Jose Alfredo Diramos "Joe" Kates

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — Sacramento, CA

Illness

End of Watch July 11, 2020

Age 37

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 172 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Corrections Officer Joe Kates died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among staff and inmates at North Kern State Prison.

Officer Kates had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for four years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Corrections Officer Jose Alfredo Diramos "Joe" Kates died on July 11, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 37.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 3 at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.

Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-0B2517E9
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Corrections Officer Kates gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer Kates.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity cdcrcorr.sacramento.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 11, 2020

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 37

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Corrections Officer Jose Alfredo Diramos "Joe" Kates is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 75 of 1,837 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.1% of this state's fallen. That is 5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 3 of 42 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 7.1% of this agency's fallen.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

of 42 officers

7.1% Illness

CA — Statewide

of 1,837 officers

4.1% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness