Department celebrates holiday season

In institutions, parole offices, and headquarters, staff and the incarcerated population observed the holiday season through events and decorations.

Editor’s note: This round-up will be updated as more submissions are received.

CHCF transforms front entrance for holidays

California Health Care Facility (CHCF) in Stockton is embracing the holiday spirit with a collaborative transformation of its front entrance: inside and out. With contributions from staff and the incarcerated population, the festive decorations radiate warmth and joy, symbolizing the season’s essence of unity and creativity.

The outdoor display features Christmas-themed wooden decorations, crafted with care and creativity by incarcerated individuals. The handcrafted pieces highlight their artistic talents, offering them an opportunity to engage in meaningful, expressive work during the holidays.

Inside the front entrance building, staff took the lead in spreading holiday cheer. These decorations bring a personal and welcoming atmosphere, fostering a sense of community for everyone entering the facility. By working together, the facility’s staff and incarcerated population have created a display celebrating the holiday season while also reinforcing the values of collaboration and mutual respect.

Submitted by Lt. M. Orozco

CDCR, CCHCS communications teams hold holiday lunch

CDCR’s Office of Public and Employee Communications joined the CCHCS communications team for a holiday lunch at a Sacramento restaurant. They held a white elephant gift exchange, shared laughs, and enjoyed Mexican food.

CHCF hosts inaugural Holiday Warden’s Dinner

California Health Care Facility (CHCF) in Stockton hosted its inaugural Holiday Warden’s Dinner. This remarkable Dec. 12 event brought together 60 incarcerated individuals, 70 of their loved ones, representatives from the governor’s office, headquarters, and institution staff.

This special evening fostered a sense of connection and humanity within the prison walls. The dinner offered participants a chance to socialize and celebrate the holiday season in a normalized and supportive environment.

The event was catered by Outback Steakhouse and sponsored by local nonprofit organization Prevail: Pioneering Restoration and Elevating Voices.

The venue at CHCF was transformed into a festive holiday setting, complete with Christmas trees, lights, table coverings, holiday decorations, and the joyful sounds of Christmas music.

This celebration provided a unique opportunity for the incarcerated population, their visitors, and staff to share a meal in the spirit of the season.

Submitted by Lt. Michelle Orozco

Health care marks holidays at Pleasant Valley

Pleasant Valley State Prison held their Health Care Holiday Luncheon to celebrate with their coworkers.

Submitted by Gabrielle M. Zamarripa, CEO administrative assistant

High Desert Color Guard leads tree lighting, parade

Each year in December, Lassen County hosts an annual tree lighting ceremony with a parade and fireworks. This year, the High Desert State Prison Color Guard was asked to lead the parade for the trip up Main Street in Susanville. Officers Tracy Palmer, Robert Roblek, Andrew Lane, and Sgt. Jordan Gilmore walked in unison and full stride with a two-flag and rifle carry. Prison staff are very involved in the Lassen County community, participating in many events and donating thousands of dollars each year to local non-profit organizations. Staff also play vital roles in helping coach the local youth.

Submitted by Lt. J. Micone

Avenal observes holidays through art, decorations

The participants of Avenal State Prison Facility F’s Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT) program made a conscious effort to maintain the holiday spirit. They combined resources and adorned the corridors with vibrant and festive decorations. “As someone who has made significant progress in my journey of overcoming addiction, we do this to commemorate our past struggles and provide a glimmer of light and hope for those who are just beginning their recovery,” said one mentor in the Occupational Mentor Certification Program.

Submitted by Lt. A. Schuller

Valley State Prison celebrates holidays

Valley State Prison staff celebrated Christmas with Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.

Warden O’Brian Bailey and Chief Nurse Executive Dr. Alicia Garcia-Cisneros celebrated the holidays with staff.

Submitted by Lt. A. Salas

CSP-Solano education staff celebrates holidays

The education staff at CSP-Solano marked the holidays with a day of joy, laughter, and camaraderie during their special professional development celebration held Dec. 4. The day was packed with games, gifts, and food, as the education staff invited members from other departments—and even the incarcerated workers—to join in the fun. The Inmate Assignment Office, the Warden’s Office, Education officers, and incarcerated individuals came together to make this event one for the books.

The excitement started with a creative and competitive team-building game: pairs of staff and incarcerated individuals had to work together to build the tallest standing tower using nothing but spaghetti noodles, string, tape, and a marshmallow. It was a race against time and gravity as everyone put their heads together to craft the most impressive structure.

Acting Warden Janan Cavagnolo had the tough task of judging the creations.

After the game, the holiday spirit continued to shine when each staff took the stage to distribute Christmas ornaments from the Grinch tree we had decorated. Each ornament was a token of holiday cheer, helping to spread warmth and goodwill throughout the room.

“It was a truly special day that brought together staff, incarcerated individuals, and departments in a celebration of community, teamwork, and the holiday spirit. The event was a fantastic reminder of the power of connection, kindness, and celebrating the season with those around us,” said organizers.

Submitted by Lt. S. Benavidez

Ironwood hosts holiday staff appreciation

Ironwood State Prison held its annual holiday shared luncheon Dec. 18 complete with crazy/ugly sweater and table-decorating contests. Various departments signed up to bring food to share. Executive staff also served holiday meals to second and third watch staff and tamales to first watch. Throughout the day, staff gathered to enjoy a great meal as well as each other’s company, spreading cheer and camaraderie this holiday season.

Submitted by Lt. C. Whalen

CTF staff, incarcerated decorate sally ports, education doors

Correctional Training Facility, Soledad, staff and incarcerated individuals from the Facility C’s housing unit came together to craft holiday decorations for the sally port areas Dec. 23. This initiative illustrated two key California Model Pillars: Normalization and Dynamic Security. Normalization aims to align prison life more closely with community life, and Dynamic Security focuses on fostering positive interactions between staff and the incarcerated population. Alongside this, the education department hosted a door decorating contest following the same collaborative concept.

“This activity not only enhances our facility but also underscores our commitment to community and rehabilitation,” said Warden Edward J. Borla.

An incarcerated participant involved in decorating said he appreciated the effort.

“It’s good to be a part of something that brings a positive change to our environment. Events like this help break the monotony,” he said.

This event highlighted the facility’s dedication to creating a constructive and engaging environment for staff and incarcerated individuals.

Submitted by Lt. Wil Landrum

CSP-Corcoran hosts holiday staff appreciation day

A holiday staff appreciation day was held Dec. 19 for all three watches at California State Prison, Corcoran. Held in the visiting areas, staff were treated to snacks and refreshments. Staff also had the opportunity to take photos with their peers to capture the wonderful moments.

“Our staff work hard each and every day, and it’s nice to have them take a break and enjoy each other’s company over some refreshment and snacks,” said acting Warden E. Silva.

Submitted by Lt. J. McIntyre

Southern Region San Gabriel Valley Parole District marks holidays

Women in Progress, a community-based partner, uplifted the women from the Southern Region San Gabriel Valley Parole District during their monthly Women’s Empowerment meeting Dec. 17.

The group offers support, guidance and assistance to women on parole supervision as they navigate daily challenges and work toward successful reintegration into the community.

More than 30 supervised women attended a special Christmas event and were treated to a catered lunch. In addition, the group brought in the Glam Squad for a special self-care session, which included make-up artists and a nail technician.

They also graciously gifted the supervised women with t-shirts, shoes and gift box sets of socks, body spray, shower gel and lotion. The women could also take home a few items from the parole complex’s clothing closet, offering accessories, shoes, and a variety clothing. In attendance for support and assistance were DAPO’s Southern Region Community Reentry Unit.

The group is a reentry non-profit organization established in 2019 by Cesi Rodriguez. The organization believes in local empowerment, providing assistance to women who have been affected by drug and alcohol addiction, sex trafficking, mental health, domestic violence, and justice involved persons.

Submitted by Parole Agent III J. Harris
Division of Adult Parole Operations, Community Reentry Unit

Calipatria shows off holiday spirit

Calipatria State Prison (CAL) staff showed off their holiday spirit by participating in two holiday events.

Office staff were allowed to decorate their front doors and show off their favorite holiday themes. Initially, the decorations were subtle and minor in nature, however, as the doors began to get decorated, it quickly grew into what became a friendly competition.

“This was a great way to get everyone into the holiday spirit. It was such a great time seeing the doors getting transformed into festive walkways as I walked through the halls of the administration building,” said Isabel Carpio, Executive Assistant.

A few of the themes displayed were: The Peanuts, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a gingerbread house, The North Pole and other festive themes.

“It was a fun way for us to engage, bond and spread some holiday cheer,” said Myrna Martinez, Use-of-Force Coordinator.  

In addition to the door decorating, staff were also allowed to show their holiday spirit by wearing festive sweaters and headgear every Wednesday during the month of December.

“It was pretty cool to see the creative and competitive side of every department. The events generated an atmosphere of joy and happiness,” said Ana Adams, Correctional Case Records Analyst.

The holiday spirit was felt throughout the institution. With festive sweaters and decorated doors, the holiday season was in full effect.

Submitted by Lt. E. Uribe

CMF staff celebrate holidays

Staff at California Medical Facility (CMF) celebrated the holidays employee associations, unions, and management to host a staff appreciation holiday event. As staff entered the building to begin their shift, there were a variety of snacks and drinks. For third watch staff, they were greeted by Santa (acting Warden Sircoya Williams).

Submitted by Lt. A. Toomer

RJ Donovan hosts Facility E’s Five Days of Festivities

The Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility held multiple events, dubbed the Five Days of Festivities, in the days leading up to Christmas. Rock Mountain Church and Prison Fellowship held the events for the incarcerated population on Facility E.

From Dec. 21-23, incarcerated persons demonstrated their acting abilities through the play, “The True Story of Christmas.”

Meanwhile, Dec. 22-24 saw staff and the incarcerated population on Facility E singing Christmas carols and handing out candy canes.

On Dec. 23, Chick-Fil-A donated sandwiches for the entire population. Additionally, nearly 400 incarcerated persons gathered to share a meal at the Christmas banquet.

Special Christmas religious services were held Dec. 25.

Additionally, Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving K-9s held training relays on Dec. 23, reinforcing impulse control and maintaining focus with distractions.

To conclude the festivities, an exciting game of softball rounded out the Facility E’s Five Days of Festivities.

Story by Capt. S. Amador
Submitted by Lt. A. Garvey

Godzilla-themed drone special shown at Avenal

A hush fell over Building 320 Dec. 27 as Avenal State Prison Facility C’s Lt. R. Landeros unveiled a unique holiday surprise for the residents: a viewing of a spectacular Godzilla-themed drone and light display christened “Gingerzilla.” Participation in this festive event was open to the incarcerated population and on-duty staff.

Chief Deputy Warden A. Williams expressed sincere gratitude to the residents for their enthusiastic engagement in positive programs. She also praised the staff for their proactive support and innovative suggestions for events such as this, stressing their crucial role in fostering a sense of normalcy and hope within the facility.

Submitted by Lt. A. Schuller

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