By Donna Westfall – December 21, 2016 – Rumors abound that Pelican Bay State Prison is due to close.
I asked Supervisor 1st District, Roger Gitlin, for the facts:
“As your Del Norte County Supervisor for District 1, one of my appointments is to sit on the Pelican Bay State Prison Advisory Board. Our group meets bi-monthly with Warden Clark Ducart and key personel to listen and learn on-going activity of Del Norte County’s largest employer
There’s a rumor bouncing around Del Norte County that Pelican Bay State Prison is closing. I’m here to tell you, that is false. Pelican Bay State Prison is absolutely NOT closing.
The population at PBSP is stable. Under Court mandate, CDCR is contracting. Current State-wide inmate population is about 114,000 which does not include about 5,000 out of State inmates. Pelican Bay has a population of about 2200 which is expected to adjust up over the next few months as the Department adjusts to the changing environment and established goals set by CDCR.
I hope you will share this information among your Face Book friends an quell this fallacious rumor re: PBSP.
Of of much greater concern is replacing Last Chance Grade with a suitable by-pass, so ingress and egress can be facilitated to and from PBSP. The by-pass must be studied, selected, built and completed before the doomed highway collapses into the Pacific. I continue to call for this vital by-pass over the next five years.”
Funny cause it is closing..Inmates are shipping out weekly.
The population at PBSP is stable. Under Court mandate, CDCR is contracting. Current State-wide inmate population is about 114,000 which does not include about 5,000 out of State inmates. Pelican Bay has a population of about 2200 which is expected to adjust up over the next few months as the Department adjusts to the changing environment and established goals set by CDCR,
So what does that mean?
It’s over PBSP is closing. Maybe in 4 or 5 years but it’s done. Let’s stop denying it,
If you believe anything that comes out of Ducart’s mouth, good luck.
Darn. What a Christmas present that would have been to all the pre-prison residents of Del Notre County
… You know, the ones who pronounce it Del Nort.
Unfortunately considering the area has lost much if not nearly all of its industries and the jobs that they provided, losing the prison would be devastating to the tax base here.
Pre-prison residents had their chance to keep the prison out, just like they had their chance to keep Walmart out. Instead, people don’t bother to check the city and county agenda’s and get involved in their local government. Very few people actually take the time to get involved. They only complain about it after the fact.
I am glad that this was only yet another rumor.
WOW, it has been 28 years since the prison opened and the residents are still haters….maybe you would have had a different opinion had you been able to get a job there…perhaps you couldn’t pass the piss test….in any case….I am grateful for Pelican Bay…I had my ups and downs with it like everyone else…it is a tough job physically and mentally…but it afforded me the comfort of my home…giving my girls benefits and a nice place to live…plus a comfortable retirement…it is unfortunate to be viewed as an outsider when I have spent the majority of my life here…I get involved with the county government and exploit their short comings…I can’t recall seeing your name anywhere…come on out of the bush Pedro Trejo, there are some positive outsiders who want to make a difference in your county…and by the way, I pronounce it del nort as well even though we all know that is not accurate to an outsider…