SECOND PRISON PROBE

Alleged abuse investigated at Susanville

SACRAMENTO -- A day after five prison guards were charged with helping to
arrange the rape of an inmate at maximum-security Corcoran State Prison,
Attorney General Dan Lungren on Friday announced an investigation at a
second prison, High Desert State Prison near Susanville.

Lungren said the Corcoran investigation was continuing, but he declined to
provide specifics. Nor would he discuss details of the High Desert
investigation.

However, the Department of Corrections said six guards at High Desert were
suspected of verbally intimidating an inmate and filing false reports. A
prison spokesman said the officers had been placed on administrative leave.

Lungren, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, dismissed suggestions that
the latest round of indictments at Corcoran was politically motivated. He
also declined to comment on the powerful prison guards union's endorsement
of his rival in the governor's race.

The Corcoran case received national attention this summer when the Los
Angeles Times reported that guards deliberately placed a young inmate in
the cell of a burly prisoner, a rapist known as the ``booty bandit,'' as
retribution for kicking a female guard. The younger prisoner was raped
repeatedly and was ignored by guards, despite pleas for help, the newspaper
said.

In April, eight officers at the maximum-security Corcoran facilities were
indicted on federal charges of deliberately staging gladiator-style fights
between prisoners. None of that group of officers was involved in
Thursday's indictments.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski