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SEN. SALAZAR SKEPTICAL OF SUPERMAX SECURITY
February 26, 2007 4:22 PM
Last week Democratic Senator Ken Salazar stood shoulder to shoulder with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, assuring the public that Supermax prison in Florence is safe. But, in a swing through Colorado Springs Saturday, Salazar was more skeptical of improvements that have been made to the prison since last fall.
SALAZAR: Im not convinced at this point in time that weve provided adequate security there at Supermax.
WHITNEY: Last fall investigations revealed that prisoners have been able to have unmonitored communications with the outside world, and that the facility was dangerously understaffed. Last week Gonzales says those problems have been fixed. But Salazar sounds skeptical, and still wants a perimeter fence built around Supermax.
SALAZAR: The issues that have been raised are still on the table. I think there have been some steps taken to enhance security, including the additional guards that have been assigned into Supermax, but I think there are probably additional steps that need to be taken.
WHITNEY: Salazar spent about an hour touring Supermax with Attorney General Gonzales and others last week. He says he could use outside help in determining if security has really improved.
SALAZAR: What the wardens will tell us is one thing, but I think when you have a third party independent review of the security issues it will give us a much greater level of comfort that we have the right security there.
WHITNEY: The union that represents correctional officers at Supermax and many other federal prisons in Colorado and across the country says Gonzales visit to Supermax was mostly for show. It says that nationwide federal prisons are dangerously understaffed and that this week hundreds of its members will be in Washington lobbying for more guards.
Posted by Eric Whitney on February 26, 2007 4:22 PM | Permalink
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