By Davynn Isabella Benavides and Lily Rusk
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Justice announced it has launched an investigation into two California prisons following allegations of sexual abuse by correctional staff.
The investigation targets the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino, according to a recently released statement by the Department of Justice.
According to the Department of Justice, a civil action has been filed on behalf of 21 women at the California Institution for Women. This suit includes allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct from 2014 to 2020, the statement notes.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division commented on the importance of this investigation, asserting, “No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff.”
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California said, “Concern about the physical safety of people inside California women’s prisons is not new.”
The investigation follows years of media coverage, lawsuits, and advocacy efforts drawing attention to these issues, according to the release from the Department of Justice.
The DOJ maintains its intent is to determine if the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, also known as the CDCR, has failed to protect incarcerated individuals from staff misconduct.
Clarke added, “California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse.”
This investigation includes the surveying of women, transgender, and non-binary incarcerated, with an emphasis on Black and Latina women being disproportionately impacted, according to Clarke’s prepared remarks.
Clarke notes hundreds of incarcerated women who have filed lawsuits, detailing incidents of inappropriate touching, forced actions, and exchanging of sexual favors for privileges.
In fact, this week, a trial is scheduled to begin for a former officer accused of widespread sexual assault at the Central California Women’s Facility, said DOJ.
A group established by the State, composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations released a report in March charging there is “an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and a lack of staff accountability.”
The DOJ said its investigation will determine whether these institutions are meeting their constitutional obligations to prevent abuse, according to Clarke’s remarks.
“California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse,” Clarke stated, while the DOJ emphasized its probe will determine if California is violating constitutional protections.
