Justice Department finds pattern of sexual abuse in California women's prisons

The U.S. Department of Justice has identified an “unbroken pattern” of sexual misconduct by staff against incarcerated women at two California state prisons. An investigation by the Civil Rights Division found that from 2000 through 2024, staff at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino engaged in often violent sexual abuse.

The report concludes that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) failed to protect victims or hold officers accountable, despite repeatedly substantiating allegations. Investigators noted that women who attempted to report the abuse faced retaliation. The DOJ stated these failures likely violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments, as well as the Prison Rape Elimination Act.