Two inmate deaths at south state prison probed for flu link By Andy Furillo - afurillo@sacbee. com Monday, March 10, 2008

Authorities are investigating two inmate deaths at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in the Southern California desert to see if they resulted from a flu

outbreak that forced the closure of the facility to inmate transfers. Visiting privileges also have been suspended at the prison near Blythe, where 10 inmates have been hospitalized and 546 have been stricken with the flu since Feb. 23. The inmate deaths took place March 1 and March 3. The cause of death has tentatively been listed as respiratory failure. Prison spokeswoman Lt. Debbie Asuncion said autopsies have been conducted to determine if they were related to the flu. "Hopefully, we'll get those results soon," Asuncion said.

Chuckawalla officials have closed the prison to new admissions and have stopped transferring inmates out of the prison. Chuckawalla houses almost all its 3,145 mostly medium-security inmates in dormitories.

The prison is crowded to 228 percent of its designed capacity.