History
In the 1950s, an officer, despondent over working conditions at San Quentin State Prison, committed suicide. This prompted Officer Al Mello and eight fellow officers, five of which were Correctional Lieutenants concerned with the pay scale and working conditions, to start traveling to the three existing state prisons (Folsom, Soledad, and San Quentin) to rally support for the creation of a union dedicated to representing the correctional officer series. In 1957, the California Correctional Officers Association (CCOA) was formed with members from each adult institution. Almost immediately, law enforcement officers from the California Youth Authority, Youth and Adult Paroles, and Medical Technical Assistants began to inquire about membership.
Until the 1980s, unionized prison guards were relatively weak politically in California, with membership divided between the California State Employees Association and the CCOA. Don Novey led a successful effort during the 1980s to combine California Youth Authority supervisors and parole officers with prison guards, launching the CCPOA's rise to prominence. The CCPOA's membership increased substantially. Novey was an aggressive lobbyist and helped bring the union to a position of great influence in Sacramento politics, eventually becoming one of the most powerful unions in the state.
By 1992, the CCPOA was California's second largest political action committee, contributing over a million dollars to legislative candidates. The CCPOA also contributed over a million dollars to Pete Wilson's successful 1990 gubernatorial campaign, the largest independent campaign contribution on behalf of a candidate in California history. The CCPOA subsequently backed Gray Davis's successful campaign for governorship in 1998.
The CCPOA has supported campaigns for tougher criminal sentences, including large contributions to the 1994 campaign for Proposition 184, the 'three strikes' ballot initiative, which puts repeat offenders behind bars for lengthy terms.
Read more about this topic: California Correctional Peace Officers Association
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