Deuel Vocational Institution adds guard post

Tracy Press — Visitors to Deuel Vocational Institution will now be stopped and searched when

entering and exiting the rural Tracy prison, following the opening of a guard shack on Monday, July 8.

The small, prefabricated building is positioned at the side of the entrance road to the prison.

It’s only temporary, until a permanent building is constructed in the middle of the roadway with security crossing arms to stop vehicles going in and out, according to DVI spokesman Lt. Arnel Bona.

He said he was unsure how much the permanent structure would cost, but he said a funding request is expected to be submitted soon to officials at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation headquarters in Sacramento.

Although the building is fabricated, three DVI inmates spent Tuesday morning painting the building and applying drywall to the interior walls.

About a year ago, the CDCR — which operates DVI — authorized the prison to station correctional officers at its entrance.

“We had the position and funding, and the new fiscal year allowed us to erect this shack,” said Bona, who spoke near the prison entrance on Tuesday, July 9. continue reading...