[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10] [House] [Page 13711] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING OFFICER JOSE RIVERA (Mr. CARDOZA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the late Jose Rivera, a correctional officer at the Federal penitentiary in Atwater, California. Officer Rivera's life was taken by two inmates on Friday, June 20, 2008. He was 22 years old. He is survived by his mother, Terry, by his sisters Teresa, Martha and Angelica and by his brother, Daniel. After graduating from Le Grand High School, he served for 4 years in the Navy, completing two tours of duty in Iraq, and he began his career as a correctional officer on August 5, 2007. His life of service was cut tragically short. Mr. Speaker, I have long voiced my concerns, most recently in a letter I sent in April to the director of the Bureau of Prisons, about the lack of sufficient resources and staff to safely operate our Federal prisons. The fact is that staffing levels are decreasing while inmate populations are increasing. The Atwater Penitentiary is operating at 85 percent of the staffing level and is at 25 percent overcapacity for inmate levels. As we honor Officer Rivera's legacy of commitment and service to our country, his senseless death is a reminder that we must provide adequate funds to keep our prisons and our communities safe. ____________________