Table of Contents

REASON FOR REVIEW

Penal Code Section 919(b) requires the Grand Jury to inquire into the conditions and management of all public prisons within the County.

BACKGROUND

Mule Creek State Prison is a corrections facility housing adult male offenders.The facility was designed to house 1,500 inmates. The present inmate population is approximately 3,000 to 3,225. To accomodate the overcrowding, Mule Creek was authorized to convert two of its gymnasiums into dormitories, which now house low and medium custody inmates.

Mule Creek is a training and work-oriented prison with academic, vocational and industrial programs. The facility opened in June 1987. The annual budget is approximately 63 million dollars. Staff consists of 620 correctional peace officers and 340 support personnel.

METHODOLOGY

The Grand Jury conducted three visits to the prison.

Persons interviewed:

1. Warden
2. Chief Deputy Warden
3. Three Associate Wardens
4. Assignment Lieutenant
5. Classification and Parole Representative
6. One Vocational Assignment Counselor
7. President of Mule Creek Chapter of California Correctional Peace Officer's Association.
8. Vice President of Mule Creek Chapter of California Correctional Peace Officer's Association.

Documents examined:

1. California Administrative Code, Title 15, Crime Prevention and Corrections
2. Portions of Department of Corrections Operating Manual, dealing with classification process of inmates

FACTS

1. Mule Creek State Prison is housing more than twice the number of inmates for which it was designed. (Design capacity 1,500; approximate inmate population 3,225).
2. 56 % of the inmates are of the age group 25 to 39.
3. The industrial programs at Mule Creek Prison include coffee-roasting plant, fabric products program, a laundry, a meat processing plant and a silk screening shop. The facility also has wood working and metal fabrication shops, which provide products for other departments.
4. The vocational programs provide training to inmates in the various trades.
5. Academic programs for inmates include various levels of adult basic education and General Education Diploma (GED) preparation.
6. Past problems of minimum-security inmates walking away from the facility have been corrected by changing the inmate assignment criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

No management problems were observed while at Mule Creek State Prison. The facility is being operated within the guidelines of California rules and regulations dealing with prisons.

RECOMMENDATIONS

None. No response is necessary.