SCR 23, as amended, Cannella. Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers Memorial Highway.
This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 101 in the County of Monterey as the Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers Memorial Highway honoring John V. Mills, William C. Shull, Robert J. McCarthy, and Kenneth E. Conant. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
Fiscal committee: yes.
P1 1WHEREAS, Between January 1970 and May 1971, three
2correctional officers and a correctional employee were attacked
3and killed in the line of duty at the California Department of
4Corrections and Rehabilitation Correctional Training Facility,
5formerly known as the Soledad State Prison, in a string of violent
6inmate uprisings; and
P2 1WHEREAS, John V. Mills, born on July 19, 1944, in Riverside,
2California, grew up in Fresno, attended Long Beach State College,
3served two years in the Army, and had just been assigned to the
4medium security Y-Wing in relief of another officer who was on
5vacation; and
6WHEREAS, On January 16, 1970, Officer Mills was locked in
7the cell block with 95 inmates, and was attacked and beaten to
8death at approximately 6:30 p.m. by inmates in retaliation for the
9shooting deaths of three other inmates at the prison; and
10WHEREAS, Officer Mills was a 14-month veteran correctional
11officer of the prison and resident of Monterey, who left a widow,
12Bernadette, and a son, Michael Lee; and
13WHEREAS, William C. Shull, born on June 13, 1930, in
14Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, attended Gettysburg High School, served
1522 years in the Army, retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant,
16and was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal;
17and
18WHEREAS, On July 23, 1970, Officer Shull was assigned to
19the recreational building 1-Yard exercise area in relief of another
20officer who was unable to work that day, and was found lifeless
21at 9:30 a.m. by an inmate, having been beaten and stabbed to death
22by inmates in retaliation for the shooting deaths of three other
23inmates at the prison; and
24WHEREAS, Officer Shull was a one-year veteran correctional
25officer of the prison and resident of Seaside, who left a widow,
26Kazuko, and four girls, Gracie, Sarah, Betty, and Rose; and
27WHEREAS, Robert J. McCarthy, born on August 8, 1927, in
28Oklahoma, served 21 years in the Army, retiring with the rank of
29Sergeant; and
30WHEREAS, On March 4, 1971, Officer McCarthy was
31conducting a count of the inmates in X-Wing, at 11:15 p.m., when
32an inmate, claiming he needed to mail a letter, lured Officer
33McCarthy to his cell door and stabbed him; and
34WHEREAS, Valiant efforts by hospital staff and an inmate in
35the infirmary stabilized Officer McCarthy’s condition, but he died
36after he was transferred to the military hospital at Fort Ord; and
37WHEREAS, Officer McCarthy was a veteran correctional officer
38of the prison since 1966 and a resident of the City of Marina, who
39left a widow, Emily, and two children, Leon and Sylvia; and
P3 1WHEREAS, Kenneth E. Conant, born on December 6, 1921,
2in Denver, Colorado, attended the University of Denver and the
3University of Southern California; and
4WHEREAS, On May 19, 1971, Mr. Conant, a correctional
5employee, was sitting at his desk preparing to conduct a
6disciplinary committee hearing with two prison officials when
7they were attacked by two inmates who entered the office with
8handmade knives, and Mr. Conant was fatally stabbed while the
9prison officials received minor injuries; and
10WHEREAS, Mr. Conant was a 20-year veteran of corrections
11work and a resident of Salinas, who left a widow, Helen, and a
12son, Donald; now, therefore, be it
13Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
14thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
15portion of State Highway Route 101 between Exit 305begin insert at post mile
1664.63end insert and Exit 310begin insert at post mile 69.37end insert in the County of Monterey
17as the Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers Memorial
18Highway honoring John V. Mills, William C. Shull, Robert J.
19McCarthy, and Kenneth E. Conant; and be it further
20Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
21to determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the
22signing requirements for the state highway system showing this
23special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate
24sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs; and be it
25further
26Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
27this resolution to the Department of Transportation and to the
28author for appropriate distribution.
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