by Nick Delgado

Guam - As of 7am Friday the entire Mangilao Compound for the Department of Corrections was put on lockdown. According to agency director J.B. Palacios, a letter was found near a water fountain outside the infirmary.

The contents of the letter specifically threatened to shoot Warden Frank Crisostomo and Officer Abraham Santiago if certain policies were not lifted including the ban on electronic items. The letter also demanded that the dress code policy for visitors be changed as well, specifically as it relates to women.

Said Palacios said the letter noted that, "If we don't lift those two specific policies and go back to the old ways, that the warden, Major Crisostomo, as well as officer Santiago will be shot and killed. The letter also contained a line that says it's easy to shoot somebody at four o'clock in the morning, that about the time that they report to duty. And after a week if no action on our part to bend to their demands that there will be no more letters other than just the death in the department."

Palacios say DEPCOR's Special Operations Group was activated. Likewise, all activities including visitations have been suspended until further notice. Meals are now being delivered to cells and a complete shakedown of all cells was conducted this morning.

In the meantime, two inmates who were at the infirmary this morning were questioned. Palacios says they are also looking at their logbooks to determine who else may have been in the area. "It's definitely coming from somebody fairly new, somebody who's at the bottom of the pecking order, if you will, trying to make a name for themselves and just really doesn't know and have come to terms that they're incarcerated. And it's not a vacation - they're incarcerated

According to Palacios, Guam Police investigators will try to lift the prints from the letter as part of their investigation. He adds that when they're caught the inmate(s) behind the death threat will face additional charges of disruption of government operations and terroristic conduct. Palacios says they will not negotiate on any terms, adding, "As far as backing down its not going to happen, I've stated before and ill state it again, the public safety of the people of Guam is not negotiable."

Echoing that statement is Warden Crisostomo, who isn't phased by the death threat. He told KUAM News, "It's a threat that's going to me, I will not take it lightly but I do not fear these type of things." The warden added, "There's other things I take into consideration here and the possibility there might be some institutional movement of personnel's from one unit to another."