Anti-prison hospital groups share same goal, different stategies

Anti-prison hospital groups share same goal, different strategies

The Prison Hospital Action Committee (PHAC) and the Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County are hoping different roads lead to the same goal: no prison hospital in Camarillo.

Both groups are opposed to construction of a $1-billion, 1,500-bed prison hospital that would replace the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility on Wright Road.

Although there were preliminary discussions about merging the two groups, PHAC and the Taxpayers for a Safe Ventura County take different angles in their fight against Federal Receiver J. Clark Kelso, who's charged with the responsiblity of improving the healthcare of California prisoners by building seven new facilities.

"I think more allies make you strong," said Greg Totten, Ventura County district attorney. Totten is a member of the taxpayers group. "My impression is that it will be a very symbiotic relationship."

Kathi Miller has spearheaded PHAC, a residents-based group. Miller also thinks the two groups will coexist in harmony.

"Because our legal strategies are so different in focus, we opted to remain two separate entities . . . . In the future, where things do overlap, of course we'll work together," Miller said.

Totten said he and Undersheriff Craig Husband expected to meet privately with Kelso's staff before the receiver's team led a questionandanswer session with residents at the Camarillo Community Center on Thursday night. Details of the anticipated session were not available at press time.

PHAC planned to lead a protest rally and march before the meeting, starting at Constitution Park near city hall on Thursday.

Totten, who has been district attorney since 2002, explained that the taxpayers group is taking the perspective that Kelso and Judge Thelton Henderson are hampering the state's rights by demanding taxpayers' money to improve healthcare for prisoners when the money isn't available.

"This whole prison healthcare reform effort strikes at the very core of the issue of federalism in America and the ability of a state to control the expenditure of its resources and management of its own affairs," Totten said. "In this case, we have a single judge and a single receiver trying to dictate to the state how it's going to spend precious and scarce taxpayers' dollars."

Totten said that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has a budget of $11 billion, and $2.3 billion goes to healthcare, including dental, medical and mental health services. That means $14,500 is allocated for each prisoner per year for healthcare. The average California resident spends $7,000 on healthcare, Totten said.

PHAC, the city of Camarillo and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors are working together to oppose Kelso, at least legally, primarily through environmental reviews.

Miller said a primary reason PHAC decided against consolidating with the taxpayers group was to avoid entering the "political arena."

"This isn't a political issue," Miller said. "To get into politics, there's a tendency to negotiate. From our point of view, that the city (of Camarillo) and county share with us . . . there is no room to negotiate for a different type of prison hospital for the area.

"If you look at (the taxpayers group), four out of five people on its board are elected politicians," Miller said. "Our concerns are, if it got to the point that the receiver said, 'Let's make a deal,' what if they wanted to negotiate some sort of compromise?"

Miller said there was never actually a discussion about the taxpayers group negotiating with Kelso; any concerns about the potential for compromise were hypothetical.

Totten said he understands Miller's concerns.

"I think we're both heading in the same direction," Totten said. "I think Kathi Miller and PHAC have done an extraordinary job of galvanizing the community in opposition to this prison hospital. . . . I'm not of a mind to compromise on anything, but I can't speak for other members of the taxpayers group. But this prison hospital is bad public policy for taxpayers and it's bad for California. . . . I think the key point of emphasis is that there is strength in two separate organizations."