING,
HIRING EVENTS. AND WHAT THAT DID
WAS BREAK DOWN THE SILOS OF THE
STATE PROCESS FROM END TO END SO
CANDIDATES COULD COME IN. WE
ELBOW, ELBOW TO SUPPORT, TO GET
THEM INTO THE EXAM. THEY COULD
INTERVIEW ON THE SPOT, BE
CONSIDERED FOR A JOB OFFER,
EXTENDED THAT JOB OFFER, AND
IMMEDIATELY MOVE INTO OUR
PRE-EMPLOYMENT, INITIATIVES OR
PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCESS AND SO
WE'VE HIRED OVER A THOUSAND
EMPLOYEES. THAT WAY WE CONTINUE
TO DO THOSE IN 2023. WE'VE GOT A
NUMBER OF THOSE EVENTS IN 2024,
AND THAT'S IN COMBINATION WITH
OUR REGULAR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO DONE A
MODIFIED EVENT WHERE WE'RE DOING
THE EVENTS CENTRAL TO THE
REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS. SO WHEN
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PHYSICIANS,
PSYCHIATRISTS, CLINICAL, SOCIAL
WORKERS, WE'RE DOING FOCUSED
RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. AND DOING A
CLUSTER OF INSTITUTIONS AND
MAKING THAT EASIER FOR THE
CANDIDATES TO COME INTO OUR
SYSTEM, HAVE AN INTERVIEW FOR
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, AND REDUCE
THE AMOUNT OF INTERVIEWS THAT
THEY ARE ATTENDING. THANK YOU,
SO MUCH FOR THAT ON THIS ISSUE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE
INFORMATION AND THE ONGOING
RECRUITMENT PROCESS UP UNTIL
2024, WE DO HEAR FOR THE CRISIS
THAT'S GOING ON AND THE RATIOS,
THERE FOR THE DIFFERENT, WITHIN
CDCR. CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE
BIT MORE ON THE RATIOS AND HOW
THAT'S BEING ADJUSTED THERE, I'D
BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE
COMMITTEE SOME ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION IN WRITING. I KNOW
THAT AS A DEPARTMENT, IN
TOTALITY, WE ARE CURRENTLY
FILLED AT AROUND 78. AND OF
COURSE, THAT'S GOING TO
FLUCTUATE BETWEEN TÍNH, YOU
KNOW, AS CANDIDATES MOVE
THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM OR
EMPLOYEES MOVE WITHIN, WITHIN
THE SYSTEM, SO WE ARE WORKING
DILIGENTLY TO GET THOSE
VACANCIES CURED. I THINK A
COMBINATION OF OUR OUTREACH, OUR
CONNECTION WITH OUR MEDICAL AND
MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERS IN
RECRUITMENT, WE CAN SPEAK HR
ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF STATE
SERVICE AND ALL THAT COMES WITH
COMPENSATION, HEALTH PLANS,
RETIREMENT. BUT WE ALSO LEVERAGE
OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS TO TALK TO
THEM, CLINICIAN TO CLINICIAN
ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK IN
THE DEPARTMENT, WHAT BROUGHT
THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT, AND WHY
THEY STAY IN THE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU. AND MOVING FORWARD IN
YOUR RECRUITMENT IN 2024, ARE
THOSE NOW GOING TO BE CONTRACTED
OUT? ALSO, ARE WE TRYING TO
BRING THOSE JOBS, WITHIN CDCR,
WE THOSE ARE REGULAR CIVIL
SERVICE JOBS. SO I HAVE A
REGIONAL HIRING UNIT THAT
TRAVELS ACROSS THE STATE AND
CONDUCTS THOSE HIRING EVENTS
THAT I SPOKE OF. THE ONE DAY,
END TO END, THE MODIFIED EVENTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE HR FOLKS ACROSS
THE STATE, DOING REGULAR
RECRUITMENT. SO ALL OF THAT IS
GOING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. AS NOW WE MOVE TO
ISSUE FOUR. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON AGAIN. CCR IS
REQUESTING 36.5 MILLION IN
ONGOING GENERAL FUND AND A
REDUCTION OF 12.1 MILLION IN
REIMBURSEMENT AUTHORITY TO
ADDRESS A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN
THE BUDGET FOR CONTRACT MEDICAL
SERVICES, WHICH SUPPORTS THE
PROVISION OF SPECIALTY CARE
SERVICES FOR PATIENTS IN PRISONS
AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. THE 23
2023 BUDGET ACT INCLUDED ONE
TIME FUNDING FOR THIS PURPOSE,
AND THE BUDGET PROVIDES ONGOING
RESOURCES TO, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, UPDATE THE FUNDING MODEL
BASED ON ACUITY LEVELS, I WOULD
LIKE TO NOTE THAT, AS THIS
FUNDING IS FOR SPECIALTY
SERVICES AND DOES NOT INCLUDE
ANY REGISTRY FUNDING. SO THIS IS
REALLY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO
OUR PATIENTS, WE HAD AN ARCHAIC
OR AN AGED METHODOLOGY THAT HAD
A COST PER INMATE OF 2763 FOR
OUR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO
CALCULATE OUR ADJUST CONTRACT
MEDICAL AS WE'VE SEEN LARGE
REDUCTIONS IN OUR OUR POPULATION
LINES, WE'VE SEEN A
DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF OUR
HEALTHY PATIENTS LEAVING THE
SYSTEM, WHICH DO NOT DRIVE THE
MEDICAL COSTS, EQUIVALENT TO OUR
HIGHER RISK POPULATION INMATES.
SO WE'VE STRATIFIED OUR
POPULATION TO A HIGH RISK ONE
HIGH RISK, TWO MEDIUM RISK AND
LOW RISK, BIFURCATION SO WE CAN
ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS
APPROPRIATELY. SO WHAT WE'VE
DONE IN THIS PROPOSAL IS WE'VE
WEIGHTED THE, COST PER INMATE
AWAY FROM THE 2763 TO A COST FOR
EACH OF THE RISK LEVELS, EACH OF
THE FOUR RISK LEVELS THAT I JUST
MENTIONED. SO, THIS WILL BE MORE
REFLECTIVE OF OUR TRUE COSTS AND
OUR TRUE NEEDS WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT FOR CONTRACT MEDICAL.
IT'LL ALSO BE ADJUSTED
THROUGHOUT THE POPULATION
PROCESSES AND THE FALL POP AND
THE MAY REVISE. SO IT'LL IT'LL
PROVIDE FLUCTUATION IN THAT
BUDGET. THAT IS MORE REFLECTIVE
OF OUR NEEDS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. ANY
FURTHER COMMENTS, ELIO ORLANDO
SANCHEZ WITH THE LAO, THE
PROPOSAL WE JUST HEARD HAS FOUR
COMPONENTS, AND TWO OF THOSE
COMPONENTS DO ADJUST FOR THE
POPULATION SIZE AND ITS
COMPOSITION OR MAKEUP. BUT TWO
OF THOSE DO NOT. AND WE
RECOMMEND THE LEGISLATURE
WITHHOLD ACTION ON THIS PROPOSAL
UNTIL IT IS ADJUSTED BASED ON
UPDATED POPULATION PROJECTIONS.
AS PART OF THE BIENNIAL
ADJUSTMENT PROCESS AT THE MAY
REVISION. IN ADDITION, AS
MENTIONED, TWO OF THOSE PORTIONS
DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR CHANGES IN
THE POPULATION, MEANING FUNDING
FOR THOSE WOULD REMAIN CONSTANT
IN FUTURE YEARS IRRESPECTIVE OF
HOW THE POPULATION SHIFTS EITHER
UP OR DOWN AND UNDER THE
PROPOSAL, FUNDING FOR THE
METHODOLOGY WOULDN'T TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT SOME OF THOSE RISK
FACTORS WE JUST HEARD ABOUT. SO
WE, AS MENTIONED, WE RECOMMEND
THE LEGISLATURE WITHHOLD ACTION
ON THIS UNTIL THOSE TWO TWO
OTHER PORTIONS TAKE ON A SIMILAR
METHODOLOGY AS THE OTHERS. THANK
YOU. HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
. GOOD AFTERNOON. JOSH WHITMER,
SOUTH DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. WE
WOULD NOTE THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL RELIES
ON THE USE OF HISTORICAL
AVERAGES AS THE BASIS FOR THE
ADJUSTMENTS PROPOSED FOR THE TWO
KEY COMPONENTS OF THIS REQUEST
ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS AND
MEDI-CAL REIMBURSEMENT LEVELS.
WE WOULD ARGUE THIS IS ALSO A
REASONABLE AND LOGICAL APPROACH.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CASE OF
MEDI-CAL CLAIMS, CDCR IS ONLY
ELIGIBLE FOR MEDI-CAL
REIMBURSEMENT FOR A FAIRLY
NARROW SUBSET OF CLAIMS
INVOLVING HOSPITALIZATIONS AND
COMMUNITY FACILITIES FOR OVER 24
HOURS, WHICH MAY BE MORE OF A
FACTOR OF PATIENT ACUITY THAN
OVERALL POPULATION. THAT SAID,
IS NOTED BY THE LAO CDCR.
POPULATION PROJECTIONS WILL BE
UPDATED AT THE MAY REVISION, AND
THIS REQUEST WOULD BE UPDATED TO
THE EXTENT THERE ARE SUBSTANTIVE
OR MATERIAL CHANGES REQUIRING
THAT REVISION. HAPPY TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. JANICE O'MALLEY.
YES. THANK YOU. CHAIR AND,
CO-CHAIR, JUST WANT TO, TAKE A
MOMENT TO DISCUSS CDCR'S
OVERRELIANCE ON PRIVATIZED
MEDICAL CONTRACTS AND HIGHLIGHT
HOW THIS PRACTICE NOT ONLY
JEOPARDIZES THE QUALITY OF CARE
PROVIDED TO INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO BURDENS
TAXPAYERS WITH UNNECESSARY
FINANCIAL COSTS. AND LET'S TALK
ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE. OUTSOURCE
MEDICAL SERVICES TO PRIVATE
VENDORS. MIGHT SEEM LIKE A QUICK
FIX, BUT OFTEN ENDS UP COSTING
TAXPAYERS MORE IN THE LONG RUN.
PRIVATIZED CONTRACTS COME WITH
INFLATED SERVICE FEES,
ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD, AND A
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT CAN
LEAD TO WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.
BUT THE COST ISN'T JUST
FINANCIAL, IT'S ALSO HUMAN. WHEN
HEALTHCARE SERVICES ARE
OUTSOURCED, OUR MEMBERS FACE
PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT
CONDITIONS, LOWER WAGES, REDUCED
BENEFITS AND LIMITED JOB
SECURITY. THIS NOT ONLY
UNDERMINES THE MORALE AND
WELL-BEING OF OUR HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONALS, BUT ALSO
EXACERBATES TURNOVER RATES AND
STAFFING SHORTAGES. ULTIMATELY
IMPACTING THE QUALITY OF CARE
PROVIDED TO INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS. MOREOVER,
PRIVATIZED CONTRACTS OFTEN
PRIORITIZE PROFIT OVER PATIENT
CARE, LEADING TO SUBSTANDARD
MEDICAL PRACTICES, TREATMENT
DELAYS, AND COMPROMISE OUTCOMES
FOR INMATES. THIS NOT ONLY
VIOLATES ETHICAL PRINCIPLES, BUT
ALSO UNDERMINES THE CDCR'S
MISSION OF REHABILITATION AND
PUBLIC SAFETY. TO ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES, WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK
WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE
LEGISLATURE TO TAKE THE
FOLLOWING ACTIONS. ONE IS
AGREEING WITH THE LAO AND
OPPOSING THE DEPARTMENT'S
JANUARY PROPOSAL FOR CONTRACT
MEDICAL SERVICES, AND PRIORITIZE
REAL INVESTMENTS IN THE
WORKFORCE. THE STATE IS
ESSENTIALLY DOUBLE DIPPING, NOT
ONLY DOES THE DEPARTMENT HAVE
SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT
FILLING VACANCIES, BUT THEY ARE
ALSO ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY
TO CONTRACT OUT THE WORK OF OUR
MEMBERS, WE ALSO NEED TO CONDUCT
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF
EXISTING CONTRACTS. EXCUSE ME
WITH PRIVATE MEDICAL VENDORS TO
ENSURE COST EFFECTIVE COST
EFFECTIVENESS, QUALITY OF CARE
AND COMPLIANCE WITH CONTRACTUAL
OBLIGATIONS. WE ALSO NEED TO
IMPLEMENT STRICTER OVERSIGHT AND
ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS,
INCLUDING REGULAR AUDITS AND
TRANSPARENT REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS. AND WE NEED TO
EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO
INSOURCE ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE
SERVICES. INVESTING IN
RECRUITMENT, TRAINING AND
RETENTION OF THE WORKFORCE. IN
CONCLUSION, THE OVERRELIANCE ON
PRIVATIZED MEDICAL CONTRACTS
WITHIN THE CDCR IS NOT ONLY
FINANCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE, BUT
ALSO MORALLY INDEFENSIBLE. THERE
HAS NOT BEEN SUFFICIENT EFFORT
TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN AND
IN-SOURCE THE WORKFORCE, OUR
MEMBERS ARE BEING SOLICITED
DAILY FROM PRIVATE CONTRACTORS
AND ARE HARD PRESSED TO FIND ANY
SOLICITATIONS BY THE STATE TO
FIND CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS,
STATE SERVICE EMPLOYEES PROVIDE
STABILITY FOR PATIENTS IN THE
SYSTEM. AND I WANT TO LEAVE YOU
WITH SOME REFLECTION POINTS, IN
BUDGET LAND, WE ALWAYS HEAR THE
WORDS THAT BUDGETS ARE A
STATEMENT OF OUR VALUES, BUT ARE
WE TRULY VALUING OUR WORKFORCE
IF WE ARE RELYING ON TEMPORARY
STAFFING TO PERFORM THIS WORK,
ARE WE TRULY COMMITTED TO
REHABILITATION AND SUPPORTING
INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
SERVICES TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS
AND RECIDIVISM? RECIDIVISM. IF
WE FAIL AT BUILDING A STABLE
CIVIL WORKFORCE, AND WHAT IS OUR
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ATTAIN OUR
SHARED, UNIFIED GOAL IN GETTING
OUT OF FEDERAL ADMINISTRATORSHIP
? IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS CADRE OF
INVESTED INDIVIDUALS, INVESTED
INDIVIDUALS WILLING TO PERFORM
THIS WORK AS CIVIL SERVANTS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. AS
NOW, WE TRANSITIONED TO ISSUE
FIVE. ISSUE FIVE RAQUEL BUCKLE,
ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
FACILITY SUPPORT, CDCR CHELSEA
DAVIS, OPERATING OPERATIONS
MANAGER AT CALIFORNIA MEDICAL
FACILITY PRIDE INDUSTRIES. AMMAR
HABIB, DIRECTOR, PRIDE
INDUSTRIES. GOOD AFTERNOON. I
APOLOGIZE RAQUEL WAS NOT ABLE TO
JOIN US TODAY. SO WITH ME TODAY
IS VINNIE BELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR
OVER CDCR BUDGETS. OKAY ARE WE
READY? GO AHEAD. YEAH TO GIVE A
BRIEF HISTORY, CDCR ENTERED INTO
AN AGREEMENT WITH PRIDE
INDUSTRIES TO CLEAN ITS
PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENT FACILITY
AT AT CMF CALIFORNIA MEDICAL
FACILITY IN JANUARY OF 2023.
SEIU, THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES
INTERNATIONAL UNION LOCAL 1000,
REQUESTED THE STATE PERSONNEL
BOARD REVIEW AND DISAPPROVE THIS
PRIDE CONTRACT, ARGUING THE
CONTRACT WAS UNAUTHORIZED UNDER
GOVERNMENT CODE 19130
SUBDIVISION B-3, WHICH DISALLOWS
STATE DEPARTMENTS FROM HAVING
CONTRACTED STAFF PERFORM WORK
THAT CAN BE DONE BY A CIVIL
SERVANT. ON MAY 3RD, 2023, SP
AGREED WITH THE SEIU AND FOUND
THAT PRIDE CONTRACT UNAUTHORIZED
UNDER SECTION 19130B-3, IT
ORDERED THE CONTRACT TERMINATED
BY NOVEMBER 3RD, 2023, WHICH WAS
EXTENDED TO AUGUST THIRD, 2024
TO ALLOW CDCR TIME TO HIRE CIVIL
SERVICE STAFF. PRIDE WAS
NOTIFIED ON MAY 17TH OF THIS
DECISION. DECISION THE DECISION
CDCR MADE THE FURTHER DECISION
TO HAVE CALPIA PRISON INDUSTRY
AUTHORITY PERFORM THE JANITORIAL
SERVICES AT CMF, WHICH IS
CONSISTENT WITH OTHER HEALTH
CARE AREAS WITHIN CDCR,
INCLUDING CLEANING THE
PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENT PROGRAM
FACILITIES AT CIW, THE
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTION FOR
WOMEN, AS WELL AS SALINAS VALLEY
STATE PRISON. FUNDING FOR CALPIA
WAS INCLUDED IN THE CMF BUDGET
AND WILL NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL
FUNDING. THERE IS A NEED TO
RECRUIT 46 CIVIL SERVICE STAFF,
AS WELL AS 62 INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS, TO MAINTAIN THE
CALPIA PRESENCE IN THE PIP AND
PROVIDE THAT CLEANING SERVICE.
CALPIA RECENTLY HELD AN
IN-PERSON HIRING EVENT THAT WAS
INTENDED ATTENDED BY NEARLY 300
INDIVIDUALS, THERE WAS SOME
CONCERNS ABOUT FILLING THE
VACANCIES AT THE FACILITY, AND
WITH THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST
WE'VE RECEIVED, THERE IS NOT A
CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE
TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, BASED
ON THE SUCCESS OF THE HIRING
EVENTS, CALPIA IS ANTICIPATING
TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE NECESSARY
POSITIONS BY THE AUGUST DEADLINE
, CALPIA WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH
PRIDE INDUSTRIES TO SCHEDULE
TOWN HALL MEETINGS WITH CURRENT
PRIDE STAFF TO PROVIDE THEM WITH
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW CIVIL
SERVICE POSITIONS, INCLUDING
SALARY AND BENEFIT INFORMATION,
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND
OTHER GUIDANCE. WHILE WE CANNOT
SIMPLY CONVERT THESE INDIVIDUALS
TO CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS, AS
WE MUST OBEY THE CIVIL SERVICE
HIRING RULES AND MAINTAIN A
COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WE ARE
COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THEY
HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE
TO SUCCESSFULLY, SUCCESSFULLY
PURSUE A CIVIL SERVICE POSITION.
THE CALPIA PROGRAM DOES BENEFIT
THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. IT
CERTIFIES THEM IN THE PROGRAM OF
PROVIDING OAN HEALTH CARE,
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD CLEANING,
AND IT DOES GIVE THEM MILESTONE
COMPLETION CREDITS AS WELL. AND
THERE ARE MANY SUCCESS STORIES
OF INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS
GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND
RECEIVING, EMPLOYMENT WITH
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AS WELL
AS ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO STARTED
HIS OWN CLEANING COMPANY IN IN
LOS ANGELES AS, A JANITORIAL
SERVICE. SO THAT IS KIND OF AN
OVERVIEW OF, OF HOW WE GOT HERE
TODAY. IT WAS BASICALLY AN SP
DECISION THAT WE MUST ADHERE TO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY FURTHER
TESTIMONY? NO THANK YOU. NO
THANK YOU. CHELSEA DAVIS. HI MY
NAME IS CHELSEA AND I'VE WORKED
FOR PRIDE FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS
NOW. I'M A PERSON WITH WITH A
DISABILITY AND IF IT WASN'T FOR
PRIDE I WOULD I'D STILL BE
STRUGGLING TO FIND SUSTAINABLE
EMPLOYMENT. IN 2019, I WAS HIRED
FOR AN ENTRY LEVEL POSITION AS
AN EVS TECH. I WAS LIVING IN A
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM
FOR DRUG ADDICTION. I HAD SEVEN
MONTHS CLEAN AND WAS SUFFERING
FROM SEVERE SEVERE BIPOLAR,
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. FOR MOST
OF MY LIFE, I'VE BATTLED
ADDICTION AND MENTAL ILLNESS,
AND I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO HOLD
DOWN A JOB FOR MORE THAN A
COUPLE OF MONTHS. WHEN I STARTED
WITH PRIDE, I HAD NO WORK ETHIC,
VERY LITTLE SELF-RESPECT, AND NO
HOPE. I DIDN'T THINK I'D MAKE
IT. I WAS GOING TO LOSE THIS JOB
TOO. I HAD GONE THROUGH
HOMELESSNESS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I WALKED AWAY FROM MY ENTIRE
FAMILY. HOW HOW WAS I GOING TO
COME BACK FROM THAT? YOU KNOW I
WAS WRONG. PRIDE ACCOMMODATED MY
SCHEDULE THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE
TIME IN REHAB AND ALLOWED ME TO
TAKE TIME OFF FOR DOCTOR'S
APPOINTMENTS AND MEDICATION
CHANGES, BUT THEY DIDN'T STOP
THERE. THEY TRAINED ME. THEY
GUIDED ME. THEY GAVE ME HOPE.
HOPE THAT SOMEONE LIKE ME WOULD
BE A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF
SOCIETY. ONE DAY I COULD FINALLY
EXPERIENCE THE SENSE OF
BELONGING AND FEEL LIKE I HAD A
PURPOSE WITHIN THREE YEARS, I
WAS PROMOTED TWICE AND BECAUSE
OF PRIDE'S CONTINUOUS SUPPORT,
I'M NOW IN A POSITION TO GIVE
OTHERS THE INDIVIDUAL
ACCOMMODATIONS, GUIDANCE AND
SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO BECOME
SUCCESSFUL. PRIDE IS NOT SIMPLY
ABOUT EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES, YOU GUYS. THEY'RE
CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES. THEY'RE
CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES. AND I'M
GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. AMIR HABIB, GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR MEMBERS. MY
NAME IS AMIR BIBA. I'M A VETERAN
WITH A DISABILITY. I'VE BEEN
WORKING WITH PRIDE INDUSTRIES
FOR ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS
AFTER MY HONORABLE DISCHARGE
FROM THE AIR FORCE IN 2000, I
SPENT 18 YEARS WORKING JOBS THAT
DID NOT PAY ME A LIVING WAGE.
AFTER HAVING WORKED ON A
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR AIRCRAFT
WITH MY NAME ON THE SIDE OF IT,
I COULDN'T FIND AN EMPLOYER WHO
TRUSTED ME WITH ENOUGH
RESPONSIBILITY TO MOVE INTO A
POSITION THAT PAID LIVING WAGE
IN 2018, I STARTED WORKING AT
PRIDE INDUSTRIES. I WAS HIRED ON
AS A FRONTLINE EVS TECHNICIAN,
PRIDE GAVE ME THE ACCOMMODATIONS
AND SUPPORT THAT I NEEDED. IT
ALLOWED ME TO WORK HARD AND
BENEFIT FROM MY WORK AND PROMOTE
MULTIPLE TIMES. I'M CURRENTLY
THE DIRECTOR OF THE CMF CONTRACT
FOR PRIDE IN VACAVILLE. I FOUND
MYSELF IN THE REWARDING POSITION
OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
SAME SUPPORT AND ACCOMMODATIONS
THAT I RECEIVED TO OTHER
EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES SO
THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR
THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES.
LOOKING PAST THE EXTERNAL AND
SEEING THE POTENTIAL IN PEOPLE
WITHOUT REGARD TO THE BARRIERS
THAT ARE PLACED IN FRONT OF THEM
. AND WE DO HAVE A GREAT TEAM.
WE HAVE A 98% COMPLETION RATE.
WE'VE GOT A 98.3, A RECORD 98.3%
QUALITY RATING FROM THE CSCS
AUDITORS. OUR SUCCESS WITH THE
FACILITY CAN BE DIRECTLY
CORRELATED TO CMF'S LEADERSHIP.
CEO WARDEN, AND STAFF WORKED
WITH US CONSTANTLY AND
COLLABORATE, IT'S A GREAT TEAM,
SO I'VE DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED
MY STAFF THROUGH OVER 25
INTERNAL PROMOTIONS IN THE LAST
TWO AND A HALF YEARS. IT'S
POSSIBLE, DUE TO THEIR HARD WORK
AND THEN PRIDE'S ABILITY TO
ACCOMMODATE AND SUPPORT THEM.
ALL OF MY STAFF MAKE A LIVING
WAGE REGARDLESS OF DISABILITY.
THE LOSS OF THIS CONTRACT WOULD
BE DEVASTATING FOR MY STAFF WITH
DISABILITIES AND BARRIERS TO
EMPLOYMENT. THE SUPPORT WE
PROVIDE, THE SUPPORT THAT WE
PROVIDE FOR OUR STAFF IS ONGOING
AND TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO
EACH INDIVIDUAL. THE TYPES OF
SUPPORT WE PROVIDE INCLUDE
ONSITE HR PERSONNEL AND VISITS
FROM THE HR DIRECTOR, ONSITE
REHAB COUNSELORS, JOB COACHES
AND EVS. LEAD COACHES ASSISTANCE
WITH READING COMPREHENSION AND
COMPLETING REQUIRED
DOCUMENTATION, DIRECTIONS AND
INSTRUCTIONS IN MULTIPLE
FORMATS. VERBAL, VISUAL,
WRITTEN, SIMPLE ONE AND TWO STEP
INSTRUCTIONS. REPEATED
INSTRUCTION REMINDERS. TASK
CHECKLISTS. WE BREAK DOWN TASKS
INTO SMALLER PIECES TO MAKE THEM
EASIER TO COMPLETE. FOR THOSE
WHO NEED A ROUTINE IN ORDER TO
BE SUCCESSFUL, WE LIMIT CHANGES
TO THE JOBS WE GIVE ADVANCE
NOTICE OF REQUIRED CHANGES. FOR
EXAMPLE, DURING COVID AND WE
PROVIDE CHANGE MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT SUPPORT. WE HAVE
INTERPRETERS FROM MULTIPLE
LANGUAGES. WE ALLOW TIME OFF FOR
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS WITHOUT
IMPACTING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
ATTENDANCE, FREE COUNSELING. WE
PAY A PREVAILING WAGE BASED ON
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF EMPLOYMENT.
WE DO HAVE A ROBUST MANAGEMENT
TEAM FOR INCREASED SUPERVISION
ONSITE TRAINING MANAGER THAT
COMPLETES ON THE JOB TRAINING WE
HAVE ON SITE IN TIME, REAL TIME
RETRAINING, MONTHLY REFRESHERS,
WORK SCHEDULES, MODIFIED ADAPTED
WORK METHODS AND TOOLS, REDUCED
WORK DAYS AND EXTRA BREAKS AS
NEEDED. THIS ÍEL
REMOVES BARRIERS FOR OUR STAFF,
OUR STAFF WITH DISABILITIES, AND
AFFORDS THEM THE SAME
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE ALL SEEK
TO MEET THEIR GOALS AND BE
SUCCESSFUL. WITHOUT THIS LEVEL
OF SUPPORT, THESE STAFF WILL
STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN GAINFUL
EMPLOYMENT AS I DID FOR MANY
YEARS BEFORE FINDING PRIDE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TESTIMONY. ANY COMMENTS?
QUESTIONS FROM THE DÍAS. YES.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER LACKEY, I HAVE A
QUESTION FOR, CDCR. IF, CDCR
WERE TO MOVE THESE EXISTING
PRIDE EMPLOYEES TO CIVIL
SERVICE, HOW WILL CDCR HIRE,
TRANSITION AND SUPPORT THEM, WE,
OF COURSE, ARE BOUND BY CIVIL
SERVICE RULES. BUT IF YOU WANT
ME THAT THERE'S THINGS WE CAN
PROVIDE OUR CIVIL SERVANTS AS
OUTLINED IN GOVERNMENT CODE. SO
WE MUST ABIDE BY GOVERNMENT
CODE. SO BUT IN FOLLOWING IN
THAT, WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?
WHAT'S THE LIMITATION THERE.
BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY
KEY TO ME. THERE ARE RULES ON ON
WHAT I GET THAT, BUT WHAT RULES
ARE YOU REFERRING TO
SPECIFICALLY. THAT MAY BE A
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. THESE
PRIDE EMPLOYEES. SO WE WOULD
PROVIDE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT CODE
THAT'S OUTLINED. OKAY. SO, WE
WOULD WORK WITH THEM, UPON
HIRING AND HELP THEM THROUGH THE
PROCESS. AND WE WOULD WORK
WITHIN GOVERNMENT CODE,
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION RULES
TO HELP SUPPORT THEM, WHEN THEY
ARE HIRED. OKAY, LET'S JUST
SUPPOSE THAT, THERE'S A
DETERMINATION MADE THAT THESE,
SOME OF THESE EMPLOYEES FROM
PRIDE, THAT THERE'S AN NH█P
ABILITY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO
FILL THOSE POSITIONS? HOW ARE WE
GOING TO FILL THE POSITIONS IF
NOT PULLING OVER PRIDE STAFF? IS
THAT THE QUESTION, WE'RE DOING
HIRING EVENTS, AND WE'VE AS I
MENTIONED EARLIER IN MY
STATEMENT, WE'VE RECEIVED OVER
300 APPLICATIONS. AND SO, WE
FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF
INTEREST IN THESE POSITIONS THAT
WE FEEL WILL BE ABLE TO FILL
THEM. OKAY WELL, I JUST HAVE A
VERY, VERY STRONG, VISCERAL
CONCERN ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE. IT'S VERY, VERY,
POWERFULLY STATED. SHAME ON ANY
PROCESS THAT CAUSES PRIDE.
EMPLOYEES TO LOSE THEIR
OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. IT'S A VERY UNIQUE
PART OF OUR POPULATION AND
PRIDE, EMPLOYMENT IS A PROVEN
PATHWAY FOR SUCCESSFUL SYMBIOTIC
WINS FOR BOTH THE EMPLOYEE AND
EMPLOYER, AND SO WHEN WE CREATE
A BARRIER, SHAME ON US. THAT'S
NOT AN AMERICAN VALUE. IT'S NOT
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IS AN AMERICAN
VALUE. THAT'S BEEN HARD FOUGHT
FOR AND SHAME ON ANYBODY AND ANY
INSTITUTION THAT SEEKS TO
DESTROY THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND I
WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO
SPEAK AGAINST IT. IF THERE'S NOT
AN ASSURANCE THAT ALL THESE
PRIDE EMPLOYEES WILL CONTINUE TO
KEEP THEIR JOB, I WILL FIGHT FOR
THEM BECAUSE THIS IS IMMORAL.
AND THAT'S ALL I GOT. YES, YES,
PERMISSION TO SPEAK. THANK YOU,
MR. LACKEY, GO AHEAD. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR. RESPECTED
MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY, WE
JUST, FROM THE CDC. I JUST WANT
TO PRESENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE
ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
ENSURE THAT THERE ARE TOWN HALLS
ORGANIZED SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT
PRIDE EMPLOYEES. WE VALUE THE
PARTNERSHIP AND WE WILL DO AN
OUTREACH TO ENSURE THAT THE
PRIDE EMPLOYEES GET ALL THE
INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR
EMPLOYMENT WITH CDCR. GO AHEAD,
MR. LACKEY, AND I APPRECIATE
THOSE COMMENTS. BUT WHAT I'M
TELLING YOU IS THAT THERE'S
STILL AN OPEN SPOT THERE FOR
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TO BE NOT
REENGAGED IN EMPLOYMENT. THAT IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT'S NOT
ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE
PRODUCING RIGHT NOW AND THEY
DON'T DESERVE TO BE LOST BECAUSE
OF SOME POLITICAL ENERGY. THAT'S
ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. I
TOMB TROUBLED, THAT THE PROPOSAL
LIKE THIS IS ON THE TABLE THAT
THREATENS THE ECONOMIC SECURITY
OF THOSE THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT
HAVE AFFORDABILITY AND JOBS. WE
HEAR THE TESTIMONY FROM FIRST
LINE, EMPLOYEES THAT ARE THERE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S
BEEN SOME AREAS LIKE THE PRISON
IN STOCKTON, THAT HAS BEEN ABLE
TO WORK SOME THINGS OUT. SO WHAT
HAPPENED THERE? AND WHY ARE WE
AT THIS JUNCTION RIGHT NOW IN
FRONT OF THIS COMMITTEE? SO THIS
WAS A STATE PERSONNEL BOARD
DECISION. THIS WASN'T A DECISION
OF THE DEPARTMENT. SO LET ME
JUST MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT CDCR
DID NOT MAKE THIS DECISION TO
MOVE OUR ADJUST FROM PRIDE. THIS
IS A STATE PERSONNEL BOARD
DECISION, SECONDLY, WITH CCF,
THERE WAS A UNIQUE LEGISLATIVE
AGREEMENT IN THE 2018 BUDGET ACT
THAT ALLOWED FOR CDCR TO KEEP A
PRESENCE OF PRIDE AT THE
FACILITY. SO THEY WERE CLEANING
THE WHOLE FACILITY, AND THERE
WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT ALLOWED
THEM TO TAKE OVER HALF THE
FACILITY. AND THEN CDCR STAFF
CLEAN THE OTHER HALF OF THE
FACILITY. SO AND THEN IN 2019,
WE WERE GIVEN A BUDGET
AUGMENTATION, PRIDE DOES COME AT
A INCREASED COST TO WHAT WE WHAT
CALPIA WOULD CHARGE US, SO BUT
IT WAS A LEGISLATIVE AGREEMENT,
THAT WAS ABOVE THE DEPARTMENT
LEVEL. SO IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE
WERE ABLE TO DECIDE ON OUR OWN.
THE LEGISLATURE ALLOWED THAT
ESSENTIALLY. SO BEING ABLE TO
HAVE THOSE OPTIONS IN STOCKTON
DIDN'T TRANSLATE TO THE OPTIONS
THAT ARE NOW IN FRONT OF US
TODAY. IT WAS NO, THERE WAS NO
NO CHANGES TO THE GOVERNMENT
CODE. AND NOTHING WAS CODIFIED
TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE OR TO
FOLLOW A SEEK A SIMILAR PATH AND
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WAS
SOMETHING THAT WAS ACHIEVABLE
THERE, BUT NOT HERE. REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATIONS IS WHAT THE STATE
ALLOWS TO HELP EMPLOYEES
FACILITATE THEIR JOBS. SO IT'S
KIND OF A MORE GENERAL STATEMENT
WHEN I SAY REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATIONS HAPPENS, WE WERE
ALLOWED TO KEEP PRIDE AND WE DID
THAT AND WE'RE NOT UNDER THAT
SAME OPPORTUNITY AT THIS
JUNCTURE. WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY
THE SB RULING, WE'VE BEEN, YOU
KNOW, DIRECTED TO DO TO DO THIS.
AND SO WE'RE FOLLOWING THE
DIRECTION OF SB AND THANK YOU
FOR THAT. WHAT OTHER BARRIERS,
DO YOU SEE THAT EXIST IN TRYING
TO WORK TO A SOLUTION THAT MIGHT
BE ABOVE MY PAY GRADE, I THINK
THAT IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE
UP TO THE LEGISLATURE AND
PROBABLY SEIU AND THE STATE
PERSONNEL BOARD TO REACH SOME
AGREEMENTS THAT WOULD ALLOW US
TO CONTINUE, CURRENT OPERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT HONESTY ABOVE
YOUR PAY GRADE. IT IS SOMETHING
THAT IS TROUBLING TO ME THAT WE
SEE, FINALLY, A PROGRAM THAT'S
DRASTICALLY CHANGING LIVES AND
AFFORDING EMPLOYMENT TO THOSE
WITH DISABILITIES, CERTAINLY WE
SHOULD BE HONORING THESE TYPES
OF POSITIONS RATHER THAN TRYING
TO, ELIMINATE THEM. WE SHOULD
COME TOGETHER FOR SOLUTIONS. WE
SHOULD COME TOGETHER AROUND THE
TABLE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN
SECURE THESE JOBS MOVING FORWARD
THAT ARE DRASTICALLY CHANGING
PEOPLE'S LIVES. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH. I WOULD AGREE IF AND IF
YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FROM US, PLEASE FEEL FREE AND
WE'RE HAPPY TO DO ANYTHING WE
CAN TO HELP. THANK YOU. ANY
FINAL COMMENTS ON THIS ISSUE?
NO, JUST THAT I'M VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE, THE EMPLOYMENT, THE
EMPLOYMENT BY MANY OF THESE
PRIDE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOW
HAVE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT AND
THEY'RE PRODUCING AND THERE'S
NOT A PROBLEM. AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN THERE'S SOME POLITICAL
ENERGY THAT SHOWS UP AND
JEOPARDIZES THEIR FUTURE. THAT'S
WRONG. AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING
I CAN TO BRING REMEDY TO THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AS
WE CONCLUDE AND NOW WE MOVE TO
ISSUE ONE. THANK YOU. ISSUE ONE
OVERVIEW OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL'S OFFICE AND SPECIAL
REVIEW. AMERICK SINGH AND CHRIS
CHAMBERS, INSPECTOR GENERAL,
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL,
MISS SINGH.
MR. OH, NO. IT'S FINE. MUSICAL
CHAIRS. SORRY THERE'S OTHERS.
WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID? ALL
RIGHT. PLEASE GOOD AFTERNOON,
MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE. I AM AMERICK SINGH,
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. THANK YOU
FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO BE HEARD. I'M HERE TODAY TO
PROVIDE A BRIEF GENERAL OVERVIEW
OF THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL. AND THEN I'LL PROVIDE A
SHORT SUMMARY OF OUR FINDINGS
FROM A REPORT WE PUBLISHED IN
JANUARY, WHICH REVIEWED CDCR'S
HANDLING OF A BACKLOG OF
GRIEVANCES INCARCERATED PEOPLE
FILED THAT HAD CONTAINED
ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT. THE
OIG IS AN INDEPENDENT STATE
AGENCY THAT OVERSEES THE
CALIFORNIA PRISON SYSTEM. WE
PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY TO THE
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM THROUGH
MONITORING VARIOUS CDCR
PROCESSES AND PUBLICLY REPORTING
OUR OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS.
WE MONITOR CDCR'S USE OF FORCE
REVIEW PROCESS, INTERNAL
AFFAIRS, INVESTIGATION AND
DISCIPLINE PROCESS, AND THE
INCARCERATED PERSON GRIEVANCE
PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, WE
EVALUATE CDCR'S PROVISION OF
MEDICAL CARE BY CONDUCTING
MEDICAL INSPECTIONS AT EACH
PRISON AND WE REVIEW VARIOUS
PRISON PRACTICES, POLICY, AND
PROCEDURES BY CONDUCTING
PERFORMANCE AUDITS AND SPECIAL
REVIEWS INTO ISSUES OR AREAS OF
CONCERN. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A
STATEWIDE COMPLAINT INTAKE
PROCESS ANYONE CAN USE TO RAISE
CONCERNS OF IMPROPER ACTIVITY
WITHIN THE PRISON SYSTEM. WE
REVIEW AND RESPOND TO EACH
COMPLAINT WE RECEIVE. WE ALSO
SERVE AS THE OMBUDSPERSON FOR
COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE SEXUAL
ABUSE AND DETENTION AND
ELIMINATION ACT. MOST COMMONLY
KNOWN AS THE PRISON RAPE
ELIMINATION ACT OR PREA. WE HAVE
A STAFF MEMBER ON CALL 24 HOURS
PER DAY TO RESPOND TO CRITICAL
INCIDENTS AT THE PRISONS OR
SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN THE
COMMUNITY INVOLVING CORRECTIONAL
OR PAROLE STAFF. WE CHAIR THE
CALIFORNIA REHABILITATION
OVERSIGHT BOARD AND WE CONDUCT
BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATION
REVIEWS OF ALL WARDENS PRIOR TO
THEIR APPOINTMENT BY THE
GOVERNOR, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
THE WARDEN. BACKGROUND. REVIEWS.
WE PUBLICLY REPORT OUR FINDINGS
OF ALL OF OUR WORK ON OUR
WEBSITE. THE OIG MONITORING
RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE FLUCTUATED
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,
MOST RECENTLY IN THE 2019 2020
BUDGET ACT. THE OIG RECEIVED A
SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES, AUTHORITY, AND
STAFFING. THE RESTORATION OF OUR
AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT AUDITS AND
SPECIAL REVIEWS HAS RESULTED IN
OUR ABILITY TO BRING TO LIGHT
PROCESS DEFICIENCIES AT THE
PRISONS BEYOND WHAT WE SEE IN
OUR NORMAL COURSE OF MONITORING,
AND WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
OVER THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS,
WE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL POSITIONS
TO EXPAND THE BREADTH OF OUR
MONITORING AND OTHER
RESPONSIBILITIES. WITH THOSE
RESOURCES, WE HAVE IMPROVED AND
EXPANDED OUR INTAKE COMPLAINT
REVIEW PROCESS, OUR WARDEN
VETTING TEAM, OUR MEDICAL
INSPECTION UNIT, AND OUR
STAFFING MISCONDUCT MONITORING
UNIT. I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME
OF OUR SIGNIFICANT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE PAST
YEAR. IN 2023, WE RECEIVED 8227
COMPLAINTS OF IMPROPER ACTIVITY
WITHIN CDCR. THAT WAS A 157%
INCREASE FROM 2022, WHERE WE
RECEIVED ABOUT 3200 COMPLAINTS
IN 2024. THIS HIGH VOLUME OF
INCOMING COMPLAINTS HAS
CONTINUED AS WE ARE SEEING MORE
THAN 500 COMPLAINTS EACH MONTH.
OUR INTAKE UNIT HAS ESTABLISHED
A NEW CONFIDENTIAL SPEED DIAL
NUMBER FOR THE INCARCERATED
POPULATION SO THAT THEY CAN CALL
OUR OFFICE DIRECTLY. WE
DISTRIBUTED NEW POSTERS THAT
WERE PLACED THROUGHOUT EACH
PRISON LAST SUMMER TO EDUCATE
THE PEOPLE ON HOW TO CONTACT OUR
OFFICE, OUR OFFICE TO RAISE
CONCERNS AND TO RAISE THE PRISON
RAPE THE PREA PRISON RAPE
ELIMINATION ACT CONCERNS, AND TO
REPORT MISCONDUCT. STAFF IN OUR
INTAKE UNIT HAS VISITED 18
INSTITUTIONS SINCE OCTOBER OF
2023 TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH
THE INCARCERATED POPULATION
THROUGH THEIR INMATE ADVISORY
COUNCILS AND TO PROVIDE
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OFFICE AND
TO HEAR FIRSTHAND THEIR MAIN
CONCERNS. ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT WE
MADE THIS PAST YEAR WAS TO
INCREASE STAFFING IN OUR MEDICAL
INSPECTION UNIT SO WE CAN
COMPLETE OUR MEDICAL INSPECTIONS
OF ALL PRISONS WITHIN TWO YEARS.
AS OPPOSED TO THE THREE YEARS IT
HAS TAKEN IN YEARS PAST. OUR
MEDICAL INSPECTION UNIT WAS
FULLY STAFFED, BUT JUST A MONTH
AGO WE LOST AN EMPLOYEE TO A
PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY. IN
2023, WE PUBLISHED 16 REPORTS,
INCLUDING ONE SPECIAL REVIEW.
THIS YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE
PUBLISHED FOUR REPORTS,
INCLUDING THE SPECIAL REVIEW,
WHICH I'LL ADDRESS MORE SHORTLY.
EACH MONTH WE PUBLISH CASE
BLOCKS, WHICH INCLUDE SUMMARIES
OF THE INVESTIGATIONS AND
CRITICAL INCIDENTS WE'VE
MONITORED SELECTED INTAKE
COMPLAINTS WHERE WE FEEL WE'VE
MADE A NOTEWORTHY IMPACT, AND A
SIGNIFICANT AND THE SIGNIFICANT
USE OF FORCE, INCIDENTS WE HAVE
REVIEWED. ALTHOUGH MY STAFF HAS
WORKED TIRELESSLY TO FILL ALL OF
THESE NEW POSITIONS, WE HAVE
THAT WE'VE BEEN ALLOTTED IN THE
RECENT BUDGET YEARS, WE STILL
HAVE 60 VACANCIES, A VACANCY
RATE OF ABOUT 25. WE DO HAVE 15
CONDITIONAL OFFERS PENDING
COMPLETION OF THE BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATION, WHICH WILL BRING
OUR VACANCY RATE DOWN TO 18%
SOON. AND WE HAVE A PLAN TO FILL
ALL OF OUR REMAINING VACANCIES
BY THE END OF JUNE. MOVING ON TO
THE SECOND TOPIC ON TODAY'S
AGENDA, IN JANUARY, WE PUBLISHED
A REPORT SUMMARIZING OUR REVIEW
OF A DECISION CDCR MADE TO
REDIRECT A BACKLOG OF GRIEVANCES
ALLEGING STAFF MISCONDUCT TO BE
PROCESSED AS ROUTINE GRIEVANCES.
A ROUTINE GRIEVANCE IS A
COMPLAINT THAT DOES NOT ALLEGE A
STAFF MEMBER VIOLATED LAW,
REGULATION, POLICY OR PROCEDURE.
ROUTINE GRIEVANCES ARE HANDLED
BY THE PRISON STAFF. INSTEAD OF
BEING EXAMINED BY INVESTIGATORS
FROM THE DEPARTMENT CDCR'S
OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
CDCR'S PROCESS FOR REVIEWING
GRIEVANCES ALLEGING STAFF
MISCONDUCT HAS BEEN IN FLUX FOR
THE PAST FEW YEARS. IN 2019, THE
OIG RELEASED A SPECIAL REVIEW
THAT EXAMINED THE PROCESS FOR
INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO FILE
COMPLAINTS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
WE FOUND THAT BECAUSE THE
PROCESS DIRECTED PRISON STAFF TO
REVIEW AND INVESTIGATE THESE
COMPLAINTS OF ALLEGATIONS OF
MISCONDUCT, THESE WERE THESE
INCIDENTS WERE NOT BEING
INVESTIGATED ADEQUATELY. SHORTLY
AFTER OUR 2019 SPECIAL REVIEW,
CDCR BEGAN DEVELOPING A PROCESS
TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS WE
RAISED IN THAT REPORT. IN 2020,
CDCR CREATED A NEW UNIT WITHIN
THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
THE ALLEGATION INQUIRY
MANAGEMENT SECTION, AMES, WHICH
WAS DEDICATED TO CONDUCTING
INVESTIGATIONS OF ALLEGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT. HOWEVER, UNDER
THIS PROCESS, COMPLAINTS WERE
STILL INITIALLY BEING REVIEWED
BY PRISON STAFF TO DETERMINE IF
THEY CONTAINED AN ALLEGATION OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT BEFORE THE
COMPLAINT WAS EVEN SENT TO THIS
NEWLY CREATED UNIT. FOLLOWING
IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PROCESS,
WE REVIEWED THE PROCESS AND
FOUND THAT THE NEW LOCAL
SCREENING OF COMPLAINTS WAS
STILL TOO SUBJECTIVE. AS A
RESULT, VERY FEW ALLEGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT WERE ACTUALLY
BEING SENT TO THIS NEW UNIT FOR
INVESTIGATION. IN 2021, WE
ISSUED A REPORT ABOUT THAT
PROCESS AND CONCLUDED THAT IT
WAS OVERLY COMPLEX, AND THE
COMPLAINT REVIEW PROCESS WAS
STILL LARGELY UNCHANGED FROM OUR
REVIEW IN 2019. LOCAL PRISON
STAFF WERE STILL REVIEWING THE
VAST MAJORITY OF ALLEGATIONS OF
MISCONDUCT. AT THAT TIME. WE
RECOMMENDED CDCR RESTRUCTURE ITS
PROCESS AND INCREASE
INDEPENDENCE AND FAIRNESS, AND
ALLOW THE INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO
SUBMIT THEIR COMPLAINTS DIRECTLY
TO THE NEW UNIT. IN JANUARY OF
2022, CDCR ADOPTED NEW
REGULATIONS TO RESTRUCTURE THEIR
PROCESS OF REVIEWING AND
INVESTIGATING STAFF MISCONDUCT
ALLEGATIONS. THESE NEW
REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED A
CENTRALIZED SCREENING TEAM AT
CDCR HEADQUARTERS, WHICH WOULD
RECEIVE AND REVIEW ALL
GRIEVANCES INCARCERATED PEOPLE
FILE AND DETERMINE IF THE
GRIEVANCE CONTAINED AN
ALLEGATION OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
THE CENTRALIZED SCREENING TEAM
SENDS THE GRIEVANCES TO ONE OF
THREE AREAS GRIEVANCES WITH
SERIOUS STAFF. MISCONDUCT
INVOLVING COMPLEX ISSUES GO TO
ANOTHER NEWLY FORMED UNIT. THE
ALLEGATION, AN INVESTIGATION
UNIT FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
GRIEVANCES THAT CONTAIN LESS
SERIOUS AND COMPLEX ALLEGATIONS
OF STAFF MISCONDUCT ARE SENT
BACK TO THE PRISONS TO BE
INVESTIGATED BY THE LOCALLY
DESIGNATED INVESTIGATORS AND
GRIEVANCES THAT CONTAIN NO
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT
ARE DEEMED ROUTINE GRIEVANCES
THAT ARE SENT BACK TO THE PRISON
TO ADDRESS THE PERSON'S REQUEST
AND THESE ARE THINGS SUCH AS
MISSING PROPERTY OR A REQUEST
FOR SOME ASSISTANCE. THIS CDCR
IMPLEMENTED ITS NEW PROCESS AND
PHASES BEGINNING JANUARY OF
2022, WITH FULL IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE PROCESS BY JUNE OF 2023.
ON JULY 28TH OF 2023, DURING THE
COURSE OF MONITORING REGULAR
MONITORING, WE RECEIVED A CDCR
MEMORANDUM OUTLINING A DIRECTIVE
TO CONVERT BACKLOG GRIEVANCES
CONTAINING ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT TO BE REDIRECTED TO
ROUTINE GRIEVANCES THAT WOULD BE
ADDRESSED BY LOCAL PRISON STAFF,
INSTEAD OF BEING INVESTIGATED BY
THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
THIS DIRECTIVE APPEARED TO US TO
VIOLATE CDCR'S NEW REGULATIONS,
SO WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN LOOKING
INTO IT. WE LEARNED THAT
BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY OF 2022,
CDCR BEGAN DEVELOPING A BACKLOG
OF OVER 900 GRIEVANCES THAT THE
CENTRALIZED SCREENING TEAM
IDENTIFIED AS CONTAINING
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
THESE GRIEVANCES HAD BEEN
REFERRED TO THE OFFICE OF
INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR AN
ALLEGATION, INQUIRY OR
INVESTIGATION, BUT MOST HAD NOT
EVEN BEEN PROCESSED AS A RESULT
OF THIS DIRECTIVE OF CDCR WOUND
UP CLOSING 595 CASES CONTAINING
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT,
RECLASSIFYING THEM AS ROUTINE
GRIEVANCES AND REDIRECTING THEM
TO THE PRISON GRIEVANCE OFFICES
TO BE OPENED AS NEW ROUTINE
GRIEVANCES. THE CASES STARTED
BEING REDIRECTED IN AUGUST OF
2023. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME
OF THE FINDINGS, THAT WE LEARNED
DURING THE COURSE OF OUR SPECIAL
REVIEW. FIRST, WE DETERMINED
THAT CDCR ALLOWED THE STATUTE OF
LIMITATIONS TO TAKE DISCIPLINARY
ACTION TO EXPIRE IN MANY OF
THESE GRIEVANCES BEFORE THEY
WERE REDIRECTED. STATE LAW
GENERALLY REQUIRES THAT THE
DEPARTMENT INITIATE DISCIPLINE
AGAINST PEACE OFFICERS WITHIN
ONE YEAR OF DISCOVERY OF THE
ALLEGED MISCONDUCT, AND WITHIN
THREE YEARS OF THE ALLEGED
MISCONDUCT FOR ALL OTHER STAFF,
THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAD
EXPIRED IN 127 OF THE CASES
BEFORE CDCR BEGAN REDIRECTING
THESE CASES BACK TO THE PRISONS
FOR HANDLING. AS A RESULT, CDCR
WOULD HAVE BEEN POWERLESS TO
DISCIPLINE STAFF IF THE
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT
WERE FOUND TO HAVE OCCURRED. CDC
CDCR ALSO REDIRECTED 129
GRIEVANCES OF STAFF MISCONDUCT,
WITH STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS THAT
WERE SET TO EXPIRE TO WITHIN 60
DAYS AFTER THEY WERE REDIRECTED,
AND THAT IS A VERY SHORT AMOUNT
OF TIME TO CONDUCT A REVIEW,
COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION AND
IMPOSE, IMPOSE DISCIPLINE IF
WARRANTED. ANOTHER FINDING WAS
THAT CDCR DID NOT ADEQUATELY
ADDRESS OR INVESTIGATE
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT
THAT WERE REDIRECTED AS ROUTINE
GRIEVANCES. WE FOUND THAT 71 OF
THE 509 WE REVIEWED 71 OF THE
595 GRIEVANCES THAT CDCR CLOSED
AND RECLASSIFIED, AND WE FOUND
THAT EACH CONTAINED AT LEAST ONE
ALLEGATION OF STAFF MISCONDUCT
THAT INCLUDED COMPLEX ISSUES
REQUIRING SPECIALIZED
INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS, SUCH AS
ALLEGATIONS OF RETALIATION,
DISCRIMINATION, AND DISHONESTY.
CDCR REGULATIONS REQUIRE THESE
ALLEGATIONS TO BE REFERRED TO
THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION UNIT.
16 OF THE 71 CASES WE REVIEWED
WERE PROCESSED BY STAFF WHO ARE
NOT IDENTIFIED AS LOCALLY
DESIGNATED INVESTIGATORS AND
LIKELY DID NOT RECEIVE THE
OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
TRAINING TO CONDUCT ALLEGATION
INQUIRIES OR INVESTIGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT. WE ALSO FOUND
THAT CDCR DID NOT TIMELY
INVESTIGATE THESE REDIRECTED
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
REGULATIONS GENERALLY REQUIRE
THAT STAFF COMPLETE THEIR
RESPONSES TO GRIEVANCES WITHIN
60 DAYS. OF THE 71 CASES WE
REVIEWED, WE DETERMINED CDCR
TOOK AN AVERAGE OF 346 DAYS FROM
THE DATE IT FIRST RECEIVED THE
CLAIM TO CLOSE THE GRIEVANCES.
THE DEPARTMENT'S TOTAL
PROCESSING TIME IN THE 71 CASE
FILES WE REVIEWED RANGED BETWEEN
200 AND 14 DAYS TO 548 DAYS, AND
IT TOOK MORE THAN A YEAR TO
CLOSE. 21 OF THE 71 CASES WE
REVIEWED. AND FINALLY, ONE OF
THE LAST FINDINGS I WANT TO
DISCUSS IS THE REDIRECTION OF
THESE GRIEVANCES TO THE PRISON
STAFF, WHICH CAUSED SEVERAL OF
THE COMPLAINTS TO BE MISHANDLED.
WE SAW SOME GRIEVANCES WHERE
LOCAL PRISON STAFF DID NOT
ADDRESS EVERY ALLEGATION OF
MISCONDUCT CONTAINED IN THE
COMPLAINT, AS SOME GRIEVANCES
CONTAIN MORE THAN ONE ALLEGATION
OF MISCONDUCT. WE SAW SOME OF
THE REDIRECTED GRIEVANCES GET
IMPROPERLY REJECTED OR CLOSED,
AND WE SAW SOME GRIEVANCES
ASSIGNED TO STAFF OF A LOWER
RANK THAN THE STAFF MEMBER
ALLEGED TO HAVE ENGAGED IN
MISCONDUCT, MEANING STAFF WERE
REVIEWING ALLEGATIONS MADE
AGAINST HIGHER RANKING STAFF. IT
IS OUR OPINION THAT CDCR'S
REDIRECTION OF THE BACKLOG
GRIEVANCES VIOLATED ITS
REGULATIONS AND WAS A WASTEFUL
DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS AND A
MISALLOCATION OF RESOURCES, THE
INDEPENDENT SCREENING TEAM HAD
ALREADY DETERMINED THAT THE
GRIEVANCES CONTAINED ALLEGATIONS
OF STAFF MISCONDUCT, AND HAD
REFERRED THE GRIEVANCES FOR
ALLEGATION INQUIRIES OR
INVESTIGATIONS BY THE OFFICE OF
INTERNAL AFFAIRS. BY REDIRECTING
THE BACKLOG, CDCR CIRCUMVENTED
THE CONTROL MEASURES THAT WERE
PUT INTO PLACE TO PREVENT PRISON
AUTHORITIES FROM MAKING
POTENTIALLY BIASED DECISIONS
WHEN RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS
OF STAFF MISCONDUCT, IT IS
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR
SPECIAL REVIEW WAS NOT A REVIEW
OF CDCR'S ENTIRE STATEWIDE
PROCESS FOR REVIEWING
INCARCERATED PEOPLE'S GRIEVANCES
. WE PROVIDE MONITORING OF THAT
STATEWIDE PROCESS AND SUMMARIZE
OUR MONITORING OF THE OVERALL
PROCESS IN AN ANNUAL STAFF
MISCONDUCT MONITORING REPORT,
WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE
RELEASED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS. WE ISSUED THIS SPECIAL
REVIEW TO SHED LIGHT ON A
DECISION THAT CDCR MADE WHEN
DETERMINING HOW TO ADDRESS A
BACKLOG OF COMPLAINTS IT AMASSED
UNDER ITS PRIOR PROCESS FOR
HANDLING INCARCERATED PERSONS.
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, CHRIS
CHAMBERS, THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR RAMOS AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY
NAME IS CHRIS CHAMBERS, AND I'M
THE DIRECTOR OF CDCR'S DIVISION
OF CORRECTIONAL POLICY RESEARCH
AND INTERNAL OVERSIGHT. MY
DIVISION IS PRIMARILY
RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERNAL
OVERSIGHT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT,
INCLUDING INVESTIGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT. AS NOTED IN
THE AGENDA, CDCR HAS RECEIVED
SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS FROM
RECENT BUDGET ACTS TO ADDRESS
ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF MISCONDUCT.
WE WANT TO THANK THIS
SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE LEGISLATURE
FOR RECOGNIZING THE GRAVENESS OF
THE ISSUE AND WORKING WITH BOTH
CDCR AND THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR
GENERAL ON ESTABLISHING AND
IMPROVING PROCESSES, AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING THESE
EFFORTS. ALTHOUGH CDCR HAS SOME
DIFFERENCES IN OPINION
CONCERNING THE JULY 26TH
MEMORANDUM AND THE SUBSEQUENT
CONVERSION OF THE REMAINING 595
RAIMES INQUIRIES, CDCR DID MAKE
THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO
REDIRECT SOME INQUIRIES THAT
ALLEGE STAFF MISCONDUCT
SUBMITTED UNDER CDCR'S OLD
PROCESS BACK TO THE OFFICE OF
GRIEVANCES. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO
THIS DECISION, I'D LIKE TO
PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT. WHEN THE
ALLEGATION INQUIRY MANAGEMENT
SECTION OR AMES WAS INITIATED IN
MARCH 2020 AND IT CONDUCTED
INQUIRIES SUFFICIENT TO EITHER
DEFINITIVELY REFUTE THE
ALLEGATION, AT WHICH POINT THE
CASE WAS SUBMITTED TO THE
INSTITUTE OFFICE OF GRIEVANCES
FOR A RESPONSE OR DETERMINE IF
OR IF DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A
REASONABLE BELIEF OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT OCCURRED. IF
REASONABLE BELIEF WAS FOUND, THE
INQUIRY STOPPED AND THE MATTER
WAS RETURNED TO THE HIRING
AUTHORITY. GENERALLY, THE
INSTITUTIONS WARDEN, A PAROLE
ADMINISTRATOR, OR A, HEALTH CARE
CEO WHO THEN DETERMINED WHETHER
TO SUBMIT THE MATTER TO THE
OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR
FORMAL REVIEW AND, IF
APPROPRIATE, INVESTIGATION. IN
EARLY 2022, CDCR IMPLEMENTED AN
IMPROVED STAFF MISCONDUCT
PROCESS TO ENSURE PROPER
IDENTIFICATION AND HANDLING OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS.
MUCH OF THIS WAS TO THE POINTS
THAT INSPECTOR GENERAL SINGH HAD
MENTIONED EARLIER IN HER. IN HER
TESTIMONY, CDCR HAD A PHASED
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW
PROCESS AND IN JANUARY OF 2022,
THE CENTRALIZED SCREENING TEAM
WAS FIRST TO ACTIVATE AND BEGAN
REVIEWING CENTRALLY, REVIEWING
AND ROUNDING ALLEGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT. BECAUSE THE
ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION UNIT
WAS YET TO BE STOOD UP, THE
CENTRAL CENTRALIZED SCREENING
TEAM CONTINUED TO ROOT MATTERS
OF REMARKED BEGIN CONTINUED TO
ROOT MATTERS TO THE ALLEGATION
INQUIRY MANAGEMENT SECTION, OR
AMES, ON TOP OF THE ALREADY
EXISTING WORK WORKLOAD WHICH
OVERWHELMED THE SYSTEM. STARTING
ON MAY 31ST OF 2022, CASES
IDENTIFIED BY THE CENTRALIZED
SCREENING TEAM AS CONTAINING
CERTAIN SPECIFIED ALLEGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT AT SIX PRISONS
COVERED BY COURT ORDERS IN THE
ARMSTRONG CLASS ACTION WERE
REFERRED TO THE ALLEGATION
INVESTIGATION UNIT FOR A
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION. THE
RESULT OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS
ARE TO PROVIDED TO HIRING
AUTHORITY WHO DETERMINES
WHETHER, BASED ON THE
INVESTIGATION, THERE IS STAFF
MISCONDUCT AND IF SO, AT WHAT
LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE TO IMPOSE
THE ALLEGATIONS SCREENED BY THE
CENTRALIZED SCREENING TEAM AND
FOR WHICH STAFF MISCONDUCT WAS
IDENTIFIED FOR ALL OTHER
INSTITUTIONS AND PEARL REGIONS,
CONTINUED TO ROUTE TO THE
ALLEGATION. INQUIRY MANAGEMENT
SECTION, OR AMES FOR INQUIRY.
WHAT ALL THIS MEANS IS CDCR WAS
RUN IN A BIFURCATED SYSTEM WHILE
INCREMENTALLY STANDING UP. THE
ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION UNIT
AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WINDING DOWN
OUR AMES INQUIRY PROCESS. ON
MARCH FIRST OF 2023. ALL PRISONS
AND PAROLE REGIONS STATEWIDE
WERE UNDER THE NEW PROCESS
LEADING UP TO THE FULL
ACTIVATION OF THE ALLEGATION
INVESTIGATION UNIT, CDCR USED A
STRIKE TEAM COMPRISED OF
APPROXIMATELY 80 STAFF. IN
ADDITION TO THOSE AMES STAFF, TO
COMPLETE ALL REMAINING AMES
INQUIRIES. THE WORK TO COMPLETE
THE INQUIRIES BY THE START OF
THE ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION
UNIT, HOWEVER, WAS NOT COMPLETED
AND IN JULY OF 2023, THE
ALLEGATION INQUIRY MANAGEMENT
SECTION STILL HAD APPROXIMATELY
1800 INQUIRIES OPEN AND WERE
ALREADY SEEING A NUMBER OF CASES
EXCEEDING STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
. THIS IS THE ONE YEAR STATUTE
OF LIMITATIONS THAT INSPECTOR
GENERAL SINGH HAD MENTIONED.
CDCR WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING
RAPID, RAPIDLY GROWING BACKLOG
OF THE NEW ALLEGATION
INVESTIGATION UNIT DUE TO HIGH
VOLUME OF HIGHER VOLUME OF
ALLEGATIONS THAN ANTICIPATED IN
INADEQUATE STAFFING RESOURCES TO
MEET THE DEMAND. THE ALLEGATION
INVESTIGATION UNIT HAD OVER 3500
OPEN INVESTIGATION ACTIONS AND
OUR PROJECTIONS SHOWED THAT
WITHOUT ACTION, THE DEPARTMENT
WOULD HAVE A BACKLOG OF OVER
7000 CASES PRIOR TO JUNE 2024,
ON TOP OF ANY REMAINING
INQUIRIES FROM THE OLD SYSTEM.
ADDITIONALLY, WE PROJECTED THE
DEPARTMENT WOULD BEGIN EXCEEDING
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON
ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION, UNIT
INVESTIGATION BY EARLY FALL OF
2023, MEANING THAT IF STAFF
MISCONDUCT OCCURRED, THE
DEPARTMENT WOULD BE PRECLUDED
FROM IMPOSING DISCIPLINE OR
HOLDING STAFF ACCOUNTABLE. WITH
THE GROWING BACKLOG IN THE NEW
PROCESS IN INSUFFICIENT STAFFING
BASED UPON PROJECTIONS BELOW,
ACTUAL WORKLOAD, THE DEPARTMENT
MADE A DIFFICULT DECISION TO
PRIORITIZE RESOURCES, TO
INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS AND
INVESTIGATE OPEN UNIT CASES. TO
DO THIS, THE DEPARTMENT NEEDED
TO CONVERT MANY, BUT NOT ALL OF
THE REMAINING AMES INQUIRIES TO
INSTITUTIONS GRIEVANCE OFFICES,
THEREBY FREEING INTERNAL AFFAIRS
STAFF TO WORK ON INVESTIGATION
CASES. THE THOUGHT BEING, IT'S
BETTER TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT
EACH MATTER THAN TO HAVE MATTERS
THAT WOULD BE LOST TO THE
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS WITHOUT
EVER HAVING BEEN REVIEWED.
DESPITE REGULATORY CHANGES IN
NUMEROUS BUSINESS PROCESS
ADJUSTMENTS, THIS PROCESS STILL
RESULTS IN VOLUMES OF COMPLAINTS
BEING INVESTIGATED THAT DO NOT
WARRANT INVESTIGATION AND, MORE
PROPERLY HANDLED AS SUPERVISORY
MATTERS. THE INTENDED GOAL OF
THIS PROCESS IS TO ENSURE FAIR,
IMPARTIAL, TIMELY AND THOROUGH
INVESTIGATIONS OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT, WHICH IS IMPEDED BY
THE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS BEING
REFERRED FOR INQUIRY AND
INVESTIGATION. THE SYSTEM IS
BREAKING UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT
AND REQUIRES MODIFICATION. OTHER
CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY HAVE EXPERIENCED
VERY SIMILAR ISSUES, AND THEIR
LESSONS LEARNED HAVE BEEN HAVE
BENEFITED CDCR. AS WE DEVELOP
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS AS A RESULT,
CDCR HAS STARTED CONVERSATIONS
WITH STAKEHOLDERS, NAMELY COURT
EXPERT AND ARMSTRONG PLAINTIFFS,
TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CHANGES
WITHIN THE STAFF MISCONDUCT
PROCESS THAT WILL APPROPRIATELY
ADDRESS VOLUME AND PROPERLY
ALLOCATE AND ALIGN BUDGETED
STAFFING RESOURCES. IN ADDITION,
CDCR AND OIG ARE ENGAGING WITH
MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS AND
DIALOG TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
ISSUES AND CONCERNS WITH THE
STAFF. MISCONDUCT SYSTEM IN
ORDER TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS FOR
THE PROCESS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO
THESE DISCUSSIONS BRINGING ON
MEANINGFUL CHANGE. AND AS PART
OF THESE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS,
WE NOTE THAT CDCR CONTINUES TO
REGULARLY ASSESS OUR NEEDS TO
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT
AND EFFICIENTLY ALLOCATED
RESOURCES SO THAT ALL COMPLAINTS
ARE HANDLED APPROPRIATELY. THANK
YOU. AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TESTIMONY. ANY QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS, MR.
LACKEY? YEAH. HOW CAN YOU NOT
MAKE A COMMENT, THIS IS THIS IS
CLEARLY A DISAPPOINTMENT. AND I
DON'T KNOW WHERE TO POINT THE
FINGERS, AND I DON'T THINK IT
DOES ANY GOOD TO POINT ANY
FINGERS, BUT. WOW. THAT'S ALL I
CAN SAY IS. WOW, THIS IS REALLY
HURTFUL, THE SYSTEM IS CLEARLY
OVERWHELMED, AND WE'VE GOT TO
WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE THIS OUT
BECAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY UGLY
WHEN THERE'S, NO SENSE OF TRUST,
IT'S KIND OF BEEN LOST THAT AN
ALLEGATION WILL BE ADDRESSED
APPROPRIATELY AND WHEN THAT
HAPPENS, VERY SERIOUS OUTCOMES,
RESULT. SO WE'VE REALLY GOT TO
FIX THIS. AND I, MY GOODNESS, IN
RESPONSE TO THE OIG,
INVESTIGATION THAT THEY
INDICATED THAT 595 GRIEVANCES
WERE MISCLASSIFIED AND WERE IN
FACT RETAINED. HOWEVER, THE OIG
STATED THAT THEY CONFIRMED THE
SERIOUS ALLEGATION OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT IN ALL 71 GRIEVANCES
THEY REVIEWED. SO HOW WOULD
CDCR'S DEFINITION OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT BE DIFFERENT, OR ARE
THEY DIFFERENT? THEY ARE NOT,
SIR. SO I THINK THAT IT'S
IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, WITH OUR
REVIEW, WE DID CONDUCT A
SECONDARY REVIEW BEFORE,
REROUTING THESE ALLEGATIONS AND
WHAT WE LOOKED FOR BASED UPON
THE OLD SYSTEM, THE AIM SYSTEM
WAS, WAS, ANY INDICATIONS OF
PRIOR USE OF FORCE, ANY
ALLEGATIONS THAT WOULD RISE,
POTENTIALLY RISE TO THE LEVEL OF
ADVERSE ACTION OR THAT POSED
IMMINENT RISK? OFFICE OF
INTERNAL AFFAIRS KEPT ALL OF
THOSE CASES IN IN CONVERTED THE
REMAINING 595. I THINK THAT IS
IMPORTANT TO MENTION, THIS WAS
MENTIONED IN OIG TESTIMONY THAT
127 OF THOSE CASES HAD ALREADY
PASSED STATUTE. THAT WAS BECAUSE
OF THE BACKLOG. MANY WERE. I'D
HAVE TO CHECK THE 129 NUMBER,
BUT MANY WERE NEAR THAT, THAT
COMPLETION WHERE THERE'S NOTHING
THAT WE COULD DO, WE WANTED TO
MAKE SURE THAT THESE GOT INTO
SOMEONE'S HANDS. SO THAT WE
COULD AT LEAST REVIEW THEM.
OKAY. LET ME ASK YOU THIS. I
MEAN, YOU MENTIONED THE CURRENT
BACKLOG. IF I MESS, IF I
UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, IS
ROUGHLY 70,000. NO, SIR,
ACTUALLY, THAT WAS WHAT WAS
PROJECTED. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT
THE OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO
REDUCE THAT BACKLOG BY BEING
ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON AEW OR
ALLEGATION INVESTIGATION UNIT
CASES. WE'RE SITTING AT
APPROXIMATELY 2400 OPEN CASES
TODAY. AND FURTHER, SIR, WE HAVE
NOT LOST A SINGLE, AEW CASE TO
STATUTE, OF LIMITATIONS TO THIS
POINT. ONLY THE AMES CASES.
OKAY. HAVING BEEN A PERSON
THAT'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE
COMPLAINT PROCESS, I, AS A
MEMBER OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY
PATROL, AS A SUPERVISOR, I'VE
CONDUCTED MANY, MANY OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS. I KNOW THAT,
SOME OF THEM TAKE A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME, AND BUT MY
GOODNESS, I HEARD 200 TO 500
DAYS. WAS THAT ACCURATE? TO
ADDRESS A COMPLAINT THAT WAS
ACCURATE, WITH OUR OLDER CASES,
WE HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED
THE TIME TO COMPLETION, WE ARE
SEEING ON AVERAGE, ABOUT 32 TO
35 HOURS PER INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S NOT TOTAL TIME TO
COMPLETE THE CASE, OF COURSE,
BUT WE ARE SEEING WE ARE SEEING
THROUGH TRAINING,
STANDARDIZATION OF PROCESS. WE
ARE SEEING THAT NUMBER COME
DOWN. WE AGREE THAT THERE IS
STILL A LOT OF GAP TO CLOSE, WE
INTAKE 183,000. APPROXIMATE
ALLEGATIONS A YEAR. AND THAT
NUMBER IS GROWING, THIS EQUATES
TO, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 24,000,
IDENTIFIED STAFF. ALLEGATIONS OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT A YEAR. MANY OF
WHICH, AGAIN, WE FIND WOULD
ULTIMATELY BE BETTER AS A
SUPERVISORY ISSUE. I'LL GIVE YOU
AN EXAMPLE, IF A KITCHEN WORKER
IS NOT WEARING GLOVES AND THAT
THAT IS REPORTED RIGHT NOW UNDER
OUR CURRENT DEFINITION OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT POLICY VIOLATION,
THAT WOULD ROUTE TO OUR
INVESTIGATORS FOR AN
INVESTIGATION AND NOT BACK AS A
SUPERVISORY ISSUE. THIS IS WHY
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK
WITH STAKEHOLDERS. AND WE GOT TO
FIX THAT. THAT THAT IS NOT I
MEAN, THAT'S DEFINITELY FEEDING
PART OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE
CONFIDENCE AND THESE NUMBERS
MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE THE CDCR DOES
NOT TAKE THESE, COMPLAINTS VERY
SERIOUS AT ALL. AND THEN IF YOU
PUT THEM OFF LONG ENOUGH, THE
STATUTE OF LIMITATION IS MET.
AND SO ADIOS. I MEAN, THAT'S THE
PERCEPTION. AND THAT'S A VERY
UNACCEPTABLE PATH, BECAUSE
SOMEWHERE IN THERE, I MEAN, I
COULD TELL YOU THAT AS, AS I
HAVE DONE MY SHARE OF, CITIZEN
COMPLAINTS, WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO
INMATE COMPLAINTS BECAUSE IT'S
THE OUTSIDE, ADDRESSING THE FACT
THAT THERE'S MISCONDUCT BY YOUR
MEMBERS. WE TOOK THOSE VERY
SERIOUSLY, AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE
SURPRISED AT THE OUTCOME, THAT
THERE'S ACTUAL CONFIRMATION. AND
THERE'S ALSO A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF THEM THAT ARE BASED ON
ANGER, FRUSTRATION WITH THE
CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE ENCOUNTER.
AND WHAT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU
JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN THERE'S
THAT MANY. THERE'S SOME SERIOUS
ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE BEING
OVERLOOKED IN THERE. I DON'T
KNOW HOW MANY, BUT, IF THERE'S A
HANDFUL, ONE IS TOO MANY, RIGHT?
I MEAN, SO WHAT IS YOUR
SUGGESTION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE SITTING IN MY POSITION? DO
YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO
FIX THIS? BECAUSE THIS IS
COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE
A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH. COURT
EXPERT, AND ARMSTRONG WITH
CURRENTLY, WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE
TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE
AND PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON
THAT. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU. WE
TAKE EVERY ALLEGATION OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT SERIOUSLY, AND WE
WANT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS
LOOKED AT TIMELY AND THOROUGHLY,
IN THIS CASE, WE'RE A VICTIM OF
OUR BACKLOG. THERE'S NO WAY
AROUND THAT. WE ARE STRIVING TO
MAKE IT BETTER, THOUGH. IF I
COULD DIRECT MY QUESTIONS TO,
THE WOMAN FROM, THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL, INSPECTOR GENERAL, DO
YOU GUYS HAVE ANY
RECOMMENDATIONS, FROM YOUR
OBSERVATIONS, OBVIOUSLY, YOU'VE
POINTED OUT SOME VERY SERIOUS
PROBLEMS WITH THIS SYSTEM. DO
YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS THAT, WOULD
HELP US? WE HAVE JUST STARTED
THOSE DISCUSSIONS ÓRDENES WITH
WITH CDCR, WE DO MONITORING
OUTSIDE OF JUST THIS SPECIAL
REVIEW. WE DO WE MONITOR ALL OF
NOT ALL. WE MONITOR A NUMBER OF
A PERCENTAGE OF CASES. WE
MONITOR THEIR CENTRALIZED
SCREENING TEAM, THEIR LOCAL
INVESTIGATIONS, THE ONES THAT
HAPPEN AT THE PRISON AND THE
ONES THAT ARE DONE BY THEIR
OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS. SO
WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE ALL OF OUR
INFORMATION AND WE MAKE
REASONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
THEM, WHICH WILL BE, IT'S
CONFIDENTIAL AT THIS POINT
BECAUSE IT GOES TO THE
DEPARTMENT FIRST FOR REVIEW. BUT
NO, WE'VE ALSO TALKED TO THEIR
THEIR EXECUTIVE TEAM, AND WE'VE,
HAVE AGREED TO LIKE, TALK TO
THEM AND BRAINSTORM OTHER
POSSIBILITIES OF WAYS OF
IMPROVEMENT, THE SYSTEM IS, IS
IT'S BEING PRESSED DOWN BY ITS
OWN WEIGHT BASED ON THE NUMBER
OF COMPLAINTS AND SO WE WANT TO
JUST BRAINSTORM AND PROVIDE SOME
OF THE IDEAS THAT WE'VE COME UP
WITH THAT MIGHT HELP EASE THE
SOLUTION. BUT IT WOULD BE AN
ONGOING DIALOG WITH CDCR AND THE
STAKEHOLDERS, AS A LOT OF THESE
COME FROM REGULATIONS THAT CAME
FROM THE COURT, AND FROM VARIOUS
COURT ORDERS. THANK YOU. BECAUSE
ANY REASONABLE PERSON WOULD
ADMIT THAT THIS IS VERY, VERY
PROBLEMATIC, AT THE VERY LEAST.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, IS
EVERY DAY THAT WE PUT THIS OFF,
CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM IS
BEING ERODED. IF IT'S I DON'T
EVEN KNOW IF IT'S SALVAGEABLE AT
THIS STAGE. THIS HAS BEEN SO
EGREGIOUS. AND AGAIN, FINGER
POINTING REALLY DOESN'T FIX IT.
WHAT WHAT FIXES IT AS, A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. AND, FIRST
ADMITTING THAT THIS IS REALLY
BAD AND SECONDLY, HAVING
REASONABLE, APPROACHES TO THESE
VERY VOLUMINOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND IT'S VERY, VERY CRITICAL
THAT WE FIX THIS AS MY POINT.
AND I'M HOPING THAT, CDCR WILL
BE A COOPERATIVE PARTNER AND,
AND ADDRESSING THIS BECAUSE I
THINK THAT THEY ALSO WOULD LIKE
TO, BE PERCEIVED AS RESPONSIBLE.
YES, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH, FOR
THOSE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
INSPECTOR GENERAL, YOU MENTIONED
THAT THERE WAS 3200 COMPLAINTS
AT ONE POINT, AND THEN WENT TO
OVER 8000 COMPLAINTS. CAN YOU
ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF
REASONING? WHY POTENTIALLY THEY
WENT THAT HIGH? YES. THERE WAS A
NUMBER OF REASONS. WE BECAME
VERY PROACTIVE. WE WENT TO WE
WORKED WITH CDCR TO GET THE
CONFIDENTIAL SPEED DIAL NUMBER,
WHICH IS STAR 773 2 POUND, WHICH
THE INCARCERATED POPULATION CAN
DO FROM THEIR TABLETS. AND THEY
CAN DIRECTLY CONTACT US FROM THE
TABLETS THAT THEY HAVE. WE ALSO
WENT TO EACH OF THE INSTITUTIONS
TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE
POSTERS THAT WE PUT UP, POSTERS
IN COMMON AREAS FOR THE
INCARCERATED POPULATION ARE
CLOSE TO TELEPHONES, IF THEY ARE
UNABLE TO USE A TABLET WHERE
THEY CAN SEE THE NUMBER THAT
THEY CAN USE, THE 800 NUMBER TO
CALL US, WE HAVE A, ONLINE
PRESENCE WHERE THE INCARCERATED
PERSON OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER OR
STAKEHOLDER CAN REACH OUT TO US
VIA THE WEB, AND THEN THEY CAN
ALSO MAIL US A CONFIDENTIAL
COMPLAINT. AND WE WERE PROACTIVE
IN ENSURING THAT THE POSTERS
WERE UPDATED. THE SPEED DIAL
NUMBER WAS UPDATED, THE POSTERS
ARE BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN
SPANISH, AND WE'VE HAD MY STAFF
GOING OUT TO THE TO THE PRISONS
TO MEET WITH THE POPULATION, TO
EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO, HOW TO REACH
US, AND TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS
AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE AN
AVENUE THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT
TO US FOR ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY
HAVE. AND CURRENTLY, IN THE YEAR
2024, YOU MADE THE STATEMENT
THAT THERE'S OVER 500 COMPLAINTS
EACH MONTH THAT ARE COMING
FORWARD INTO YOUR OFFICE. THAT
THAT IS CORRECT. I CHECKED THE
NUMBERS LAST WEEK AND WE'RE
AVERAGING ABOUT 400 COMPLAINTS A
MONTH. SO FAR, IN ORDER TO
ADDRESS THE COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE
WE DO RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE
ONE AND WE TRY NOT TO HAVE A
BACKLOG OF COMPLAINTS. WE HAVE
ADDED, WE ADDED TWO ADDITIONAL
STAFF MEMBERS, EARLIER LAST
YEAR, WE ADDED AN ANALYST WHO IS
ALSO BILINGUAL, AND WE HAVE JUST
RECENTLY ADDED TWO ADDITIONAL
FULL TIME POSITIONS TO THAT
UNIT. AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL
HELP US, ANSWER THOSE,
COMPLAINTS TIMELY. WE'LL ASSESS
THAT AS WE GO ALONG AND, LOOK
FOR OTHER RESOURCES IF NECESSARY
. IF WE FEEL THAT, THE RESOURCES
WERE WE SHIFTED THAT WAY OR NOT
ENOUGH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND
CDCR FROM 3200 COME 30, 200,
COMPLAINTS TO OVER 8000
COMPLAINTS AND THEN ULTIMATELY
TO WHERE WE'RE AT 20, 24, 500 A
MONTH, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY IN
APRIL. HAS THERE BEEN ANY ANY
POLICY CHANGES OR ANYTHING THAT
WOULD START TO LOOK AT, SOME OF
THE REASONING WHY THESE
COMPLAINTS CONTINUE TO MOVE
FORWARD? I'M JUST LEARNING OF
THE NUMBER, CHAIR RAMOS. SO I'D
LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TALK WITH INSPECTOR GENERAL
ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS THAT
THEY'RE RECEIVING DIRECTLY, AND
THEN COME BACK WITH MORE
INFORMATION. SIR. SO HAS POLICY,
ADAPTIONS TAKEN PLACE UP UNTIL
THIS POINT, OR YOU WANT TO GET
THAT INFORMATION? OKAY. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND
ALSO ON, THOSE THAT REFERRED
BACK, AND TALKING AGAIN ABOUT
THE NUMBER 71, IF I GOT THAT
CORRECT, THAT YOU LOOKED INTO
THOSE INVESTIGATIONS THAT WENT
BACK TO CDCR TO CONDUCT AND YOU
BASICALLY CAME BACK AND DID A
RANDOM SAMPLING OF THOSE THAT
CAME BACK AND IDENTIFIED 71
CASES THAT HAD MERIT MOVING
FORWARD, AND YOU ALSO, TALKED
ABOUT AN AVERAGE THAT THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL USES FOR THESE
CASES. WHAT WAS THAT AVERAGE,
FOR A CASE THAT'S OPEN THAT YOU
USE FOR I'M SORRY FOR THE CASES
THAT WE REVIEW. YEAH. I'M SORRY,
I DON'T HAVE I DON'T HAVE THAT
NUMBER OF OUR AVERAGE TIME FRAME
TO, TO CLOSE A COMPLAINT. ONCE
WE RECEIVED IT, THE 71 CASES
THAT WE REVIEWED AS PART OF THE
SPECIAL REVIEW, IT TOOK AN
AVERAGE OF 346 DAYS FROM THE
TIME THE COMPLAINT WAS RECEIVED
TO, CLOSE THE COMPLAINT 346 DAYS
FROM THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL OF
THE INSPECTOR, OR CDCR. CDCR AND
THEN THE AVERAGE THAT A CASE
WOULD BE OPENED AND CLOSED. DO
WE KNOW THAT NUMBER REGULATIONS
SAY THAT A GRIEVANCE CDCR
REGULATIONS SAY A GRIEVANCE
SHOULD BE CLOSED WITHIN 60 DAYS.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE ONGOING
GRIEVANCE, 60 DAYS? YES OKAY.
AND THAT'S WHEN THERE WAS 3200,
GRIEVANCES AND IT SKYROCKETED TO
8000. AND NOW WE'RE ON 500 A
MONTH, AND THAT'S STILL THERE.
THE 60 DAYS. SO I JUST WANT TO
CLARIFY THAT THE 3200 FROM 2022
AND THE 8000 PLUS FROM 2023,
THOSE ARE COMPLAINTS THAT COME
DIRECTLY TO THE OIG. THEY DO NOT
GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS. AND SO THAT'S AN
ENTIRELY SEPARATE PROCESS. THEN
THE PROCESS WE REVIEWED IN OUR
SPECIAL REVIEW, THE SPECIAL
REVIEW FOCUSED SOLELY ON THE
INCARCERATED PERSON GRIEVANCE.
AND IT'S THEIR FORM 602 OR OTHER
MEANS THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. SO
THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE, ENTIRE
SEPARATE PROCESSES. SO MEMBER
LACKEY, ON SOME OF THE
QUESTIONING ON SOME OF THESE,
GRIEVANCES AND COMPLAINTS IS TO,
TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. AND
WE'RE GOING TO ASK CDCR RIGHT
NOW IF THAT NUMBER IS LARGER
WITH OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT WE'RE
NOT IDENTIFYING HERE WITHIN THIS
, SO CDCR INTAKES, APPROXIMATELY
650, ALLEGATIONS OF STAFF
MISCONDUCT, THAT ARE ROUTED TO,
OIA FOR INVESTIGATION MONTHLY.
WE'RE CLOSING APPROXIMATELY THAT
SAME NUMBER RIGHT NOW SO WE ARE
ABLE TO MAINTAIN FINALLY, A
BALANCE, WE ARE WORKING
DILIGENTLY TO BRING OUR AVERAGE
FOR CASE CLOSURES DOWN TO 100
BELOW 120 DAYS, AND CONTINUE TO
IMPROVE UPON THAT, BECAUSE AFTER
WE CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION, IT
STILL MUST GO BACK TO THE HIRING
AUTHORITY FOR ADDITIONAL ACTION.
AND REVIEW. AND ARE THOSE REVIEW
CASES OPEN AND CLOSED? HAVE
REGULATION TIMEFRAMES OF 60 DAYS
ALSO, OR. NO, I DO NOT BELIEVE
THAT IT'S SPELLED OUT WITHIN
REGULATIONS, BUT I'D LIKE TO GO
BACK AND JUST VALIDATE THAT
ANSWER FOR YOU, SIR. THANK YOU.
AND REALLY THE QUESTION IS, IS
WE HAVE A POLICY AND ARE THOSE
POLICIES WORKING OR DO WE NEED
TO AUGMENT THOSE TO ENSURE THAT
WE'RE COMPLYING WITH, SOME OF
THE TESTIMONY AND WHAT IT IS
THAT THIS, COMMITTEE IS HEARING?
WE CERTAINLY THINK THAT THERE
NEEDS TO BE SOME CHANGES. AS I
AS I ADDRESSED EARLIER, THE
SYSTEM IS BREAKING UNDER ITS OWN
WEIGHT, THERE ARE MULTIPLE, WAYS
TO GO ABOUT THAT. IN THE CURRENT
CONVERSATION WITH COURT EXPERT
AND ARMSTRONG RELATED TO THAT.
BUT WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COME
BACK AND SHARE MORE, AS WE HAVE
SOME AGREEMENTS OR ITEMS THAT
THAT ARE ACTIONABLE. SIR, CAN I
ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
ASSEMBLYMEMBER LACKEY, YOU USED
THE EXAMPLE OF THE KITCHEN
WORKER WITH THE GLOVES. AND THE
WAY YOU DEFINE THAT, THAT
MISCONDUCT IS WITHIN YOUR OWN
POLICY, IS IT NOT? YES DO YOU
THINK THAT CONSIDERS. SEEMS LIKE
THAT WOULD DESERVE SOME
RECONSIDERATION. ABSOLUTELY,
SIR. SO YOU GUYS COULD BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION HERE. AND I FEEL
LIKE SOME OF THIS IS, SEEMS TO
BE COMMON SENSE, I AGREE. I
MEAN, I DON'T MEAN TO BE
INSULTING. I'M JUST TELLING YOU
SOMETIMES WE GET IN OUR OWN WAY,
SIR. YOU'RE NOT. YOU'RE NOT
INSULTING, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR ME TO POINT OUT
THE FACT THAT THE DEFINITION OF
STAFF MISCONDUCT, WHICH WAS
CHANGED IN 2022, WAS DONE AS
PART OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE
COURT. SO BEFORE WE CAN ADDRESS
THAT PARTICULAR PIECE, WE MUST
TAKE THAT BACK TO THE PLAINTIFFS
IN THE FOLKS INVOLVED IN THAT TO
POTENTIALLY GET CHANGE. I THINK
I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, BUT I'M
HOPING THAT WE CAN, MITIGATE
SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS BY A
LITTLE MORE REASONABLE APPROACH
TO SOME OF THESE ALLEGATIONS,
BECAUSE, THAT'S PART OF THE
PROBLEM. WE WOULD CERTAINLY
AGREE WITH THAT, SIR. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THIS TESTIMONY. AND
I KNOW THAT ALEJO'S OUT THERE,
HEARING THE DIFFERENT DIALOG,
GOING BACK AND FORTH, I'M NOT
SURE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
ANY COMMENTS ON THIS OR, OR.
DREW SODERBERG LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST OFFICE WE DON'T HAVE ANY
COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, BUT IF
YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
YOU'D LIKE US TO LOOK INTO,
WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK
WITH YOUR STAFF TO DO SO.
DEFINITELY THEY'LL BE
FORTHCOMING. SOME QUESTIONS WE
DEFINITELY NEED HELP. BUT THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, NO,
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION TO
PUBLIC COMMENT, SUBCOMMITTEE IS
LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS
TO ADDRESS THE STATE DEFICIT AND
WILL BE MAKING DIFFICULT
DECISIONS. YOU HEARD THE
DIFFERENT PANELS, PUBLIC COMMENT
ON THE ISSUES THAT WERE HEARD BY
THIS COMMITTEE. GO AHEAD AND
STATE YOUR NAME. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS, KOBE PEZZATI
WITH THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION
OF PSYCHIATRIC TECHNICIANS, WE
WOULD LIKE TO ECHO THE COMMENTS
MADE BY OUR COLLEAGUE, MISS
O'MALLEY FROM AFSCME, OUR
VACANCY RATE AT SOME OF OUR
PRISONS IS, IS AS HIGH AS 45.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS. IT'S
PART OF THE PROBLEM, THOUGH, IS
REGISTRY PTS OUTSOURCING,
PRIVATE SECTOR TO, PSYCH TECHS
ARE BEING PAID AS HIGH AS $59 AN
HOUR, PLUS $900 A WEEK TRAVEL
PER DIEM, WHILE A STATE EMPLOYED
PSYCH TECH IS PAID $38 AN HOUR
AT TOP STEP. THIS HAS LED TO
GREATER VACANCIES WHERE THE
STATE STAFF HAVE ACTUALLY LEFT
STATE EMPLOYMENT TO WORK FOR A
STAFFING AGENCY AT THE VERY SAME
PRISON THEY LEFT CDCR HAS DONE
LITTLE TO IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY
TO HIRE STATE STAFF. WE HAVE
TRIED TO RESOLVE SOME OF OUR
ISSUES AT THE BARGAINING TABLE
WITH NO RESOLUTION, CDC'S CDCR'S
EFFORTS ARE TOO LITTLE WHEN
THEY'RE PROVIDING A LUCRATIVE
CONTRACT TO PRIVATE SECTOR
STAFFING AGENCIES, ENCOURAGING
STATE STAFF TO LEAVE OR NEW
GRADUATING LICENSE STAFF NOT
CONSIDERING STATE EMPLOYMENT AT
ALL DUE TO THE PAY DISPARITY.
AND AS FOR THE, AS FOR THE KIND
OF OVERSIGHT OF THE OUTSOURCING,
OR OUTSOURCED STAFF, HERE'S JUST
A LITTLE ANECDOTAL ISSUE FROM
ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WHO WHO WAS
TERMINATED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE HOSPITALS TWO WEEKS LATER,
THAT PERSON WAS HIRED BY CDC OR
NOT, CDCR, BUT AN OUTSOURCED
STAFFING AGENCY, THAT WAS WITHIN
RELATIVELY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HOSPITAL
FACILITY. SHE WAS FIRED FROM,
WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS,
THIS INDIVIDUAL WOULD NEVER BE
ALLOWED TO WORK FOR THE STATE
AGAIN. SO I JUST HOPE WE HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT
THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENTS, CHAIR. RAMOS AND
MOORLACH, MARVIN PINEDA, ON
BEHALF OF PRIDE INDUSTRIES, I
WANT TO MAKE A QUICK A FEW
COMMENTS RELATED TO WHAT WAS
SAID BY CDCR, ONE IS THE
DECISION ON THE CONTRACT BY THE
PERSONNEL BOARD WAS MADE BY THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NOT THE
ENTIRE BOARD. THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO
AN EXTENSION ON THE CONTRACT,
AND ALSO TO BE FLEXIBLE AND FIND
OTHER SOLUTIONS FOR THE
CONTRACT, WHICH EXIST, ANOTHER
POINT BEING THE JOB FAIRS THAT
300 APPLICANTS HAVE APPLIED FOR,
THAT JOBS. THERE HAVE BEEN JOB
FAIRS FOR OVER A YEAR TO FILL
THIS POSITIONS AND TO OUR
UNDERSTANDING, ONLY A FEW
POSITIONS HAVE BEEN FILLED. MOST
OF THE CIVIL SERVICE POSITIONS
ARE UNFILLED, SO THAT THAT'S A
PROBLEM. AND THEN THE MY OTHER
COMMENT IS PRIDE IS NOT MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN CAL PIA CAL PIA
WILL REQUIRE BRINGING OTHER
INMATES IN SPENDING RESOURCES ON
THIS INMATES TO DO THE CLEANING.
AND ANOTHER COMMENT I HAVE IS
PRIDE INDUSTRIES IS A NONPROFIT.
SO IT'S SERVING PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES. IT AND THEY HAVE
RELATIONSHIPS WITH LABOR UNIONS.
A LOT OF THE WORKERS ARE ARE
MEMBERS OF LABOR UNIONS. SO WE
ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WE
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS, AS
NOTICE HAS TO GO TO EMPLOYEES 60
DAYS BEFORE, BEFORE AUGUST
THIRD. SO WE WANT TO FIND A
SOLUTION. AND I THINK WHAT'S
SENSIBLE HERE IS AN EXTENSION,
AT LEAST BY THE PERSONNEL BOARD.
IT'S VERY REASONABLE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE. I
REALLY APPRECIATE THIS
OPPORTUNITY. I WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH A VERY SIGNIFICANT AND
DEBILITATING DISABILITY IN MY
EARLY 20S, AND I'VE HAD A HARD
TIME HOLDING JOBS. PRIDE
INDUSTRIES HAS GIVEN ME A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY AND I'VE ALSO BEEN
ABLE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT
HAVE SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES,
AND THEY WOULD HAVE A REALLY
HARD TIME IF THEY JUST WERE
SUDDENLY PUT OUT WITHOUT ANY
PROMISE OF WHERE WHERE THEY'RE
GOING TO FIND EMPLOYMENT FROM.
AND SO I JUST I JUST HOPE THAT
THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT
INTO CONSIDERATION. THÀNH. AND,
AND DO THE RIGHT THING AGAIN, I
REALLY APPRECIATE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS
. YES. MY NAME IS TITO ROSALES.
I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR PRIOR FOR
ABOUT ALMOST 12 YEARS NOW.
THAT'S THE LONGEST I'VE BEEN IN
A COMPANY. FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE
JANITORIAL INDUSTRY. THAT'S ALL
I KNOW. JUST JANITORIAL. I COULD
NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY I COULDN'T
BE SUCCESSFUL, I DIDN'T KNOW I
HAD A DISABILITY TILL I STARTED
WORKING WITH PRIDE FOUR YEARS
AGO WHEN I MOVED TO KI¾M
FACILITY. THE FACT THAT THE
TRAININGS, THE SUPPORT IS
REALLY, REALLY WHAT HAS GOT ME
GOING, AND IT'S GIVEN ME, GIVEN
ME HOPE, IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT TO LOSE THIS JOB, JUST
AT 57, KNOWING THAT I WOULD HAVE
TO WORK 10 TO 12 HOURS. I'VE
BEEN DOING THAT ALL MY LIFE.
THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT IF
A 57. SO THAT'S ONE OF MY
CONCERNS. MY OTHER CONCERN IS
I'M PRETTY SURE I'M NOT GOING TO
GET THE SUPPORT. I'M NOT GOING
TO GET THE TRAIN. THE PRIDE IS
GIVEN ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET IT
FOR 30 YEARS. SO THAT'S I'M VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. WE NEED
THIS JOB BECAUSE IT HELPS ME PAY
MY BILLS. IT HELPS ME PAY MY
MORTGAGE, WHICH MY SON AND I, WE
FINALLY WERE ABLE TO GET A HOUSE
TWO YEARS AGO. A LOT OF MY
COWORKERS WERE FINALLY BE ABLE
TO MOVE INTO A NEW APARTMENT,
GET A BETTER CAR. AND SO WE NEED
THIS JOB. SO THEREFORE, THANK
YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
TALKING TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. HI, I AM
WILLOW HARBOR DAVISON. I AM THE
QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR AT CMF
. I AM ALSO AUTISTIC. I STARTED
WITH PRIDE BACK IN 2016 AS AN
EVS TECH IN STOCKTON. WITH
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ANXIETY,
SOCIAL DIFFICULTIES, AND
WHATNOT. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET
TO THE POSITION THAT I AM NOW,
AND IF I HAD TO FIND A NEW JOB
AT THIS POINT, I THINK I WOULD
HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME NOT
JUST FINDING A JOB THAT PROVIDED
THOSE SAME, THOSE SAME
ACCOMMODATIONS WITHIN THE
WORKPLACE ITSELF, BUT ALSO
WITHIN THEIR HIRING PRACTICES,
THE JOB MARKET, NAVIGATING THAT
DIRECTLY GOES AGAINST ALL OF MY
GREATEST WEAKNESSES. AND I THINK
THAT IN THE TIME IT TOOK ME TO,
TO, TO NAVIGATE THAT, AS I SAY,
I WOULD HAVE A VERY, DIFFICULT
TIME KEEPING UP WITH, WITH RENT,
STUDENT LOANS, CAR PAYMENTS AND,
OTHER FINANCIAL NECESSITIES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON
EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS MARIA
LAPLANA, AND I'VE BEEN, WORKING
FOR PRIDE FOR FIVE YEARS, PRIDE
ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATES ME TO WORK
ON MY SCHEDULE TO BE ON MY
DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF
MY HEALTH ISSUES. THEY ACTUALLY
WORK FOR MY SCHEDULE AS WELL TO
BE WITH MY KIDS, TO, ABLE TO
DROP THEM OFF AND PICK UP FROM
THE SCHOOL, I NEED THIS JOB.
THIS JOB IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
ME BECAUSE IT GIVES FOOD,
SHELTER AND OTHER NECESSARY THAT
MY FAMILY NEEDS. I CAN'T AFFORD
TO LOSE THIS JOB. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
CRYSTAL PREY. I HAVE WORKED FOR
PRIDE INDUSTRIES FOR EIGHT YEARS
NOW. CURRENTLY I'M AN ASSISTANT
OPERATIONS MANAGER AT CMF. I
HAVE A DAUGHTER WITH AUTISM,
WORKS FOR THIS COMPANY, HAS
GIVEN RESOURCES AND ALLOWED ME
AVAILABILITY TO CARE FOR HER. SO
LOSING THIS OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
AT OTHER JOBS IT'S NOT
AVAILABLE. SO THANK YOU. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. HELLO.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
PACITA VELASCO. I WORK FOR PRIDE
FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW, I
HAVE I NEED THIS JOB BECAUSE OF
MY HEALTH SITUATION. I AM A
CANCER SURVIVOR AND. AND DURING
MY BATTLE, PRIDE IS WITH, WAS
WITH ME, AND THEY KNOW MY
SITUATION, MY ACCOMMODATION, AND
ESPECIALLY I'M A WIDOW, SO I
REALLY NEED THIS JOB. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
JESSICA VASQUEZ, AND I'M A NEW
EMPLOYEE TO PRIDE INDUSTRIES. I
WAS SO GRATEFUL TO FIND A
COMPANY THAT WOULD HIRE ME AT MY
AGE AND WITH MY DISABILITIES.
THIS JOB IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE I NO LONGER HAVE TO WORK
THREE JOBS TO MAKE ENDS MEET,
AND I NOW HAVE TIME TO SPEND
WITH MY GRANDSON. AND HE'S 13
YEARS OLD, AND HE ALSO HAS
DISABILITIES AND I'VE BEEN
RAISING HIM FOR THE LAST EIGHT
YEARS, MY POSITION IS AN EVS
LEAD COACH. IT'S NOT ONLY
IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY FAMILY,
BUT ALSO TO THE PERSON THAT I
WORK, HAND IN HAND WITH, IN THE
PAST, SHE HAS NOT BEEN. SHE'S
BEEN VERY UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE
WORKFORCE DUE TO HER
DISABILITIES. BUT PRIDE
INDUSTRIES MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR
HER TO SUCCEED WITH CONFIDENCE.
AND THE SUPPORT THAT SHE NEEDS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. HELLO AND THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. MY
NAME IS AMANDA BLEDSOE AND I'VE
BEEN WORKING FOR PRIDE FOR TWO
YEARS WORKING FOR PRIDE AND AT
THE VACAVILLE CMF CONTRACT HAS
GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK
ONE POSITION AND FINANCIALLY
COMPENSATE FOR MY FAMILY, AS A
MOTHER, THIS JOB ALLOWS ME TO
WORK THE WORK LIFE BALANCE AND
BETTER SUPPORT MY CHILDREN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. Ó GO AHEAD, STATE
YOUR NAME. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS
ZAKIA AND I WORK FOR Þ. AND THEN
I WORK FOR PRIDE INDUSTRY. IT'S
MY FIRST THREE WEEKS OF WORKING
SO FAR, AND I REALLY LIKE IT.
AND I HAVE A DISABILITY WITH
DIGEORGE SYNDROME, AND IT HELPS
ME GET UP EARLY EVERY MORNING
AND IT HELPS ME ACHIEVE MY GOALS
. AND, I'M SORRY. I'M NERVOUS.
AND THEN, IT'S REALLY HELPS ME
TO GET MORE SUPPORT WITH A JOB
COACH. AND. THE REASON WHY I
CAN'T LOSE THIS JOB IS BECAUSE
WE. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE IT. AND
IT HELPS ME TO SUPPORT FOR ME,
MY FAMILY AND I WANT TO BE ABLE
TO BE THAT PERSON TO, SUPPORT
AND BE A BIGGER PERSON. AND JUST
TO, KEEP MOVING FORWARD FOR MY
FUTURE. AND I REALLY AM THANKFUL
FOR YOU HAVING ME AS A YOUNG
ADULT OF MY AGE TO WORK HERE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. HELLO.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE, MY
NAME IS MARIANA GARCIA. I WORK
FOR PRIDE INDUSTRIES AT THE CMF
IN VACAVILLE. I ACTUALLY A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME. I STARTED
AS A EVS TECH AND I MOVED UP TO
A FLOOR FOUR PERSON, AND THEN
BECAME A JOB COACH, AND NOW I'M
CURRENTLY IN THAT JOB COACH
POSITION. SEE, PRIDE INDUSTRIES
OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND
ACCOMMODATES PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITY, AS I HAVE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS THAT HAVE A DISABILITY,
AND IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT THEY
WILL HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY
IN THE WORKFORCE WITHOUT BEING
DISCOURAGED OR REJECTED. PRIDE
INDUSTRIES HAS TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION THE STRUGGLES AND
HARDSHIPS IN WHICH WE ALL LIVE
IN BY PROVIDING A FAIR PAY Ã
WORKING FOR THE STATE WILL NOT
GUARANTEE ME THE SAME SUPPORT
AND OPPORTUNITY. PRIDE HAS
ACTUALLY GIVEN ME. WORKING FOR
THE STATE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO
CONTINUE TO GROW WITHIN MY
CAREER AND ASSIST PEOPLE WITH
ACCOMMODATIONS, WHILE STILL
BEING ABLE TO PAY MY BILLS AND
TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY. WITH
JUST THIS JOB ALONE, I STAND
HERE TODAY WITH MY PRIDE FAMILY
TO ASK OF YOU ALL, TO RECONSIDER
YOUR DECISION AND NOT TAKE OUR
JOBS AWAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENTS. HELLO. THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME, MY NAME IS CARLOS
MENGIBAR. I WORK FOR, PRIDE AT
CMF FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. BUT
WHEN WITH THE COMPANY FOR TEN
YEARS, I STARTED OFF AS EASY AS
A EVS TECH. AND THEN I WORKED MY
WAY UP TO, MATERIAL HANDLER, I
REALLY LOVE THIS JOB. AND, YOU
KNOW, I'LL BE CRUSHED. YOU KNOW,
IF I LOSE THIS JOB BECAUSE I GOT
A FAMILY SUPPORT AND I'M A
DIABETIC, AND, YOU KNOW,
MEDICINE RIGHT NOW, BEING THE
COST IS REALLY HIGH RIGHT NOW.
SO PRIDE INDUSTRY, PRIDE
INDUSTRIES ECONOMIST ME AND MY
HEALTH AND TAKES CARE OF MY
FAMILY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS MAMOUDOU ABIRI. I'VE
BEEN WORKING FOR PRIDE INDUSTRY
FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS AND PRIDE
INDUSTRY GAVE ME THE
ACCOMMODATION THAT ENABLED ME TO
KEEP THE JOB THIS LONG. FOR THE
PAST NUMBER OF YEARS I'VE NOT
BEEN ABLE TO KEEP A JOB UP TO A
YEAR BEFORE THEY WILL ASK ME TO
GO FOR PRIDE INDUSTRY GAVE ME
THE NEEDED ACCOMMODATION AND
ABLE TO KEEP MY JOB K¾T. ANOTHER
JOB IS HARD FOR ME, PROVIDING
FOR MY FAMILY WILL BE MORE
DIFFICULT. THANKS FOR HAVING ME
HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS JAY SEAN WHITE. I'VE
BEEN. I'M AN EVS TECH WITH
PRIDE, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT
SIX MONTHS NOW AND, PRIDE PRETTY
MUCH FELL INTO MY LAP, I HAD
TROUBLE WORKING WITH AMAZON, I
HAVE A CLUBFOOT, SO IT'S KIND OF
TOUGH FOR ME TO WALK AROUND AND
STAND UP AT TIMES, WHEN I GOT
WITH PRIDE, THEY GAVE ME A REAL
OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A WORKFORCE,
A FAMILY, THEY SUPPORTED ME,
GAVE ME ACCOMMODATIONS THAT
WORKED AROUND MY PHYSICAL
ABILITIES, I'M JUST THANKFUL FOR
THEM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY
NAME IS JOHN ADAMS. I'M AN
OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR PRIDE
INDUSTRIES. I'VE BEEN WITH THEM
FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS NOW, I'M
A DISABLED VETERAN, SO MY, MY
OWN FIRST PRIVATE SECTOR JOB IN
MY LIFE. I HAD TWO GOVERNMENT
JOBS PRIOR TO THIS, WORKING WITH
PRIDE IS SUCH AN AMAZING
EXPERIENCE. THE DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION I EXPERIENCED WITH
THIS COMPANY IS LIKE NOTHING
I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED ON A WITH
A GOVERNMENT JOB, WE HAVE SO
MANY LAYERS OF HELP FOR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES AND
ACCOMMODATE THEM, I'M A SINGLE,
SINGLE FATHER. AT THIS POINT IN
MY LIFE, MY WIFE'S, BEEN BUSY
WITH OTHER THINGS. SO LOSING
THIS JOB WOULD MEAN, HAVING TO
GO AND TRY TO GET BENEFITS AND
FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO
ACCOMMODATE MY SON. MY SENIOR
LEADERSHIP IS AMAZING. THE LEVEL
OF CLEANLINESS WE PROVIDE AT CMF
AND THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND
CLEANING PATIENT CELLS IS
UNMATCHED IN ANY JOB I'VE EVER
HAD. SO IF YOU GUYS GET OUR
CONTRACT EXTENDED FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE, MEAN A LOT
TO MYSELF AND ALL OF MY STAFF.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. HELLO. HELLO MY NAME
IS JEREMIAH LEDOUX. I WORK FOR
PRIDE. I WORK FOR PRIDE
INDUSTRIES, CMF, I REALLY NEED
THIS JOB BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS
SUPPORT ME. I HAVE A DISABILITY.
AND THEY ALWAYS, SUPPORT ME NO
MATTER WHAT. AND THAT'S ALL.
THANK YOU FOR TESTIFYING.
TESTIMONY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
HAVING US. MY NAME IS BRIAN
ROBERTS. I'M A DISABLED VETERAN.
I'M A SAFETY REP OUT THERE AT
CMF, DEFINITELY THE BEING ABLE
TO HAVE THAT JOB, IT'S SOMETHING
THAT I CAN PHYSICALLY STILL DO,
STILL PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY, ONE
OF THE BIG THINGS THAT CDCR DID
NOT MENTION WITH THE WHOLE,
BRINGING PEOPLE OVER WITH THE
ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU WERE
ASKING THAT, WAS THAT IT'S A $10
PAY CUT FOR AN HOUR FOR EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE,
PRETTY MUCH TOO. YOU CAN GO OVER
THERE. IT'S AT LEAST TEN, IF NOT
MORE SO TRYING TO DO THAT,
TRYING TO DO THAT AS A ONE JOB.
AGAIN, A LOT OF US WILL HAVE TO
GO BACK TO HAVING MULTIPLE JOBS
IN ORDER TO JUST PROVIDE FOR OUR
FAMILY. I DON'T WANT TO END UP
AS A HOMELESS VETERAN. I WANT TO
BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF MY
FAMILY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR
THE TIME, MY NAME IS KEITH YORK,
I WORK WITH ABOUT 130 DIFFERENT
REHABILITATION PROGRAMS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, AND THESE ARE
PROGRAMS THAT EMPLOY PEOPLE WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS, MUCH LIKE PRIDE
INDUSTRIES. ONE OF THE
STATISTICS THAT I JUST WANTED TO
MENTION WAS THE UNEMPLOYMENT
RATE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS IS ABOUT 75% OF THOSE
INDIVIDUALS, 71% WANT TO WORK,
BUT ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT THESE
INDIVIDUALS, THESE JOBS ARE VERY
PRECIOUS, ESPECIALLY LIVING WAGE
POSITIONS. PRIDE TAKES A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND
TIME, ACCOMMODATIONS, TRAINING
TO CREATE THESE JOBS, TRAIN
THESE INDIVIDUALS AND SUSTAIN
LIVING EMPLOYMENT. SO TO TAKE
THEM AWAY WOULD IS DEVASTATING
TO NOT ONLY THE NONPROFITS, BUT
MOST IMPORTANTLY TO THE
INDIVIDUALS. SO THESE 130
QUALIFIED REHABILITATION
PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE
THAT SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT FOR
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEY
ARE ASKING YOU TO KEEP THESE
JOBS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS. AND THERE'S TWO OTHER
REHABILITATION PROGRAM DIRECTORS
HERE TO STATE THAT. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YEAH GOOD
AFTERNOON, SENATE, SENATE BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS. YEAH, I'M
LUIS TEOFILO, I'M THE PRESIDENT
AND CEO OF SOLANO DIVERSIFIED
SERVICES. WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS
SINCE 1981. WE'VE CONTRACTED
WITH THE STATE. WE'VE ALSO
CONTRACTED WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. YOU KNOW, WHAT KEITH
HAD JUST SAID IS SOMETHING THAT
WE'RE SO COMMITTED TO. YOU KNOW,
IT'S OUR MISSION. IT'S IN OUR
BLOOD. ANY OF THE NONPROFITS IN
CALIFORNIA PROVIDING SERVICES,
THEIR MAIN MISSION IS THAT
WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS WE DO HAVE A
STATE THAT'S VERY FORWARD
THINKING. CALIFORNIA HAS A
SAYING EMPLOYMENT FIRST. I WAS
SO HAPPY TO HEAR, THE ONE
MEMBER, A LACKEY, SPEAKING AND
BEING SO SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE I
THINK ONE OF THE OBSTACLES IS
THAT THE STATE USE, IN
CALIFORNIA IS SIGNIFICANT LOW
COMPARED TO OTHER STATES.
RECENTLY WE HAD A BRAINSTORMING
AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL. THE STATE
OF TEXAS HAS $142 BILLION
BUDGET. CALIFORNIA 268. TEXAS
HAS A SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND
SIGNIFICANTLY AMOUNT A HIGHER
NUMBER OF JOBS IN STATE USE THAN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SO I
THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE
OBSTACLES PROVIDING SERVICES FOR
THE FOLKS THAT WE PROVIDE
SERVICES TO. WE DO HAVE A VERY
RELIABLE, A VERY DEPENDABLE
WORKFORCE. AS YOU COULD ATTEST
TODAY FROM ALL THE, DIFFERENT
TESTIMONY THAT YOU HEARD. SO I'M
HERE JUST BASICALLY TO SUPPORT
PRIDE INDUSTRIES. I'VE BEEN
AWARE OF THEM SINCE DAY ONE WHEN
SOLANO DIVERSIFIED SERVICES
STARTED. AND, I HOPE THIS IS
RECONSIDERED AND THEY'RE ABLE TO
MAINTAIN THE CMF CONTRACT. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS
. HI. MY NAME IS GARY GRIFFIN.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
AT LINCOLN TRAINING CENTER.
WE'RE LOCATED OUT OF LOS ANGELES
AREA, AND I AM HERE TO PROVIDE
OR LEND MY SUPPORT TO PRIDE
INDUSTRIES IN ALL THESE
WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS THAT
REALLY APPRECIATE THE JOBS THAT
THEY'RE AFFORDED THROUGH CDCR,
LINCOLN TRAINING CENTER ALSO
PROVIDES MANY JOBS. ABOUT 400 OR
SO THROUGHOUT THE STATE, MEANING
WITH CALTRANS AND MY CONCERN IS
THAT IF THESE JOBS CAN BE TAKEN
AWAY, MOVING FORWARD, HOW MANY
OF OUR PEOPLE, MY PEOPLE OR
WHATEVER YOU WILL ARE GOING TO
BE DISPLACED WITH SOME OTHER
ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE THAT COMES
UP THROUGH, ANYBODY ELSE? SO
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND THESE
GUYS ARE GREAT PEOPLE. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMENTS. ANY OTHER PUBLIC
COMMENT? ANY OTHER PUBLIC
COMMENT? WELL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH, THIS HEARING IS ADJOURNED