In Re Furnace

Petitioner Edward T. Furnace, who is serving a life term without the possibility of parole for special circumstance murder and other crimes, was validated as an associate of a prison gang, the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), and transferred into the security housing unit (SHU) at California State Prison, Corcoran. He argues that the evidence used to validate him and place him in the SHU for an indeterminate term was “false, unreliable and insufficient.” We will deny his petition for writ of habeas corpus.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Furnace has been in the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Department) since 1992. On February 4, 2008, while Furnace was incarcerated at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP), the institutional gang investigators (IGI) unit searched his personal property. Thereafter, assistant investigator M. Valdez authored a report stating he had discovered contact information related to the BGF prison gang. The item, a piece of paper, included the name, Department number, and institutional housing information of Hugo Pinell, a validated member of the BGF housed at Pelican Bay State Prison. Valdez stated his opinion, based…