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| Breaking News Smith Unit Offender Stopped from Escaping LAMESA, TX - A Correctional Officer at the Smith Unit in Lamesa shot a dangerous convicted felon after he tried to escape early Monday morning. The Offender 26-year-old Gordon Simpson was being escorted out of the unit with a group of inmates who worked on a hoe squad. Offender Simpson took off running from the squad at 7 a.m. Monday morning. A TDCJ Correctional officer ordered Simpson to stop and when he didn't, the officer fired five rounds, one of which hit Simpson in the elbow, causing him to come to a stop. Simpson was take to the Lamesa Medical Arts Hospital, then transferred to a hospital in Lubbock. After being treated Offender Simpson was transported back to the Smith Unit. Simpson was serving an eight-year sentence for aggravated robbery out of Bexar County and has been incarcerated in TDCJ since July of 2006. Simpson may face an additional 20 years for his attempted escape. Currently the Texas Rangers and the Prison's Office of Inspector General are investigating the incident. US Department of Labor Overtime Issue Unresolved Due to a popular blog posting stating the overtime issue on shakedowns has been resolved, Brian Olsen (Executive Director of AFSCME / Council 7) wanted AFSCME members to know the US Department of Labor has NOT made a ruling on the overtime issue involving employee searches. AFSCME / Texas Correctional Employees Council has filed a complaint with the US Department of Labor and it is being reviewed at this time. The lead investrigator on the case Kennith Overby stated the issue is under investigation and no decision has been handed down. It is important TDCJ employees know this issue has not been resolved and they can contact 1-800-374-9772 to join in on this complaint. ERS Facing a Budget Short Fall on Health Insurance Austin, Texas - The combination of rising health care costs and tight budgets have left Texas facing a health care funding gap that will affect your health insurance benefits. ERS forecasted an increase in health care costs of about 8 percent for 2010-11, and received funding for a 6.5 percent increase. Recent trends, however, indicate that health care costs are increasing at about 9 percent. The health plan, at current benefit levels, faces a funding gap of about $181 million in Fiscal Year 2010. A contingency fund will be used to cover the funding gap. In FY11, however, the plan is projected to be $250 million short, and with only $102 million left in the contingency fund, the plan will have to save money. In addition to these projections, state leaders recently asked agencies to submit ways to lower state spending. This could affect state funding for the insurance program. Options to save the plan money include increasing copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, and contributions for members and dependents. Editorial Note: Perry claims to have a balanced state budget. Texas Department of Criminal Justice Proposed 5% Budget cuts for TDCJ in 2010-2011 • Cut 2,037 Correctional Officer Positions Statewide – $84.4 million dollar cut • Marlin Correctional Medical Facility (Delayed Opening) - $ 10.3 million dollar cut • Cut 43 jobs in the Board of Pardons and Paroles - $ 2.5 million dollar cut • Cut 465 jobs in Institutional Goods and Services - $ 42.0 million dollar cut • Cut 195 Parole Supervision Staff - $ 8.1 million dollar cut • Cut 198 Correctional Unit Support jobs – $ 6.7 million dollar cut • Cut 75 jobs in Administrative Support Operations - $ 3.9 million dollar cut • Cut 9 jobs in Information Technology $ 2.7 million dollar cut • Cut 16 jobs in Texas Correctional Industries $ 2.4 million dollar cut • Cut 34 positions in Treatment Services - $ 1.5 million dollar cut • Cut 23 jobs in Offender Services - $ 1.0 million dollar cut Total Employment loss $3,095 jobs in TDCJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s time to start electing your friends to office. See letter to the Governor and the Legislative Budget Board Click Here 3 Inmates Shot Trying to Escape from Polunsky Unit Polunsky is Home to Texas TDCJ Death Row 2 Other Inmates Lay it Down. Including Houston Cop Killer Juan Quintero. 01-30-2010 Livingston, Texas - Last night around 9 PM, at the end of a prison church service being held at the Polunsky Unit Gymnasium , five dangerous convict felons were stop from escaping the unit after they made a run for the perimeter fence. Correctional Officers stationed on the perimeter fence opened fire on the 5 fleeing felon escapees. The prison escapees include Juan Quintero, who is serving live for murdering Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson; MS-13 gang member Albin Zelaya-Zelaya, who is serving a life sentence for burglary out of Harris County; Michael Dueitt, who is serving life for capital murder out of Calhoun County for the murder of 35 year old Port Lavaca resident Rodney Milner in September of 2001; Donald Gower, who is serving a life sentence for capital murder out of Lampass County; Terry McDonald, who is serving a life sentence for murder out of El Paso County. Three of the five inmate escapees received gun shot wounds to their arms and legs. All three gun shot wound inmates were taken to area hospitals for treatment. The escape attempt is currently under investigation by the Agency's Officer of Inspector General. Change May be Coming to Texas Politics 12-04-2009 Austin, Texas - This week has seen a great change in the Texas political scene. Today long term Houston Mayor Bill White announced his plan to run for Texas Governor. Yesterday Huntsville businessman Ben Bius filed for Senator Steve Ogden's position. Senator Steve Ogden went back on his word that he was retiring and announced yesterday that he would seek another term in the State Senate after Georgetown State Representative Dan Gattis stated this weekend he would not seek Ogden's senate seat in State Senate District 5. Steve Ogden announced in September that he was retiring from state politics. Ben Bius stated he will not bow out of the race after Ogden's announcement. Ogden has not had a challenger in the primary race in the last 16 years. Texas monthly editor Paul Burka named Ben Bius as serious contender to Ogden. Senator Steve Ogden was the chair of the committee which addressed state employee pay raises this last session. With a large amount of university and state employees in State District 5, Ogden may face a harsh recourse in the primary election. 12-04-09 Huntsville - Inmate Arcade Comeaux was still on the run as on today. Comeaux escaped a prison transport van transporting him between the Estelle Unit in Huntsville and the Stiles Unit in Beaumont. Comeaux took the two veteran transportation officers hostage while the van was Conroe. Comeaux used a hand gun to take over the transport van. An investigation is pending on how the high security inmate gained access to a handgun. Texas Criminal Justice Senate Chairman Senator John Whitmire told CNN that "We need a complete shake-up of the leadership of our prison system and/or an outside review by third parties." Senator Whitmire has been critical on contraband issues in the Texas Prison System after he received a cellphone call from Texas Deathrow inmate Richard Tabler last year. 08-10-2009 Correctional Positions Reclassified Correctional Employee Career Step Adjustment This step adjustment will be active September 1, 2009 and will be reflected on the October 2009 pay check. CO I, CO II, CO III, CO IV, and CO V 3.35% Sergeant 4.91% Lieutenant 6.50% Captain 8.12% Major 8.12% LM IV 6.87% FSM IV 8.10% TDCJ contraband will be an issue in the Governor's race, Kay Bailey Hutchinson is attacking Perry on his ability the control contraband (Dallas Morning News) Welcome TDCJ's new Correctional Institutional Division Director Rick Thaler. Click Here to Comment Officers and Inmates Forced to Sweat it Out ( Houston Chronicle) Prison guard shortage eases (Statesman / National AP) Representative Riddle named by Texas Monthly as one of Texas's worst legislators (Chair of the Criminal Justice Appropriations Select Committee) Legislative Update Last Updated 06-22-2009 Officer pay raise and information 3.5% Effective September 2009 3.5% Effective September 2010 All other state employees will not see their $1,000 bonus due to ruling made by conference committee on Wednesday 05-20-09. The Committee has now reversed their plan and now is offering an $800 bonus for all other state employees. ERS employee contributions will go up due to House Bill 2559. The bill matches State employee contributions with employer (State) contributions up to 6.5 percent. Employees currently contribute 6 percent of their salary into a retirement account and the State contributes 6.45 percent. The bill creates a new 0.5 percent contribution to the LECOS fund for LECOS members only. Pay Raise Conference Committee Members: Senators Ogden - College Station (R)Chair steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0105 (512) 463-5713 (fax) Shapiro - Plano (R) florence.shapiro@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 Phone (512) 463-0108 Fax (512) 463-7579 Williams - The Woodlands (R) tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0104 (512) 463-6373 fax West - Dallas (D) royce.west@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0123 (512) 463-0299 fax Hinojosa McAllen (D) juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0120 Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, chair jim.pitts@house.state.tx.us Room CAP 1W.2 P.O. Box 2910 Austin, TX 78768 (512) 463-0516 (512) 463-1051 Fax Reps. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo richard.raymond@house.state.tx.us Room 1W.4, Capitol Building Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0558 (512) 463-6296 Fax Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio ruth.mcclendon@house.state.tx.us Room 4N.4, Capitol Building Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0708 (512) 463-7071 Fax John Otto, R-Dayton john.otto@house.state.tx.us Room E2.906, Capitol Extension Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-0570 (512) 463-0315 Fax John Zerwas, R-Houston. john.zerwas@house.state.tx.us Room EXT E2.316 P.O. Box 2910 Austin, TX 78768 (512) 463-0657 (512) 236-0713 Fax (888) 827-1560 Toll Free Correctional Bills and Legislative Update 06-22-09: SB 10 - Senate Bill 10 will result in health care benefits loss. SB 10 died on the Major House Calendar 05-28-2009!!!!!!!! This bill was opposed by AFSCME. HB 3106 Hazardous Duty Pay for Non uniform employees SB 2304 Passed the Senate. Passed House Corrections Committee. Died in Calendars 05-31-09. HB 3497 Career ladder for Industries & Maintenance 05-14-2009 Died in the House General Calendar. HB 518 Tuition reimbursement VETOED BY Perry!!!!!!!! Passed the State Legislature. Governor Rick Perry's vetoes the bill. HB 1914 Abolishing PIE oversight committee (Stops Industries Privatization) Passed the State Legislature. Senate adopts conference committee. Signed into law!!!!!!!! This controversial bill was pushed by AFSCME and opposed by the private prison industry and the agency. This bill helps protect TDCJ industry jobs and free-world employees who had to compete against PIE programs. The House and Senate each gave final approval to HB 1914, a measure by Rep. Jim McReynolds, D-Lufkin, and Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, which would abolish the Private Sector Prison Industries Oversight Authority and impose some requirements on businesses looking to operate under the federal Prison Industries Enhancement program aimed at preventing unfair competition with free-world businesses. The measure had the endorsement of the United Labor Legislative Committee. It now goes to Gov. Rick Perry for a final decision on passage into law. The only member of the conference committee to refuse to sign the final version was Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, who opposed the measure on the Senate floor. The final vote in the Senate was 26-5, while the House voted for the bill 143-0. Under the bill, regulation of private prison industries programs will revert to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The bill states: “The Board shall ensure that private sector prison industries programs are operated under this subchapter in a manner that is designed to avoid the loss of existing jobs for employees in this state who are not incarcerated or imprisoned.” Overtime Cited as Problem at TDCJ Prisons and MHMR State Schools (Maybe a pay raise isn't a bad ideal????) TDCJ Employees rally in Austin for better pay (Statesman) FCC Gives TDCJ Green Light on Cellphone Jamming Testing Direct Trailer Contract Cancelled 2008 Study to Texas Legislative Interim Committee Political Support for TDCJ Pay Raises May Rest on One Man Texas Department of Criminal Justice Under Statewide Lockdown for Smuggled Cell Phone on Death Row Inmate Escapes from Springfellow Unit Rec Yard Inmate Murdered at the TDCJ Clements Unit TDCJ Violence increases as staffing decreases Pay Raises for New Officers Not Enough Governor is Warned about TDCJ Prison Staffing Crisis Staffing a problem or crisis??? (Austin Statesman) Dallas Morning News reports assaults on TDCJ officer and staff have doubled in the last 5 years!!!!!!! A candle light vigal was held October 10, 2007 to honor Officer Susan Canfield as well as other officers who have lost their life. 2007 TDCJ Employee Disciplinary Statistics Links of Interest AFSCME Correctional Employees Council 7 Texas Correctional Association Click here to go to the Official TDCJ Agency Site Texas Legislator Online Texas Governor's Office Voter Information TDCJ Union .com Blog / News Grits For Breakfast Texas Prison Bidness Private Prison Information Message Board American Correctional Association Facts |