805 Local

Last night we witnessed at the Camarillo Community Center an outpouring of residents of Ventura County regarding the proposed prison hospital at the existing Youth Correctional Facility.  The crowd amounted to nearly 1000 people plus dozens of security personnel and staff of the California Prison Health Care Receivership.  Tempers ran high as people shouted out “we don’t want you!” and “not here, not now!”

The site in Camarillo is just one of seven throughout the state in the planning and environmental review stages.  “In 2006 – after four years of non-compliance – the court appointed a federal receiver to take over and run the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitaton’s medical program.  The Receiver has developed a “Turnaround Plan” which will create 10,000 new medical and mental health care beds by 2013.”  (For more information, visit:  www.cphcs.ca.gov)

Residents of Ventura County have gathered to stop the building and have formed the Prison Hospital Action Committee (www.PHAC.org).  It appeared from last night’s discussions that the issues of the residents centered around: (1) Security (2) Property values decreasing (3) Shortage of medical personnel (4) Shortage of law enforcement personnel. 

The envirnomental review process begins on or about December 1, 2008, and the receiver has scheduled the legally required public meeting for December 10, 2008.

Stay tuned and stay involved.   This is a big issue and it is not going away any time soon.