CRC Recruiting Snitches, Bringing False Charges on Grievers
I was given a 10 month SHU (Security Housing Unit/Solitary Confinement) term for distribution of narcotics within a state facility. I was also given an extra 6 months, no visits for 3 years, loss of other privileges such as no canteen or yard. I was also arrested and my case was referred to the District Attorney for prosecution. I was found with NOTHING! No evidence at all to support these false allegations. They found me guilty with statements of confidential informants that I am not allowed to question. I have to take their word for it. There are multiple people in the hole here with my same story from CRC.
Long story short, while housed at California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco, CA: In April, a correctional officer by the name of C/O Navarrette searched my bunk area and confiscated all of my personal property. (Radio, T.V. Et cetera...) $800+ worth. When I went to the office with my receipts demanding my property back, C/O Navarrette gave me the ultimatum to "snitch" on people or he would give my property to someone who would (common practice for C/O Navarrette). My mom raised me with better morals than that so when I refused his extortion attempts, he told me that he would plant a phone on me and he also told me that I will be leaving CRC with a new case (2 threats he later made good on). I filed a complaint, my lawyer was immediately in touch with the litigation department at CRC through fax. Luckily I have 2 separate correctional officer witness testimonies that corroborated that he tried to extort me and that he planted a phone on me (see staff complaint TLF#1600627). Since then, he has filed multiple confidential entries into my file claiming inmates tell him I sell drugs and that I want to assault staff. Other prisoners have filed complaints on this corrupt officer because he tried to recruit them as well.
C/O Navarrette is untouchable. There is a serious flaw at the institutional head policy level with systemic abuse when any correctional officer, including a rogue C/O such as C/O Navarrette who has an open prisoner rights lawsuit filed on him (see Oscar Machado vs. Soto et al 2014) can write confidential information into prisoners' files who write staff complaints on them. I really have a grievance with this when this same confidential information is being used to deny people parole. This confidential info is being used to give prisoners write-ups, SHU terms, and D.A. Referrals with no evidence what-so-ever and the prisoner cannot question or challenge any evidence/confidential info.
On 15 December 2016, the United States Justice Department launched an investigation into Orange County Sheriff Department for their use of jailhouse snitches. Like the O.C. TRED system, CRC is actively running a snitch breeding program from the top down where they have signs posted in every housing unit to recruit informants with a phone number directly to a supervisor at least at the lieutenant level. This program is a failure of leadership that shows management incompetence. When CRC disregards the dangers of relying solely on jailhouse snitches and arrests accused prisoners with no other evidence, the prisoner is being sand-bagged because the prisoner is not being told how the snitch was used, what additional information the snitch has given because it may be exculpatory to his defense and what arrangement or favors the snitch may have received. Was the snitch negotiations made while he was on drugs/meds, beat up, or while in good health? What is the background of the snitch? Who is the snitch? The accused is not told nothing, only that someone said you..... so we are arresting you.
In my case, the institution was made aware that I had an attorney on retainer as far back as March 2016 and any information discussed by myself and any prisoner acting as an agent for the department should be deemed illegal and any record should be removed from my file. C/O Navarrette actively, aggressively, and retaliatorily (after my staff complaint) recruited jailhouse snitches that he can coerce to make false statements on me in exchange for tobacco and "anything to make your stay easier."
I have documentation of all my allegations and I look forward to sending them to you or passing them on during our interview of my more detailed account. Thank you for your time, with your help we can expose/fix this.
