A Central Valley prison is facing a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ announced Wednesday that the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla is under investigation, as well as the California Institution for Women in Chino.
The big picture: The DOJ announced that it will evaluate whether the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) protects incarcerated people at the two prisons from sexual abuse by correctional staff.
- The investigation comes after hundreds of women have filed lawsuits in the last two years, levying allegations of sexual abuse at the Chowchilla prison over the last decade.
- Allegations centered at the Chowchilla prison range from inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape.
- Twenty-one women filed a civil lawsuit at the Chino prison alleging forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation and threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct from 2014 to 2020.
- Correctional officers at both prisons have reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges.
- The Chowchilla prison is the largest state prison in California for women.
What they’re saying: “Ensuring that inmates in the California state prison system are treated consistent with Constitutional standards is a priority of my office since so many of the State’s adult prisons are located in the Eastern District,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert.
- “No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
- U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons.
- “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons,” Estrada said.
