Folsom State Prison

Folsom State Prison: An article in Wednesday's California section about the cancellation of a concert at Folsom State Prison commemorating the 40th anniversary of Johnny Cash's performance there should have credited Times staff writer Richard Cromelin instead of Randy Lewis as a contributor.

Folsom State Prison: An article in Wednesday's California section about the cancellation of a concert at Folsom State Prison commemorating the 40th anniversary of Johnny Cash's performance there should have credited Times staff writer Richard Cromelin instead of Randy Lewis as a contributor.

Allegations of waste and lax security at Folsom State Prison leveled by correctional officers working at the Sacramento-area facility will be investigated, state Sen. Robert Presley (R-Riverside) said. He said the staff of his Joint Committee on Prison Construction and Operations will review Folsom's operations. Guards have complained that inmates are allowed access to ingredients to make an alcoholic home brew.

Joaquin Phoenix, whose portrayal of Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" has made him an early Oscar front-runner, returned this week to the scene of one of the musician's most famous concerts: Folsom State Prison. Cash's Jan. 13, 1968, performance in a prison yard cemented his image as working-class hero and became a popular album.

Charges that some guards at Folsom State Prison beat prisoners while other correctional officers cheered have led to the firing of a sergeant and the disciplining of a dozen other guards. Prison spokesman Lt. Cammi Voss said the cases have been turned over to the Sacramento County district attorney to determine whether felony assault charges are warranted.

An inmate serving a 34-year sentence for murder became the year's 123rd stabbing victim at Folsom State Prison in an altercation that authorities tied to persistent racial strife at the maximum-security institution. Larry McGill, 27, convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County, was stabbed in the lower back and lower arm, a prison spokesman said. McGill was reported in good condition at University Medical Center in Sacramento.

Thirty-eight inmates arrived at the still-uncompleted Southern Maximum Security Complex here on Tuesday, the first top-security prison to be built in California in more than a century. The 38 prisoners were the first of 126 inmates scheduled for immediate transfer to the new facility from the aging, violence-torn prison at Folsom, Department of Corrections officials said. Folsom State Prison, built in 1878, was the last maximum-security institution built in the state.

John Garamendi's reference to prisons as "concrete palaces" (Dec. 29) as well as the statement " . . . when our kids have schools that are as good as prisons" deserves much refinement. As a firsthand point of view, I am sure your readers would like to know that the prison where I am currently incarcerated is a far cry from a concrete palace. I am currently sentenced to 16 months for a computer crime, have no violence on my record, and in no way expected the conditions here at Folsom.

Joaquin Phoenix, whose portrayal of Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" has made him an early Oscar front-runner, returned this week to the scene of one of the musician's most famous concerts: Folsom State Prison. Cash's Jan. 13, 1968, performance in a prison yard cemented his image as working-class hero and became a popular album.

State prison officials want to set up a recycling plant on the grounds of the maximum-security prison that is to open in Lancaster early next year, and local officials are studying whether to send garbage there to be processed. Lancaster officials said they welcomed the proposal by the Prison Industry Authority to have prison inmates receive, sort, recycle and compost waste. The authority oversees state prison work programs, and it would be the second such facility in the state.

California prison officials on Tuesday defended their decision to declare a state of emergency last month and begin triple-bunking inmates in crowded gyms and dorms, without telling the public or the Legislature. "This is rarely used, but it is standard operating procedure," said Jeanne Woodford, director of the California Department of Corrections. She said an emergency was declared so prison officials could move quickly to solve an unexpected overcrowding problem.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the U.S. attorney here Friday to investigate allegations that officials at Folsom State Prison orchestrated a riot two years ago and then conspired to cover it up. Facing a wave of troubles in all corners of California's far-flung penal system -- the nation's largest -- he moved on several other fronts as well.

The problems besetting California's massive prison system are many and grave: gang violence, overcrowding and rising health-care costs, to name a few. In recent weeks, however, lawmakers have been gnawing on a somewhat lighter topic: What inmates eat. It all started last month at a hearing to confirm Edward S. Alameida as director of the state Department of Corrections. State Sen.

For seven years, the state of California turned a blind eye to the deadliest prison in America, where 50 inmates were wounded or shot dead by guards. Gov. Pete Wilson and the man who wants to succeed him, Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, finally launched an examination of Corcoran State Prison that ended last year. The result was a whitewash--a pair of investigations that never probed any of the seven deaths or the other serious shootings, The Times has found.

John Garamendi's reference to prisons as "concrete palaces" (Dec. 29) as well as the statement " . . . when our kids have schools that are as good as prisons" deserves much refinement. As a firsthand point of view, I am sure your readers would like to know that the prison where I am currently incarcerated is a far cry from a concrete palace. I am currently sentenced to 16 months for a computer crime, have no violence on my record, and in no way expected the conditions here at Folsom.

Seven female prison guards, all currently or formerly employed at Folsom State Prison, filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court Tuesday claiming sexual harassment and discrimination at the predominantly male facility.

Seven female prison guards, all currently or formerly employed at Folsom State Prison, filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court Tuesday claiming sexual harassment and discrimination at the predominantly male facility.

Dozens of inmates at maximum-security Folsom State Prison, apparently shocked by two senseless incidents of violence last month against innocent youngsters, have contributed $2,100 for the young victims. A $1,686 donation, which prison officials described Friday as unusual in nature and unprecedented in size, was targeted for 3-year-old Carmina Salcido, whose father allegedly slashed her throat during a grisly murder rampage in Sonoma County. In addition, the family of Los Angeles teen-ager Ramon Rios Jr., who was shot to death by a gang member on an RTD bus because of the color of his cap, will receive $413.

State prison officials want to set up a recycling plant on the grounds of the maximum-security prison that is to open in Lancaster early next year, and local officials are studying whether to send garbage there to be processed. Lancaster officials said they welcomed the proposal by the Prison Industry Authority to have prison inmates receive, sort, recycle and compost waste. The authority oversees state prison work programs, and it would be the second such facility in the state.

Allegations of waste and lax security at Folsom State Prison leveled by correctional officers working at the Sacramento-area facility will be investigated, state Sen. Robert Presley (R-Riverside) said. He said the staff of his Joint Committee on Prison Construction and Operations will review Folsom's operations. Guards have complained that inmates are allowed access to ingredients to make an alcoholic home brew.