The department stated that prison institutions have violated the Constitution by not protecting inmates from sexual abuse or harassment.
The Department of Justice determined that reasonable cause exists to believe that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino have violated the U.S. Constitution by failing to protect female inmates from sexual abuse and harassment by prison employees.
The Justice Department stated, “Investigators uncovered a longstanding pattern of sustained staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, failures in confidential reporting, improper investigative practices, and insufficient accountability measures. The Department concluded that these systemic deficiencies grievously violate prisoners’ rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.”
“Female prisoners have the constitutional right to be free from sexual assault and harassment by prison staff,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice’s investigation revealed that California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation knew of repeated incidents of sexual assault and harassment against female prisoners, and failed to protect them.”
AAG Dhillon concluded, “This deliberate indifference to the suffering of female prisoners at the hands of prison staff is illegal, and the Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California, will end this brutal abuse.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Assistant Attorney General Dhillon as she heads the Civil Division and efforts to protect female prison inmates.
- For wisdom for Justice Department officials as they seek to resolve the constitutional violations occurring in the California prison system.
- For the protection and healing of the women prisoners who have been abused or harassed.
Sources: Department of Justice
