Sacramento, CA — San Francisco Democratic Assembly member Fiona Ma has introduced a bill that would require all fire-camp crew members to wear electronic tracking devices.
AB439 has been named the Bryan Tuvera Fire Camp Safety Act after a police officer who was killed by Marlon Ruff, a fire crew member and a felon serving a six-year sentence for second degree robbery, grand theft, receiving stolen goods and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sierra Conservation Center Acting Warden Ivan Clay says he´s not against the use of such devices but he feels the Jamestown facility does such an excellent job in evaluating potential fire camp crew members that they may not be needed.
Clay adds that those who serve on camp crews undergo a stringent evaluation including background checks, seriousness of the crimes they have committed (murderers and rapists are automatically excluded) and how they have performed while incarcerated. Clay feels S.C.C. is the best prison in the state when it comes to evaluating potential fire camp crew members.
Currently S.C.C. has approximately 2,200 inmates serving as staff and fire crew members in camps outside the prison walls.
Written by Bill Johnson
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 1:47 pm