Transfer of San Quentin death row inmates to Chino sparks public safety issues, sheriff says

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Uproar over San Quentin inmate transfers

Death row inmates are being transferred to Chino, leaving local police and residents feeling blindsided over the move.

CHINO, Calif. - Following the transfer of more than two dozen death row inmates from San Quentin to Chino, the city's mayor is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to remove them "effective immediately" and stop sending additional condemned inmates due to heightened public safety concerns.

Chino Hills Mayor Cynthia Moran said the city still needs "proper infrastructure improvements" to "ensure the safety of the community." San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus echoed the mayor's sentiments, saying he has "significant concerns" as more inmates are expected to be transferred to the Chino Institute for Men in the future.

Proposition 66, passed by California voters in 2016, requires death-sentence individuals to work to pay restitution to their victims as they serve their sentences. This resulted in the formation of the Condemned Inmate Transfer Program, which marks the closure of segregated death row units at San Quentin and the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, according to the CDCR.

Latest reportable data shows there are currently 641 inmates in the CDCR system serving condemned sentences. Since Feb. 26, 222 inmates from San Quentin have been transferred to other facilities, while 20 inmates from the Central California Women's Facility have been transferred.

Chino now has 26 death row inmates housed in the California Institution for Men, with 9 more expected to arrive "in the near future," the sheriff said.

He pointed to the 1983 case of serial offender Kevin Cooper, who escaped from the Chino prison by climbing through a hole in the fence and walking away. He hid in a vacant rental house near the home of the Ryens family, according to prosecutors, allegedly killing three family members and a neighbor just three days later.

"These escapes have underscored the need for stricter security measures and highlighted deficiencies within specific institutions, such as the Chino Institution for Men. Reports of inadequate infrastructure and staffing shortages have brought attention to the surrounding areas and community. These deficiencies include potentially insufficient staffing levels, outdated infrastructure, and lack of investment from the state, which occurred when CIM was built in 1941 – the same year the United States became involved in World War II," Sheriff Dicus said.

"Addressing these issues is essential to maintain a secure environment within the facility and prevent potential incidents that could threaten public safety. Addressing these deficiencies is crucial not only for maintaining order within the facility but also for safeguarding the well-being of our community."

While the Condemned Inmate Transfer Program does not change the inmates' sentences, it enables the CDCR to "repurpose existing facilities for education and restorative justice purposes."

Corrections officials dismantled the state’s newly built $853,000 execution chamber at San Quentin per Newsom's direction.

Prison administrators and researchers plan to evaluate the program over the two years, tracking the number of participants, the number with jobs, inmates’ behavior, and any effect on prison safety.

Mayor Moran is encouraging community members to voice their concerns by contacting Gov. Newsom and the CDCR Secretary, Jeff Macomber.

"As Mayor and a longtime Chino resident, the safety of my community is of utmost importance," said Chino Mayor Eunice Ulloa. "It is shameful that the State of California can transfer these death row inmates into CIM without first engaging and educating the Chino community. I call on my fellow Chino Valley residents who share my concerns about this prisoner transfer to urge our leaders in Sacramento to stop the prison transfer and keep Chino a safe community."

For more information, visit chinohills.org/CIM.