Department of Justice Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Sexual Abuse by Correctional Staff at Chowchilla Prisons

SACRAMENTO – The Department of Justice announced today that it has launched an investigation into conditions at two prisons operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino.

The Department has found sufficient grounds to initiate this investigation based on a comprehensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders. The investigation will assess whether CDCR is protecting inmates at the Central California Women's Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional personnel.

“The Central California Women's Facility in Madera County is the largest state prison in California for adult female inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Because so many of the state's adult prisons are located in the Eastern District, it is a priority of my office to ensure that inmates in the California state prison system are treated constitutionally.”

“No woman incarcerated in a prison or jail should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally obligated to protect her,” 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 people incarcerated there are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.”

“Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Together with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at the Central California Women's Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated individuals.”

• Over the past two years, women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits accusing officers of sexually abusing inmates at the Central California Women's Facility over the past decade. The complaints range from inappropriate groping during searches and rubbing of the genitals to rape.
• A trial is scheduled to begin this week in state court on allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women's Facility committed numerous sexual assaults. Of course, these are only allegations, and the state court case will continue.
• A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women, alleging rape and penetration, groping, oral sex, and threats of violence and punishment with abusive behavior between 2014 and 2020.
• Correctional officers at both facilities reportedly demanded sexual favors in exchange for contraband and privileges.
• The correctional officers named in these allegations are of varying ranks, including those responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse by women incarcerated in these facilities.
• In March, a state-appointed task force of advocacy groups and community-based organizations released a report to the California Legislature highlighting longstanding cultural deficiencies in dealing with employee sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and a lack of employee accountability.

Officials from the Department of Justice have notified California state authorities of the investigation. The Department has not yet reached a conclusion on the allegations in this matter. The investigation is being conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, which gives the Department the authority to investigate systematic violations of the rights of persons in institutional settings, including prisons.

The Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California.