March 1, 2011 | 4:52 PM | By

Shake-up at San Quentin: Warden replaced

FILED UNDER: Corrections, California Department of Corrections, Michael Martel, San Quentin State Prison, Vincent Cullen

Vincent Cullen

San Quentin Acting Warden Vincent Cullen was removed from his post on Friday and will move to a different prison within California.

“As a rule, all wardens are selected and appointed in an ‘acting’ capacity as they undergo a comprehensive evaluation,” Assistant Secretary of Communications Oscar Hidalgo said in an email. “Mr. Cullen was effective at maintaining the sound operation of San Quentin during his time as acting warden, but it was decided that an alternate placement was more appropriate at this time.”

About half of California’s 33 adult facilities are lead by acting wardens.

Cullen took over leadership of San Quentin in January 2010, amidst massive budget cuts and held the position through controversy over proposed renovations to San Quentin’s death row, as well as flare-ups in the ongoing legal debate over the state’s lethal injection process. He also oversaw the prison during completion of San Quentin’s new medical facility, which is considered one of the best in the state’s system.

San Quentin has had significant turnover in leadership in recent years. Between 1984 and 2004, the prison had three wardens–compared to an average of one per year since.

Cullen is a graduate of San Francisco State University and grew up in Millbrae. Before becoming warden, Cullen was the chief deputy warden at San Quentin for a year, having worked in administration at the California State Prison at Solano and the California Medical Facility.

Cullen has been replaced by Michael Martel, who was until now, warden at Mule Creek State Prison. Martel came up through the ranks in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, starting as a correctional officer at San Quentin in 1981. Since, he’s held various high-ranking positions within the department.

“We believe he is very capable at leading this very important prison institution,” Hidalgo said.

  • Jgltam

    After that fiasco with the lack of sodium thiopental at the last execution attempt, my immediate reaction was: heads are going to roll on this one! Should have happened much sooner. Unfortunately, the only execution that took place was the chopping down of a beautiful, huge old fragrant everygreen tree that protected the guard shack from the sometimes severe weather due to the location of the prison. I heard that it was removed so TV camers could get a better shot of the prison. As a former volunteer I can say that this kind of bumbling goes on frequently at SQ.

  • Anonymous

    I truly doubt that Mr. Cullen, from the voluminous documents CDCR released under the freedom of information act, had anything to do with the sodium thiopental fiasco. Since he hasn’t been head at SQ for more than just over a year, I doubt he was instrumental in removing the evergreen tree. (Trees were removed throughout the prison system between 2008 and 2010, purportedly for security reasons). He probably pissed some idiot CDCR bureaucrat off though so now he will be moved to a more “appropriate facility” (Ironwood?) where he will learn to bow to the Sac Gods. No one wants to retire in Ironwood, everyone would like to retire at SQ. Oh, did you see the Bio of his replacement? Does though speak CCPOA?

  • Rightor1

    Martel is the new warden at San Quentin. Martel once handcuffed and shackled Eric K’napp

    in 2004 and ordered that open ammonia capsules be placed INSIDE HIS NOSE. I have

    the photograph showing the burns. Martel is an evil man. There is no accountability of such “public servants” except when inmate and private lawyers sue them, we voters should pass a law that any warden who has been sued for wrongful death and torture is fired.

  • Nora1039

    I think they move these wardens and associate wardens around because they get sued so much the State doesn’t want to keep them at the same facility. It is very difficult to maintain any accountability for the treatment of prisoners, when they keep changing wardens.

    The State has gotten very wise on how to avoid prosecution of their wrongful employee acts. They just move the employees from prison to prison. It is nothing but a great cover-up. They have come up with every angle possible to keep their employees from getting sued for violations of human rights.

    We talk about other countries miss-treating their prisoners, we better clean up our own house first, and while we’re at it let’s start out with cleaning up the California Prison System.