Transition at penitentiary to begin this summerThe lengthy tenure of Lompoc's federal prison as a home for high-security inmates will start winding down this summer. Its transition to a medium-security prison most likely will begin in August with the transfer of inmates to various prisons, including a new one in Victorville, and continue gradually until the end of the year, said new USP Lompoc Warden Bobby Compton. About 785 high-security prisoners will be transferred out of Lompoc, which holds more than 1,400 inmates. Prison officials said they could not estimate the number of prisoners heading to the Victorville federal prison in San Bernardino County, but eventually former Lompoc inmates will comprise the majority of its prisoner population. Victorville is expected to house 1,200 to 1,500 inmates. Lompoc's new medium-security inmates will come from western states, Compton said. More than 1,700 low- and minimum-security inmates now housed at a separate Federal Corrections Institution in Lompoc and a satellite camp will not be affected by the change. Compton said that USP Lompoc will become a minimum-security institution and may hold more prisoners than before after it has transitioned into its new role. The prison will begin construction of a new housing unit in July to accommodate the possible influx of prisoners. Construction will last 18 to 24 months. Lompoc's penitentiary was built in 1946 by the military and is one of the longest-active federal prisons still functioning. Over the years it has been the home to such famous criminals as 1970s Soviet spy Christopher Boyce and 1993 World Trade Center bombing conspirator Mahmud Abouhalima. "It's old," said prison spokesperson Joe Henderson. "We replaced Alcatraz and Alcatraz was the first major penitentiary on the West Coast." Security issues became public fodder after a riot involving 50 to 60 inmates broke out in the prison June 1, 2003. In the aftermath, officers alleged that 20 guards were injured and charged that the prison was too under-staffed to ensure employee safety. High-security facilities require a higher ratio of correctional officers to inmates. Lompoc prison officials have declined to comment on prisoner-staff ratios. Former Warden Al Hererra left in March after reportedly being asked to step down. Hererra's departure was prompted by mounting allegations by officers and the correctional officers' union that the prison was unsafe because of Hererra's failure to investigate assaults on corrections officers, misuse of government funds, lax attitude toward inmate discipline, and frivolous investigations of officers. Lompoc made public plans to move inmates to Victorville in November 2003. Controversial discussions to construct a 1,000-inmate high-security prison in Lompoc were squashed in 2001 after local public outcry. The Victorville prison finished construction in November 2003. It has been undergoing the arduous process of reviews and security measures for the last eight months. The new prison will feature six housing buildings and a number of security upgrades from USP Lompoc's outdated facility. Security upgrades include improved lock-down capabilities, more sophisticated technology, and walled cells instead of bars, according to various prison officials. Compton confirmed that there will be transfers of prison employees that mirror the reduced security level, but that no employees will be losing their jobs.