Amador County - A public meeting last week on the announced closure of the Preston Youth Correctional Facility drew an outraged and emotional crowd to voice their concerns and seek details behind the process that led to putting it on the chopping block.

Community members, prison employees and elected officials stood or sat shoulder-to-shoulder in Ione City Hall as representatives of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) explained their reasoning behind the announced closure, which they blamed on budget cuts and a declining ward population.

Many who spoke called for a more thorough analysis of regional impacts. Supervisor John Plasse said “we’d have a lot more trust if we had those impact studies in front of us.”

CDCR Undersecretary Scott Kernan said “I don’t have the luxury of an impact statement that’s going to take several months” because his department must make a decision within a set time frame.

Dana Jorgensen, an aide to the late Senator Dave Cox, said he felt compelled to speak because “this hasn’t been a good process.”

Kernan countered that “Senator (Cox) passed the legislation” that required spending cuts and forced his department into this position.

Roger Niello, 5th District Assemblyman and candidate for the seat vacated by Cox, said he didn’t think it appropriate for Kernan to “draw conclusions that the legislators that authorized…spending cuts would authorize the closure you came up with.”

Jorgenson also asked if Kernan and staff could make a commitment to keep Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp open in the upcountry. Kernan said he “could never make such a commitment.”

Others questioned the CDCR’s recidivism data, and two Preston employees claimed their facility had lower recidivism rates than others in the state. Kernan said “recidivism data does not allow us to break it down by facility.”

Jackson Mayor Connie Gonsalvez read a letter from her council that reiterated the most commonly expressed fear. “At a time when (the) local unemployment rate is 12.7 percent, higher than the statewide average, closure of this facility would further hamper the region’s recovery efforts,” she said.

Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.