State corrections system responds to senator and assemblywoman regarding Lassen outbreak
Brian and Megan Dahle, the husband and wife team representing Lassen County in the state senate and the assembly, issued a Friday, July 3 statement regarding the recent COVID-19 outbreak at Susanville’s two state prisons.
According to the statement, “Lassen County and its neighbors in the North State have done an extraordinary job of flattening the curve and keeping their communities safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is maddening that this hard work is now threatened by the misguided actions of the state government itself, after botched inmate transfers have led to more than 200 cases among inmates and staff at the two state prisons in Susanville.
“We spoke today with Lassen County leaders and Ralph Diaz, secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
According to the Dahles’ statement, CDCR has made several commitments:
- It will end the recently announced plan to transfer inmates sick with COVID-19 from fire camps around the state to the California Correctional Center, issuing new plans in writing.
- The state prisons will embed staff in the Lassen County emergency operations command to work with the county and its public-health team to keep the community safe, and to communicate with the leaders and residents of the county about this fast-developing situation.
- It has halted normal transfers between state prisons, and when they resume they will be under much stricter mandatory protocols to ensure adequate testing before transfers and quarantine upon arrival.
- High Desert State Prison and CCC are aggressively testing both inmates and staff and will continue to do so.
“These four steps are important to help mitigate farther spread outside of the facilities,” the Dahles wrote. “We will continue to actively work with local city officials, county officials, CDCR and CCPOA on the issue and update our community on the status along the way.
“Please contact our offices if you need assistance, or have any questions at: Assemblywoman Megan Dahle and Senator Brian Dahle, Assembly District Offices, 280 Hemsted Drive, Suite 110 Redding, CA 96002, 223-6300 and 265
