FEMALE INMATES WARNED OF DRUGS

Tainted Alcohol Or Drugs Is One Theory For Sudden Prison Deaths.

CHOWCHILLA -- Prison officials warned female inmates in Chowchilla
Wednesday against using illegal drugs or sharing prescription medicine
after the sudden deaths of three prisoners within two weeks.

However, tainted drugs or alcohol are only one possible explanation for the
deaths, said Russ

Heimerich, a California Department of Corrections spokesman.

"It certainly is one of the things that we're looking at, among many
things," Heimerich said. "It's not the sole theory."

The warning letter will be distributed to all inmates at Central California
Women's Facility, where the deaths occurred. Letters will be sent to all
inmates, male and female, at the state's institutions by Friday.

The warning was in the pipeline before the recent deaths, but Heimerich
said the department hastened its distribution. "It makes sense for us to go
ahead and issue this reminder now as opposed to waiting," he said.

Pamela Coffey, 46, of Los Angeles, collapsed in her cell Dec. 2. Stephanie
Hardie, 34, of Pomona, died Dec. 9, and Eva Vallario, 33, of San Diego,
died Friday.

Those women and four others have died in a span of six weeks at the
Chowchilla facility. Prison officials say the other four women were
suffering from terminal illnesses.

Madera County Coroner Wayne Metcalf, who also is investigating the deaths,
said an initial examination of the three women didn't turn up an apparent
cause of death.

He said blood and tissue samples are being tested for anything "natural and
unnatural" in the women's systems. He said he expects the answers to the
women's deaths will lie in those tests, the results of which probably won't
be available before the holidays.

The Department of Corrections also is paying for an independent medical
team from the University of California at Davis to begin an investigation
of the deaths. Reports and case files are being sent to the team.

CCWF and Valley State Prison for Women -- across the road from CCWF -- hold
about 7,000 inmates, or 60% of the state's female prison population.

The rash of recent deaths comes a few weeks after a legislative hearing in
Chowchilla on concerns about medical treatment and alleged medical neglect
at the women's facilities.

Since the deaths, Heimerich said the prison hasn't instituted any measures
that would be used in the treatment of contagious diseases, such as
quarantines. He cautioned against speculating on the causes of the deaths.
"That kind of thing does nobody any good," Heimerich said.

Since the deaths, prison guards have searched cells for illicit drugs or
hoarded medicine, Heimerich said.