Justice Department warns California of lawsuit over systemic abuse in women’s prisons
The Justice Department sent Governor Gavin Newsom a notice that the state may be sued for violating inmates’ constitutional rights after a probe uncovered ongoing staff sexual misconduct at two women’s prisons.
A Justice Department investigation revealed a long-standing pattern of sexual misconduct by staff at California’s Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino. In a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon warned that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may have breached inmates’ Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, giving the state 49 days to remedy the conditions before a lawsuit can be filed under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.
The report documented over 375 abuse allegations from 2023 through June 2025 and noted 320 private lawsuits against the department. It highlighted former officer Gregory Rodriguez, convicted on 62 counts and sentenced to 224 years, as one of many perpetrators. Federal investigators said the prisons lack adequate safeguards, confidential reporting mechanisms, and consistent accountability.
The department suggested 11 corrective actions, such as more cameras, body-worn devices, one outlet's reporting channels, stronger investigations and better training. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the findings “unacceptable” and stressed a desire to resolve the violations without court action.
Why it matters
It signals potential federal litigation and mandates reforms to protect incarcerated women from ongoing abuse.
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