Prison receiver wants more power

Robert Sillen - California's $500,000-a-year, court-appointed prison healthcare receiver - is moving to expand his empire.

When U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson appointed Sillen to head the California Prison Health Care Receivership, he gave Sillen unparalleled powers to shake up the state's crumbling, dangerous and frequently deadly prison medical system.

Now, in a court filing today (PDF), Sillen says the failure of the Department of Corrections "to hire an adequate number of correctional officers jeopardizes prisoner patient health care." Therefore, he reasons, the administration may have to surrender "direct oversight over the department's correctional officer hiring and recruitment."

Sillen also is demanding the administration explain how it plans to add 16,000 new "in-fill" beds to current facilities without jeopardizing the health of inmates. And Sillen wants the administration to explain within 15 days why he should not take over the hiring and recruiting of prison guards.

If granted by Henderson, this would be a significant assault on the Schwarzenegger administration. The governor is embroiled in a contract dispute with the prison guard union, and recently approved a system-wide overhaul that includes $8 billion for new prisons and bed space. Sillen isn't impressed.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. says there are about 4,000 unfilled positions and the administration "just isn't capable of addressing the situation." Lance Corcoran, a spokesman for the union, said having Sillen hire officers raises concerns about whether standards would be lowered for applicants, but "given the inability over the last seven years to do anything, it would be a welcome change."

Oscar Hidalgo, spokesman for the department, said it would be more appropriate for Sillen to focus on a $1 billion medical center building plan that is just getting started. "I think right now the state has stepped up in terms of giving Mr. Sillen whatever he needs in terms of the delivery of medical care. It would be good to start where our first commitment is, and that is provide medical care."

(Photo: Spencer Weiner/AP)