4/29/04 The man who heads the guard's union at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lompoc has been a harsh critic of past prison leadership.

But Frank Campo said he's heard good things about incoming Warden Bobby Compton.

Campo, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local No. 3048, which represents guards and other penitentiary workers, expressed a professional dislike for retiring Warden Al Herrera, and accused Herrera of misconduct during his tenure.

In contrast, he said Compton's reputation is a good one from a corrections officer's point of view.

"I've only heard good things about him," said Campo, who is retiring from prison work this year. "He's (reputedly) firm on inmates and believes they should follow policy, and he's also good with staff."

Compton, who began his prison career as a corrections officer in 1983 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, Tenn., currently works as warden at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County, Va.

He is scheduled to take over as warden in Lompoc in mid-June, according to Bill Story, executive assistant at the prison in Lee County.

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Richard Hawkins is the union president for guards in Lee County.

"I've been through five institutions, and he's by far the best warden as far as labor-management relations I've ever dealt with," Hawkins said.

However, Hawkins wouldn't comment on inmate-guard relations at the penitentiary or disclose whether there have been any incidents.

Compton would not comment for this story.

Former Warden Herrera retired from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons amid a storm of controversy.

During his tenure at the prison, which dates back to December 2000, correction officers leveled several accusations against him, including allegations that the prison had become unsafe while he was there; he used government funds to remodel his federal residence and for personal use; he was biased toward Latino inmates and subordinates; he was lax on inmate discipline; and he stole items from a Lompoc hotel.

No criminal charges were filed against Herrera, and he has refused numerous media requests for him to tell his side of the story.

Acting Warden Joyce Conley took over warden duties at Lompoc in late March, when Herrera was reportedly asked to leave the penitentiary. Herrera announced his retirement from the Bureau of Prisons, effective in May.

Before his stint at Lee County in 2002, Compton worked his way through the ranks at seven other federal prison facilities, according to information provided by acting executive assistant Dave Shoemaker.

In May 2002, Compton received a U.S. Marshall Award for Partnership with Law Enforcement. In June 2000, he was named the Northern Central Regional Associate Warden of the Year for his work at FCI Pekin in Illinois.

The Lompoc Penitentiary, which opened in 1981, is home to 1,396 inmates, with 293 housed in a work camp, Shoemaker said.

Staff writer Mark Abramson contributed to this report.

Staff writer Quintin Cushner can be reached at 739-2217 or by e-mail at qcushner@pulitzer.net.