He found staff bias against those incarcerated colors their investigations, that investigations are often incomplete and that physical evidence and plagiarism in staff reports are often ignored. Whoops! All told, the prison has seen almost 1,000 infections among residents and more than 600 infections among staff. Bond, 36, was admitted from Butte County on Aug. 5, 2010, to serve life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance. With two years at the helm, Pollard led Donovan at the tail end of decades-long litigation against the state corrections department stemming in part from the alleged abuse of incarcerated people with disabilities at the facility, which is near the U.S.-Mexico border. . He will be housed in a segregated unit pending completion of prison officials' investigation into the fatality. Pollards handling of a deadly coronavirus outbreak in the prison also raised questions about his and Corrections leadership. Instead, Pollard sided with the Skelly officer, a prison official who oversees the hearing and makes a recommendation to the warden about whether or not to impose discipline. "We will hold officers accountable when they sacrifice their own integrity and that of the prison system for a payday.". Prosecutors allege Brown and others used stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with the state's Employment Development Department and received funds intended for people who need food and/or housing assistance as a result of the pandemic. You can check out the prison record here. "There was an assault on an inmate on Friday, August 30 at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility at 2:21 p.m," said a statement released to ABC News by the state corrections department on Sunday. SAN DIEGO Six correctional officers and at least two inmates at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility are being treated Sunday after a reported attack by inmates. When the OIG asked Pollard how he thought the girlfriend got her injuries, Pollard blamed the girlfriend and guessed that she could have tripped and fallen, according to the report. 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. And so easy to use. The officer was also forced to surrender a Glock 43 to police, according to court documents. Get an unlimited news experience Over the past year, the department said, it has been building the personnel team, equipment, procedures and training to locate specific footage and release it to the public, the department said. Sofa Mejas-Pascoe /, Storm batters South Bay, flooding streets and forcing horse evacuations, San Diegos houseless residents deal with heavy rains, flooding, San Diego Unified launches new engagement website for students, Eagle delivers 2 eggs in California nest watched by web cam. Curry said the pandemic created particularly difficult circumstances for wardens across the state with guidance and policies changing quickly. Populations in the states 34 prisons have fluctuated significantly over the course of the pandemic. Pollard withdrew the previous wardens disciplinary action against the officer, in agreement with a Skelly officer, who presided over the disciplinary proceedings, and high level department officials who said there were inconsistencies in the girlfriends story and a lack of evidence pointing to the officers guilt. Two others -- Brown's brothers Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger -- are also charged with facilitating the bribes. Please call the Institution to contact the Family Reunification Liaison. Those reforms included implementing body-worn cameras for corrections staff who work with disabled residents and improvements to the investigative process for staff misconduct. The corrections officer, who started at Donovan in February 2017, makes more than $100,000 a year in his job at the prison. Manage your media monitoring in one secure location. March 7, 2022 Donovan's then-warden was Marcus Pollard, who retired in November 2021. On Dec. 15, 2018, Carlsbad police responded to a call from a woman who said her boyfriend, a correctional officer, punched her in the face and severed her thumb by slamming a truck door on her hand, according to the report and court documents. When the OIG asked Pollard how he thought the girlfriend got her injuries, Pollard blamed the girlfriend and guessed that she could have tripped and fallen, according to the report. However, the former has quashed such claims, saying to Variety, You know, people make up a lot of different stories about a lot of different things. He has experience working with both male and female members of the incarcerated population. The report from the plaintiffs use-of-force expert, Jeffrey Schwartz, found several issues with how Donovan officials investigate claims of staff misconduct. At least 15 inmates at . The brothers were housed in different prisons for many years, but are both are currently incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Construction broke ground in April 2014, and the project is slated for completion in 2016. That witness also reported that the man was yelling that he couldnt breathe as the officer stood on his back. Pollards tenure leading Donovan started with a decision the states watchdog for prisons thought was so questionable it prompted a review and a public report. Learn how your comment data is processed. In August 2012, the institution changed from its previous reception center mission, and completed the conversion of three of its five facilities to SNY. Incarcerated students at Donovan Correctional Facility to Receive Federal Aid to Cover Textbook Costs PublishedNovember 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM PST, By The new acting warden, Raymond Madden will lead Donovan while the prison continues to carry out Armstrong reforms, including anti-retaliation mechanisms, changes to staff misconduct investigation and discipline and increased training and staffing. DRP ProgramsIntegrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT)OverviewOn January 21, 2020, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) implemented ISUDT. 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. In one of the accounts, the witness a transgender inmate who lived in the same housing unit as the man said she saw him yelling from his cell that he had cuts on his arms and legs, banging on his cell door for help. In the now-deceased mans declaration, he wrote that Donovan officers allegedly told other prisoners that he was homosexual, a child molester and encouraged them to attack him. We take every allegation of staff misconduct very seriously, and work hard to ensure there is accountability when allegations are sustained, Simas said. This project is the first design-build project for corrections in the state of California. Once completed and on file, information can be shared with you. Court filings raise questions about prison staffs willingness to embrace the reforms. It explains that after multiple levels of executive review of the testimonies and all evidence, there was not enough to support imposing discipline against the officer, Simas said in an email. A newly released audit report blasts a now-retired warden of San Ysidro's Donovan state prison and. Video Visits: Saturday . inewsource reached out to Pollard multiple times for this story. You can check out the prison record here. But that story right there, I jumped on top of it because I didnt want it to spread. All of the members that we spoke to speak very highly of warden Pollard, Curry said. Six others are charged along with Brown in the fraud case. The R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility was named for the late Assemblyman and Judge Richard J. Donovan, who sponsored legislation to build a State Correctional Facility in the San Diego area. Please register for a regular account. In some ways, the impact is magnified when youre actually in custody because there are so many disincentives to speaking out, Godbold said. The report from the OIG, an independent state prison oversight agency, accused Pollard and other officials of faulty decision-making and criticized the state corrections departments tendency to give undue credence to its officers. Schwartz reviewed more than 43 investigations into allegations of staff misconduct at Donovan. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. In his notice of resignation, Pollard wrote that he was 100% dedicated to changing the public perception related to the Armstrong Class members.. Two others -- Brown's brothers Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger -- are also charged with facilitating the bribes. AOD Counselor (Full-time) (Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility ) (San Diego, CA) new. In response to those requests, officers repeatedly told the declarant and his cell mate to fuck or fight, i.e. He eventually stopped moving. Phone: 619-325-0525. He retired at the age of 56. Following the psychologists excessive force report, an officer entered her locked office without permission, went into her desk, removed feminine hygiene products, and scattered them on the floor of her office. Most troubling, just like at [Donovan], incarcerated people with disabilities at these other [Department of Corrections] facilities are terrified of staff, reads the new motion. SOUTH COUNTY A prison riot Friday night at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility east of Otay Mesa sent five inmates to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition,. Members of the California Correctional Supervisors Organization who worked with Pollard praised him, Paul Curry, a legislative advocate with the organization, said. The warden at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility is responsible for the custody, care and rehabilitation of more than 3,000 incarcerated people about a fourth of them with disabilities and the management of more than 1,500 prison employees. In letters to the court since January 2021, four Donovan residents have claimed that retaliatory conduct from corrections staff has continued, especially toward residents involved in the Armstrong litigation, and often in the form of false rules violation reports, which could affect a persons time in prison. The General Population inmates at RJDCF provide support to the institution by working maintenance, food service, janitorial, as well as other jobs that serve in supporting the operation of the prison. It explains that after multiple levels of executive review of the testimonies and all evidence, there was not enough to support imposing discipline against the officer, Simas said in an email. As of Nov. 12, Donovans resident population is 84% fully vaccinated, according to state corrections data. 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. The enclosed report presents the results of that review. Pollards exit marks the third time in a little over three years that the prison has changed leadership. A common area for inmates in D block at the Richard J. Donovan state prison in Otay Mesa is shown in 2015. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Basic accounts are FREE. While Pollard was warden, he suspended 11 corrections staff, reduced salaries for 55 corrections staff and dismissed 20 as a result of disciplinary proceedings. Police located the womans severed thumb in the parking lot of her apartment complex, but medical personnel couldnt reattach it because it had been severed down to the first joint, the report said. An inmate at the Richard J. Donovan state prison who was part of a class action lawsuit filed earlier this year over claims of abuse and assault in the facility has since died as a result of staff abuse. The report from the OIG, an independent state prison oversight agency, accused Pollard and other officials of faulty decision-making and criticized the state corrections departments tendency to give undue credence to its officers. Officers even retaliated against a Corrections Department psychologist who, following policy, reported misconduct perpetrated by staff, according to the complaint. Sometime back, there were rumors that Ray J was in secret talks with Donald Trump to have Knight released. Estradas husband, who is incarcerated at Donovan, got sick with COVID-19 during the winter outbreak. At least 18 Donovan residents have died from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic the fifth highest death count among prisons in the state. Suge never lost his touch for intimidation, so much so, that Eminem, one of the most aggressive rappers, makes it a point never to mention Suge by name in Little Toy Soldiers where he speaks about the hostilities in the industry. Laundry provides service for VA hospitals and local prisons. In a scathing email to all California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation staff, Francisco Armenta, a 25-year veteran of the department, urged his colleagues to . Soon after he was imprisoned, Suge stated in an interview that Dr. Dre had been a part of a plan to have him assassinated. RICHARD J. DONOVAN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY - 11 Photos & 13 Reviews - 480 Alta Rd, San Diego, CA - Yelp Hey there, we've updated our Privacy Policy. Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJDCF or RJD) is a U.S. state prison located in unincorporated southern San Diego County, California, near San Diego. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 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. Suge is currently at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County, California. We take every allegation of staff misconduct very seriously, and work hard to ensure there is accountability when allegations are sustained, Simas said. Our numbers were low for 10 months and then we were hit hard with 600 plus positive inmates Staff was also hit hard with one death. {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. OTAY MESA Officials at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) and the San Diego County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Unit are investigating the May 7 death of inmate John R. Thurs as a homicide. This includes but not limited to; Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish and Native American services. The warden before him served seven years at Donovan. 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. When he looked into the mans cell at approximately 3:05 a.m., he saw him with his head in the toilet and large amounts of blood, on the floor, on the bed, and on the inmate, according to court documents. Hofer, 24, was admitted from San Diego County on Dec. 20, 2018, to serve seven years for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence causing bodily injury/death and enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury and causing bodily injury or death to more than one victim. Madden was previously warden at Centinela State Prison in Imperial County, according to the state corrections website. SAN DIEGO (CNS) A guard at the Richard J. 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