United States Penitentiary, Victorville
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The United States Penitentiary, Victorville ("USP Victorville") is a high-security federal prison for men in the United States. Part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Victorville (FCC Victorville) which is located north west of the city of Victorville, San Bernardino County, California on the grounds of the former George Air Force Base.
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[edit] Construction
USP Victorville is a 630,000 square foot (58,500 m²) high-security prison constructed by Hensel Phelps Construction Co. and Crosby Group of Redwood City, California for US$101.4 million (security system constructed by Buford Goff and Associates, Inc.) and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P).
It opened on October 21, 2004 and is designed to house 960 male inmates in 6 housing units. USP Victorville is constructed very similar to the new federal penitentiaries at Atwater, California, Canaan, Pennsylvania, Coleman, Florida, Hazelton, West Virginia, McCreary, Kentucky, Terre Haute, Indiana and Tucson, Arizona.
Six V-shaped buildings (units 1-3 on east side, units 4-6 on west side) facing each other and a larger maintenance building surround a central yard with a tower in the middle. Six additional towers are lined along the rectangular shaped facility. The facility is surrounded by a lethal electrical double fence, a 2 m (8 foot) brickstone wall on its northern side and a view protection fence on its western side. Cells are approximately 4 × 2 m (13 × 7 feet) in size equipped with a bunkbed, a stainless steel sink-toilet combination and a small table with a non-removable stool. Cells are usually occupied by two inmates and are air conditioned. The administrative and disciplinary unit (SHU) can hold 238 inmates. Cells in the disciplinary unit have showers and are occupied by three inmates when overcrowding occurs (one inmate is forced to sleep on the floor in such cases).
[edit] Controversy
USP Victorville obtained some media attention after Gerardo Hernandez, one of the Cuban Five, was incarcerated there and after inmates went on a work strike shortly after activation of the facility in 2004.
[edit] Daily routine
Inmates get counted 5-6 times a day at 12:01 a.m., 3:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. (stand up count) , 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. (on weekends and holidays). Initial work movements start at 4:30 a.m. and inmates must be up at 7:30 a.m. All inmates must be back to their cells at 10:00 p.m. Inmates are not allowed to retain more than two newspapers, 10 magazines and 25 letters in their cells. Inmates are allowed to place phone calls to up to 30 approved numbers. Phone calls are restricted to 15 minutes per call and five hours per month. Inmates pay for their phone calls through their trust accounts. Inmates can buy additional food, hygiene articles and clothes from commissary for a maximum of $290 a month.
[edit] Location
- Geographic location: 34° 33’ 55.9” N / 117° 22’ 26.3” W
- Physical address: 13777 Air Expressway Blvd, Victorville, CA 92394
- Inmate address: P.O. Box 5500, Adelanto, CA 93201
- Staff address: P.O. Box 5600, Adelanto, CA 92301
- Phone: 760-530-5000
- Fax: 760-530-5103
- Email: VIP/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV
- Viting Hours: Sat-Mon 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Judicial District: Central California
[edit] Capacity
- Rated Capacity: 960
- Population as of 09/07/06: 1478
[edit] Administration
- Warden: Joseph L. Norwood (previous wardens: W.J. Jusino, J.E. Slade, P.M. Schultz, J.E. Gunja)
- Assistant Wardens: John A. Stockton (Programs), Arcola Washington-Adduci (Operations)
- Department Heads: C. Jackson (unit manager units 1/2), Randall Bacon (unit manager units 3/4), Fereti Semia (unit manager units 5/6), S. R. Grant (Captain), C. Gonzales (Chaplain), L. Pauly (CMC), R. Rangel (Faculity Manager), M. Bradshaw (Trust Fund Manager), C. Johnson (Food Service), B. Cereceres (ISM), S. Garcia (Education), B. Green (Safety Manager)
- Medical Staff (incomplete): B. Barton (MD), Dr. Hayden (Psychologist), P. Misra (Health Service)
- Correctional Staff (incomplete): Robert Hodak (Lt), Mark Bradshaw (Lt), Robert Allison (Lt), Todd Chapman (Lt), Daryl Easton (Lt), Garon Lancios (Lt), Steven Merlak (Lt), T. Moore (CO), J. Nunez (CO), W. Walters (CO), C. Calkins (CO), T. Marquez (CO), J. Dumeng (CO), M. Adams (CO), P. Fontes (CO), A. Ontiveros (CO), S. Ford (CO), L. Llamas (CO)
- Regional Director: Robert E. McFadden (previous director: Joseph E. Gunja)
- Other facilities at FCC Victorville: Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) I / FCI II / Camp
[edit] Deaths
[edit] Inmates killed since opening
- Peter Steven Scopazzi (Reg. No. 71855-004) died on 16 April 2005 from injuries he received during a fight on 11 April 2005
- Tony Richard Padilla (Reg. No. 60031-097) died on 12 August 2006 from injuries he received during a fight on 8 August 2006
- Unknown inmate murdered on 30 December 2006
[edit] Correctional officers killed since opening
None
[edit] External links
- USP Victorville @ www.bop.gov
- mirror site with pictures
- more information, more pictures
- conditions at USP Victorville
- pictures of US federal prisons
- Images
