CIM not the main candidates for expansion, say state prison official

The anger of local mayors over the belief that capacity at the California Institution for men at Chino would be expanded appears to be a bit premature.

A state prisons spokesman said that while the Chino is a possible sites for more beds in the near future, prisons in San Diego and Ione are more likely candidates.

Chino Mayor Dennis Yates and Chino Hills Mayor Peter Rogers earlier this month expressed strong objection to a proposal to added as many as 2,100 more beds in the state, with Chino has one of the candidates.

Prison officials responded by saying more likely sites are a 792-bed level II expansion at R.J. Donovan Prison, in San Diego, and a 1,584-bed level II expansion at Mule Creek State Prison, in Ione, southeast of Sacramento.

"I hate to say something and then something unexpectedly comes up in the environmental impact report, so right now we're strongly looking at those two sites, but we have to look at all the sites equally," said Dana Simas, spokeswoman for the state California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

"I really can't say one way or the other how positive I am but those are the ones we've put a lot of energy in, and we hope it goes to the plan that we've set out already."

Simas said that if the two main candidates do not work out, they will then consider sites in Sacramento, Folsom, Solano, Vacaville, as well as CIM in Chino…..CIM not the main candidates for expansion, say state prison official - DailyBulletin.com