Pleasant Valley State Prison

Pleasant Valley State Prison, or PVSP, is a minimum/medium security state prison in Coalinga, Fresno County, California, USA. The facility houses famous convicted murderer Erik Menendez, Rap performer Flesh-N-Bone and Rap performer X-Raided.

Institution Statistics

PVSP comprises 640 acres (2.6 km²)California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. [http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Visitors/Facilities/PVSP.html Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP).] Accessed 18 Dec 2007.] . As of fiscal year 2006-2007, the following statistics apply:

{|align="center" border="2"
+Statistical Metrics!Metric||Number
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Number of custody staff:||925
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Number of support services staff:||463
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Total number of staff:||1,388
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Annual operating budget:||$195 million

Inmate programs

*Prison Industry Authority (PIA): None
*Vocational: Air conditioning and refrigeration, auto body, auto detail, auto mechanics, auto paint, building maintenance, carpentry, computer repair, consumer electronics, dry cleaning, drywall, electrical work, janitorial, landscape and gardening, machine shop, masonry, mill and cabinetry, office services, small engine repair, plumbing, welding.
*Academic: Adult Basic Education, High School/GED, Pre-Release, English as a Second Language, Literacy Program.
*Other: Community Service Crews, Religious, Arts-in-Corrections, Computers for Schools.

History

The prison opened in November 1994. On July 17, 2000, PVSP activated two substance abuse programs involving community services for inmates who have a history of substance abuse. PVSP recently converted one of its general population yards into a sensitive needs yard (SNY), and now houses approximately 900 SNY inmates.

In 2005-2006, PVSP and Avenal State Prison (ASP) were "particularly affected" by Valley fever, with "150 new cases from PVSP and 30 from ASP" in 2005 [Pappagianis, Demosthenes, and the Coccidioidomycosis Serology Laboratory (2007). [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1196/annals.1406.011 Coccidioidomycosis in California State Correctional Institutions.] "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences" 1111 (1), 103–111.] and 514 at PVSP and 91 at ASP in 2006. [Furillo, Andy. [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/328044.html Prison report cites valley fever risks. Construction may release spores that cause disease, increasing inmates' cases.] "Sacramento Bee", August 16, 2007.] In September 2007, the "Sacramento Bee" reported that Valley fever had killed at least four PVSP inmates and one staff member over the previous two years. [Furillo, Andy. [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/368363.html Disease clouds a prison's future. A deadly outbreak of valley fever is sparking doubts about expanding the Pleasant Valley lockup in Fresno County.] "Sacramento Bee", September 9, 2007.]

Notable Inmates

* Erik Menendez - Convicted with his brother, Lyle, of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.

* Jesse Rugge - Convicted of aggravated kidnapping. Notorious for his association with Jesse James Hollywood and his involvement in the kidnapping/murder of Nick Markowitz. He is serving 7 years to life. Jesse is portrayed, though with a different name, by Justin Timberlake in the film adaptation of this case, Alpha Dog.

* Stanley Howse aka Flesh-N-Bone - Convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Howse is currently serving an 11 year sentence for threatening his neighbor with an AK-47. Howse is a member of the American rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. He was released on July 13th, 2008

* Anerae Brown aka X-Raided - Convicted for the murder of a woman during a home invasion robbery.

* Gregory Scott Haidl, the son of former Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, was charged with the 2002 videotaped rape and molestation of an unconscious 16-year-old girl on a pool table in a Newport Beach garage. The 2005 trial that resulted in the conviction of all three defendants was referred to as "one of the highest-profile trials ever in Orange County". He and two other men (Keith James Spann and Kyle Joseph Nachreiner) violated her with foreign objects, and are seen laughing and joking with one another during the assault. He served part of a 6 year sentence and was released in 2008. [ [http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1040658.php News: Haidl, co-defendants get 6 years each - OCRegister.com ] ]

References

External links

* Coleman, Donald E. " [http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-printerfriendly/story/8101687p-8958147c.html Conflict in Confinement: Severe overcrowding in state's prisons breeds all types of trouble] ." "Fresno Bee": 9 Feb. 2004.