Guard survives 2 Iraq tours, dies on job at U.S. prison

[82Rigger]

ATWATER, California (CNN) -- Jose Rivera survived two tours of duty in Iraq, but his job as a corrections officer at a high-security federal prison in California cost him his life.

Jose Rivera was unarmed and guarding 100 inmates when he was stabbed to death at a federal prison in California.

Two inmates using a homemade shank are accused of stabbing Rivera to death in June at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, California.
The inmates -- Jose Sablan, 43, and James Guerrero, 40 -- were indicted in August and charged with murder. They have not entered a plea.
"It was two against one, you know, and no one helped him," said Rivera's mother, Terry. "I didn't think that it would happen, but it was not safe for him to work there."

Rivera was 22 and had been in his job at the 960-plus inmate prison for just 10 months when he died.

He was alone guarding about 100 inmates at the time of the attack and had a radio to call for backup in case of trouble. He didn't have what many guards in California's state prisons routinely count on: pepper spray, a protective vest and a collapsible baton. Federal officers are not allowed to have those items.

[SuperScout]

Sad beyond words. I'll bet those two thugs who stabbed him were illegal aliens, also called wetbacks, and should be summarily executed, and have their bodies dumped in Tiajuana.

[Keith_Hixson]

Sad, Sad Story.

Brice,
I won't bet against you on that one.

Keith

[CorrectionalOfficers_Dad]

This article is very accurate. I am the father of the Correctional Officer, mentioned in the article. (The Correctional Officer who had his jaw shattered).

I appreciate the opportunity to post on your web site.

We have started a group, "Friends and Family of Correctional Officers" USP - Atwater. We are actively trying to get the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to change their policies and issue - stab resistant vests, non-lethal equipment, and provide minimum manning in the housing units. Yes, the ratio is 100+ to 1 in the housing units, today. This is true at all Federal Correctional Institutions across the nation. The BOP must change.

Your site prevents me from entering our web site address, in order to prevent spam. But if you google our name,

Friends and Family of Correctional Officers - you'll discover our site.

Please check out our web site, and if you agree, please become a member and help us fight for the Federal Correctional Officers.




We need your help !! The publics help !!

Thank- You

Co-Founder of "Friends and Family of Correctional Officers" USP - Atwater

[David]

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad I do not see where it is mentioned in the article that there was anyone else injured. Am I missing something?

[CorrectionalOfficers_Dad]

Originally Posted by David

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad I do not see where it is mentioned in the article that there was anyone else injured. Am I missing something?

The full article and news video clip, is at CNN "dot" com web site. Search for Jose Rivera and you'll see the full article. You have to key on the center icon titled "CNN News", then enter Jose Rivera then hit "Search" icon.

Portion of Article
"One officer who has worked for several years at Atwater, where Rivera was killed, said he feels threatened every day. Unless the federal government provides additional protection, he said, he's thinking about leaving the job.

The officer requested that his name not be used because he fears retaliation. He recounted how a fellow corrections officer's jaw was broken in nine places in an inmate attack last year."

Sequence of Assaults at USP - Atwater (Incidents):

My son was attacked, Sep 07, had his jaw shattered, (wasn't really 9 distinct breaks that the unidentified officer states in the article) two surgeries, off work 6 months.

Oct 07 an Officer was held hostage, shortly after that an attempted hostage situation of an officer, in which the inmate held a shank to the officer's throat.

Jan 08 - An officer was attacked by 10 inmates, sent to hospital off 45 days, another officer that went to his aid, also inured and off work for prolonged period of time.

Many assaults on officers after this, until the ultimate tradegy, the Murder of Officer Rivera, on June 20th, 2008.

The writing was on the wall.

[Keith_Hixson]

I know how to stop this violence. Any inmate who is involved with violence against a guard or any non-inmate person at the prison for any reason is immediately taken out and shot by a firing squad in the main exercise yard. Most countries of the world have such laws, even civilized Europe. In the long run that law would save many, many lives. Two or three executions and the violence would be over.

I was raised near Walla Walla, WA. I knew quite a few guards personally. Almost everyone I knew had been attack or injured by an inmate. Extreme situations sometimes need extreme laws to protect the innocent.

Keith