California women's prisons failing to protect prisoners from sexual abuse, DOJ says
CALIFORNIA (KFSN) -- The Department of Justice found that California women's prisons are failing to protect their female prisoners from sexual abuse by staff.
The report includes the Central California Women's Prison in Chowchilla, along with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Investigators had uncovered a longstanding pattern of staff sexual misconduct, along with insufficient safeguards, failures in confidential reports, improper investigative practices and inadequate accountability measures.
The DOJ says these findings violate the prisoners' rights under the Eighth and 14th amendments.
California has been provided with ways to address the violations, including training, better camera coverage and more.
The state has 49 days to make changes, or else the attorney general may initiate litigation.
Action News reached out to the CDCR for comment, but has not heard back.
