Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility ( RJDCF or RJD) is a California state prison located in unincorporated southern San Diego County, California, [2] near San Diego. 619-661-6500. SAN DIEGO - Anibal Navarro, a former corrections officer at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, was sentenced in federal court today to 37 months in prison for smuggling methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and cell phones into state prison. Early on in the pandemic, Donovan had been relatively untouched by the virus, state corrections COVID-19 data shows. The corrections officer, who started at Donovan in February 2017, makes more than $100,000 a year in his job at the prison. Members of the California Correctional Supervisors Organization who worked with Pollard praised him, Paul Curry, a legislative advocate with the organization, said. The Donovan State Prison is under the management and operation of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Dana Simas, Corrections press secretary, told inewsource that the agency remains committed to improving conditions for R.J. Donovan residents. During the inspectors year-long study period, the prison completed 257 cases of misconduct allegations by disabled prisoners against prison staff. Lawyers for the corrections department argue the court order is intrusive by imposing overly broad reforms that micromanage leadership and overlap with efforts already underway, according to the agencys brief filed in the Ninth U.S. Live Now . Fax (619) 661-7863 . Sixty-six percent of the prison staff are vaccinated, slightly higher than the state prison staff average. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to retiring Warden Marcus Pollard for 27 years of exemplary service to the Department, she wrote. Prison reform advocates looked at the remedial plan as an example of whats possible nationwide, Kendrick said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Blakespear holds narrow lead over Gunderson in state Senate race, Biden plans San Diego County visit to campaign for Levin in 49th Congressional race, County settles lawsuit over in-custody death for $1.35 million, Girls dream up engineering solutions to hack human colonization of Mars, Murder suspect arrested in Central America pleads not guilty in 2016 Allied Gardens homicide, Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for murder of woman on Carlsbad hiking trail, Consumer group appeals court loss in dispute over state insurance records, The countys climate plan favors utility-scale solar. from the world's leading source The allegations include that corrections staff at R.J. Donovan physically assaulted disabled residents many times targeting those in wheelchairs or who use walkers denied them medical care, neglected serious needs and retaliated against whistleblowers. The prisons personnel department did not identify it as staff misconduct. Therefore, as of the publication date of this report, the department has not formally disciplined staff members relative to any of the staff allegations submitted by the disabled incarcerated persons pertaining to this project, the report said. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Pollards last day was Nov. 2, 2021. This is a high-risk medical facility and once some contract the virus, it proves hard to fight off, Pollard said, according to the meetings minutes. Whoops! Defendants take seriously the allegations of excessive force and retaliation by class members, and are continuing to take substantial measures to address and prevent abuse. The Inspector General report comes amid a long-running class action lawsuit against Donovan by disabled inmates, who alleged they were discriminated against in violation of the American With Disabilities Act. Last Updated: 02/14/2023. SAN DIEGO, CA -- On a sweltering April afternoon in 2017, James Leonard Acuna spent what may have been the last day of his life playing soccer with fellow inmates at the Richard J. Donovan. Gabriel Marinkovich , 28, from New York, who heads up the course, said prisons have historically been a place for philosophical reflection but that weren't actively . FILE - Sirhan Sirhan reacts during a parole hearing on Feb. 10, 2016, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Ting said he wasnt aware that the corrections department had filed a motion to block the courts intervention. In one case, on November 5, 2018, officers were accused of tackling a disabled incarcerated person, kicking him in the face, and dragging him to the mental health building, according to a case summary in the report. Despite the OIGs appeals to several department executives, they upheld the decision, noting that there were not third-party witnesses to the incident, it was a he said/she said situation, there were inconsistencies in the girlfriends statements, and, after criminal charges were filed, the girlfriend had sent an email message to the officer stating she could no longer recall exactly how she sustained the injuries that night.. The Donovan [] With the generous support of readers like you, Times of San Diego publishes timely and accurate news coverage for a better-informed community. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. NEWSLETTERS: Sign up to keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS. His salary was more than $180,000. or live RSS feed. Donovan State Prison Warden Resigns After Sending Blistering Email, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Foundation for Independent Voter Education, Bill Would Open Californias Secretive State Prison System to Public Scrutiny, Old Globe Performers Take Henry V for Tour Around County, to Schools, Parks, Shelters, More, Opinion: Restore Felony Penalties to Protect Public Safety in California. Establishment DBA: Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility and its successors Inspection Site: 480 Alta Road San Diego, CA 92179 Citation 1 Item 2 Type of Violation: Regulatory 14300.40(a): T8CCR 14300.40(a): 14300.40. Thats a good question.. The decision comes after an ultimatum from San Diego councilmember and revelations about the firms federal COVID-19 relief loan. That changed in Dec. 2020, when reported cases suddenly surged, and deaths followed suit. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. Employees spoke about Armentas long career at Donovan where he served in several roles, including sergeant, lieutenant and public information officer. We offer subscribers exclusive access to our best journalism.Thank you for your support. It is a part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The decision marks a change from a different panel's conclusion two years ago that the 78-year-old should be paroled. California State Prison Sacramento Cycle 6 Medical Inspection Report. As part of the litigation, Donovan has been ordered to make extensive reforms. "After carefully reviewing the case, including records in the California State Archives, I have determined that Sirhan has not developed the accountability and insight required to support his safe release into the community," Newsom wrote. We scan thousands of news sites, so you don't have to, saving The prisons internal affairs department did not finish its investigation of the reported incident until five months after the deadline to take disciplinary action had passed, the report said. One of Navarros co-conspirators, prison inmate Martin Gomez, organized and directed the other participants, including Navarro, from his cell in California state prisons in San Diego and Los Angeles. According to the Inspector General report, The Skelly officer heard a presentation by the officers attorney and, based on the presentation, concluded that there were inconsistencies in the girlfriends statements and that the officer presented himself humbly, very confident in his demeanor, and body language was agreeing [sic] with the statements of his legal representation.. good team, poor morale and increasing work expectations in unsafe environment. Have a question about Government Services? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. By the Inmate Family Council meeting in January, more than a dozen residents had died from the virus. Unfortunately, history has shown for the past several decades that CDCR will only take steps to reform itself when its been ordered to do so by federal courts, Kendrick said. TTY: (619) 557-3450. Lawyers for R.J. Donovan residents and the corrections department have been negotiating reforms in the remedial plan in nearly weekly meetings for more than a year, according to court documents. But without a court mandate, Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the ACLUs National Prison Project, worries that the progress made toward transparency and accountability will be quickly rolled back. Sirhan was convicted of gunning down Kennedy, 42, in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. The family of one Donovan resident who died from COVID-19 said they werent notified about the death until a month after it happened. Gomez arranged for individuals outside of prison to smuggle contraband into Donovan prison and deliver drugs and cell phones to various inmates through Navarro. The corrections department has acknowledged the need for reform and said some reforms are already underway while pushing back on the Armstrong court intervention. Toll Free (800) 544-1106 More than one-fourth of the 3,248 residents at the prison, as of Sept. 26, have a physical disability. SAN DIEGO (CNS) A guard at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly accepting bribes from a prison inmate in. Another change Allison said was expected to help resolve problems was new leadership. The corrections department said COVID-19 positive residents are checked on regularly and brought to the hospital if needed, but it acknowledged in court documents that corrections staff, overwhelmed with the winter outbreak, also failed to isolate COVID-19 positive residents from those not infected. In order to do that, you have to have staff properly trained, you have to have an investigative and inquiry process that is thorough and transparent.. Dana Simas, press secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, refused to acknowledge that the incidents in the OIG report took place at Donovan. We will soon begin monitoring the departments implementation of this new process and will report our observations of the new process in future reports, state investigators wrote. Navarro was paid between $1,000 and $2,000 each time he smuggled contraband into the prison. The department received more than $90 million in the current budget year to comply with court-ordered reforms at R.J. Donovan and across the state prison system. Sirhan was denied parole for another three years by a panel of California parole board members, who said he was not suitable for release. The decision marks a change from a different panel's conclusion two years ago that the 78-year-old should be paroled. SAN DIEGO (CNS) A guard at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly accepting bribes from a prison inmate in exchange for smuggling him contraband, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday. US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. So who was Jay Kahn? The Richard J. Donovan state prison in Otay Mesa is shown on Dec. 21, 2018. It is the only state prison in San Diego County. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to 3 Years for Smuggling Drugs and Cell Phones into State Prison, Corrections Officers are charged with the responsibility of keeping the public, inmates, and other prison staff safe, said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. The shooting occurred minutes after the U.S. senator and former U.S. attorney general gave his victory speech after winning the California Democratic presidential primary. In the report this week, investigators wrote that their office launched the inquiry at Donovan as a special project after receiving some sworn declarations that disabled incarcerated people filed in federal court. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Lack of training before working. The appeal quietly filed last fall would remove the legal force of the courts remedial plan, leaving it up to corrections officials to decide how to reform conditions at R.J. Donovan. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is pushing forward with an appeal which seeks to roll back court oversight over the settlements remedial plan a legal agreement mandating sweeping reforms at the state prison, where incarcerated people with disabilities have said theyve experienced widespread abuse and retaliation from corrections staff. 7807 . 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