Prison System Condemned in Concealed Report by Independent Review Panel (Video News Blog 8 min)

Los Angeles, CA California’s prison system has been condemned in a 400 page report that to this day has been basically concealed from the public. The report, of the Corrections Independent Review Panel cost the State over a million dollars and took five months of intensive investigations to complete, was presented to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Department of Corrections in June of 2004. Heading the review panel was former California Governor George Deukmejian, appointed by the Governor to investigate the Department of Corrections with the assistance of a cadre of law enforcement experts representing many agencies and associations. Here is the Executive Summary posted on the Department of Corrections website.

The Full Disclosure Network™ presents this ten minute video presentation featuring Joe Gunn, Executive Director of the Corrections Independent Review Panel who told FDN host Leslie Dutton the prison system was in “chaos, a disaster and total disarray”. This is the second in a series of FDN video news blogs covering the ongoing crisis in California’s jail and prison system. DVDs of the series are available for purchase.

Here are a few of the many points covered in the video and report:

• The panel spent months reviewing reports and materials from Office of Inspector General, Little Hoover Commission, State Auditor.
• Interviewed current and former members of Governor’s Staff, State Legislators, current and former members of Department of Corrections staff, California Youth Authority, Office of Inspector General staff, members of the Little Hoover Commission, leadership of the CCPOA (prison guards association), experts in the field and concerned citizens, totally 470 people altogether.
• The panel presented 239 recommendations to reform the state’s correctional system.
• Listed as some of the major problems are: Ethics, “code of silence”, Union/labor contracts and influence over management, union campaign donations, use of force, accountability, and youthful offenders.

Known as “the news behind the news” the Full Disclosure Network™ is seen on 43 cable systems and the Internet website at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/ In 2002 the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented host Leslie Dutton with an Emmy for the 2001 public affairs series entitled “L.A.'s War Against Terrorism" featuring LAPD Chief Bernard Parks, L.A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca, L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley Thomas and Police Union Director, LAPD Captain Ken Hillman. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.

POLICE FOOT PURSUIT POLICY DEBATE: OFFICER SAFETY VS PUBLIC SAFETY ( 8 min Video News Blog)

Los Angeles, CA: Three top cops debate whether or not police policy should prohibit officers from chasing criminal suspects on foot when they are alone or without police back-up. In an eight minute Video News Blog, Full Disclosure Network™ presents a dynamic exchange of views as presented by LASD Chief William McSweeney, Detective Roy Burns,(retired LASD) and LAPD Captain Ken Hillman, (retired). The video is available for viewing FREE, on demand, 24/7 as a public service of the Full Disclosure Network™.

Here are a few points made during this debate:

1. CHIEF BILL McSWEENEY: Says that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has a policy prohibiting a single patrol Deputy from chasing and challenging a suspect on foot. The Department policy says that they are not to physically engage the suspect so as not to endanger the officer or the suspect.
2. DET. ROY BURNS, LASD (ret) Points out that in Compton, the 4th most dangerous city in America, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department only has one officer assigned to each patrol car. He says foot pursuit ban is not needed due to the fact it has been over 20 years since the last LASD Deputy was killed in a foot pursuit and only four in the last 50 years.
3. CAPTAIN: KEN HILLMAN: Says management should “never restrict officers from doing their duty" and then asks..."what kind of a message does that send to the community and to gang members?” “Do we really want our officers only to be a clean up crew to crime scenes?”

Following the video news debate viewers are asked to participate in an online survey by casting their vote on questions pertaining to the issue. They are also asked to leave their comments and to join in the online blog discussion of the issue.

Billed as "the news behind the news" the Full Disclosure Network™ is an independent, educational, public affairs cable program featured on 43 cable systems and the worldwide Internet website www.fulldisclosure.net/ Hosted by Leslie Dutton, who in 2002 was presented with a public affairs Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their series entitled "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.

Massive Prison Release Intended by California Politics

Los Angeles, CA. In an eight minute Full Disclosure Network™ video news blog, President Steve Ipsen of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys accuses California politicians of deliberately sabotaging the California Prison system thus setting the stage for a massive prison release program now underway. Ipsen tells FDN host Leslie Dutton how criminals who are sentenced to prison are now being released after serving only half, or less, of their sentences due to California politics. He says elected officials, who oppose the Three Strikes law, have for the past ten years, blocked building new prisons, causing massive overcrowding and early releases. The video is available FREE for viewing 24/7, on demand as a public service at the URL.

Steve Ipsen, is a 20 year career gang and homicide prosecutor who is currently with the L. A. County District Attorney’s office is a frequent spokesman on behalf of the Three Strikes Law. Here are a few of his quotes from the video news blog.

• “The reason you have a huge spike in gang crimes is because it’s Christmastime in L.A.”
• “L. A. Sheriff Baca is fighting for funding to lock up criminals for their full sentence}
• “Judges sentence criminals to a year in county jail…… and the Sheriff has no space”
• “Criminals get a 50 percent discount on every prison sentence”
• “Criminals are laughing at the system”
• “We spend billions of dollars for police to arrest, prosecutors to prosecute, judges to judge and we build marble court houses and then have no where to house (the criminals)”

According to Steve Ipsen, the political strategy to undermine the Three Strikes Law started ten years ago, when elected officials decided ”We’re not going to build more prisons because we don’t like the three strikes law, we’re going to let overcrowding occur and then some poor governor down the line—who happens to be Governor Schwarzenegger—has Federal judges staring down his…saying ‘you better do something or we’re going to release ’em’ and we’ve got a governor here who’s been sabotaged by a plan orchestrated ten years go—where were the plans to build more prisons?”

Billed as the news behind the news the FULL DISCLOSURE NETWORK™ is an independent, educational, public affairs cable program featured on 43 cable systems and the worldwide Internet website www.fulldisclosure.net. In 2002 the program was presented with a public affairs Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their series entitled “L.A.’s War Against Terrorism”. Channels and airtimes can be found on the website.

DO POLITICALLY CORRECT POLICE TACTICS THREATEN PUBLIC SAFETY?

Los Angeles, CA: What happens when police policy prohibits officers from using the “choke hold”, steel flashlights and are instructed NOT to chase fleeing gang members and criminals on foot without back-up. Watch this seven-minute Internet video preview of a Full Disclosure™ two-part Special Series on “Politically Correct Police Tactics”. Six former and present Los Angeles Police officials explain the reasoning and impact on public safety, when LAPD officers and County Sheriffs are restricted from using aggressive tactics while attempting to detain violent or dangerous suspects. The full two-part series is featured on 43 cable television systems, as part the Full Disclosure Network’s™ regular programming. The program is moderated by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton.

The following officials appeared in the preview and the series. Here is a sampling of comments on the topics below:

• Chief William McSweeney: describes how the LASD foot pursuit policy was developed for the sole purpose of assuring officer safety and acknowledges that a high number of patrol cars are manned by only one Deputy.
• Detective Roy Burns, LASD (ret): Says that Deputies cannot protect the public unless they are allowed to do their job
• Captain Ken Hillman, LAPD (ret): “It is not right that an officer should be disciplined for chasing a criminal on foot, when he is alone. The decision should be left to the officer and his or her training has taught them how to make that decision.
• Joe A. Gunn, former Executive Director Los Angeles Police Commission: After the “choke hold” was banned we predicted that would make the baton the next tactic of choice and then we had the Rodney King incident. If they could have used the “choke hold” that would not have happened.
• L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine, LAPD (ret)(2002): Claimed that under the LAPD (Bernard Parks) administration there was an atmosphere where officers were demoralized to the point that they did not aggressively enforce the law. Now with the backing of Chief Bratton, they are once again going after gang members aggressively.
• Deputy Chief David Gascon (1996): Following the Rodney King incident said he was aware that officers use of the baton had decreased.

Billed as "the news behind the news" the Full Disclosure Network™ is an independent, educational, public affairs cable program featured on 43 cable systems and the worldwide Internet website www.fulldisclosure.net. Hosted by Leslie Dutton, who in 2002 was presented with a public affairs Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their series entitled "L.A.'s War Against Terrorism". Channels and airtimes Since 1992 the program has featured interviews with all the LAPD Chiefs, Sheriffs, most of the Police Commission Presidents on police policies. In 2000 a Special Series “The Prosecutor & the Presidency” featured all but one U.S. Attorney General and all the Special and Independent Prosecutors involved in Presidential Investigations, from Watergate to Whitewater.