LOS ANGELES — California’s prison system has systematically failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by guards, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday, giving the state 49 days to address deficiencies or face possible federal litigation.
The findings followed a two-year federal investigation into the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino. Investigators said the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to adequately prevent and detect sexual abuse, provide confidential ways for women to report misconduct and hold employees accountable.
The Justice Department said some employees responsible for investigating misconduct had themselves been accused or convicted of sexual offenses. In one case cited by federal officials, a guard was sentenced to 224 years in prison after being convicted of abuse spanning roughly a decade, according to the investigation.
Federal officials also said California’s reporting system was not sufficiently confidential because officers accused of misconduct could access it. Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the lack of confidentiality could deter women from reporting abuse.
The department’s report identified 11 measures for California, including expanded camera coverage, greater use of body-worn cameras, stronger investigations into retaliation and a reporting system independent of prison authorities. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the state must address failures that allowed the conditions to persist.
California’s corrections department said it had already undertaken reforms, including measures that predated the federal investigation. Spokesperson Will Matthews said the agency remained committed to safe and constitutional prison operations and noted that recent independent audits found both facilities compliant with standards under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.
“Sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and retaliation against individuals in our care are unacceptable,” Matthews said, adding that the department takes allegations seriously.
The federal investigation follows years of lawsuits, complaints and criminal cases involving alleged staff abuse at the two prisons. The Justice Department said California had been aware of sexual-assault complaints dating to at least 2000.
California has 49 days from the federal findings to address the identified problems before the Justice Department may pursue civil litigation.
