DOJ Report Finds Longstanding Sexual Abuse at California Women’s Prisons

A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation concluded that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has allowed an “unbroken pattern” of sexual assault and harassment by staff at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino for more than two decades. The report says the prisons violated incarcerated women’s Eighth-Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment and Fourteenth-Amendment guarantee of equal protection. Key deficiencies identified include blind spots in surveillance, limited body-worn-camera coverage, non-confidential grievance systems, delayed or incomplete investigations, and retaliation against complainants.

KQEDDOJ says California prisons allegedly failing to protect female inmates from sexual abuse by staff The Hill

The DOJ began its inquiry nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women filed legal claims alleging sexual exploitation by staff. Earlier prosecutions highlighted the problem: former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts and sentenced to 224 years for abusing at least 21 women, and a sergeant at CIW received a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty to possessing child-sexual-abuse material while investigating staff misconduct.

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• 350 allegations of sexual misconduct were reviewed.

Calif. women’s prisons failed to protect inmates from sex abuse by staff, DOJ says

• More than 65 women were identified as alleged victims of Rodriguez; 21 allegations were substantiated.

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• In 2023, the Madera County district attorney filed 97 criminal counts involving 13 women; 64 counts resulted in conviction.

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• CDCR settled a 2024 mass-use-of-force incident with a $1.9 million payment to 13 injured women.

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• An internal audit found that 86 % of disciplinary and criminal investigations in the first half of 2025 were “inadequate” or “needs improvement.”

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Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division warned that the state’s failure raises constitutional concerns and that the department will enforce remedial measures.

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U.S. CDCR spokesperson Will Matthews asserted that the agency enforces a zero-tolerance policy, points to PREA audits that met all 45 standards, and says it has already taken “significant reforms.”

The Hill

Investigators documented “sugar rooms” in kitchen storage areas where cameras are absent and sexual activity can occur undetected. Blind spots were also noted around the Plant Operations area and in abandoned buildings. Women reported that the online grievance system (602 forms) is accessible to staff, including accused officers, deterring many from filing complaints.

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CDCR maintains that it “consistently achieved” compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and that audits confirm adherence to all standards. The DOJ report, however, characterizes PREA implementation as “inadequate” and cites numerous violations, highlighting a discrepancy between agency self-assessment and federal findings.

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• “None of this should be surprising to CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation], none of it should be surprising to the Legislature,” — Amika Mota, executive director of Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition

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• “Things like that were extremely concerning,” — Alexandra Young, attorney

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• “The upshot of our investigation is that California’s prison system, when it comes to women, has inadequate systems in place to deter, detect, and hold accountable rampant sexual misconduct and assault on female prisoners.” — Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney

The Independent

The DOJ has given California 49 days to adopt the recommended remedial actions, which include expanding camera coverage, establishing independent confidential reporting channels, broadening body-worn-camera requirements, and strengthening investigative protocols. The department warned that failure to meet the deadline could result in civil litigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

The Hill

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*All information is drawn from the DOJ investigation and statements from the officials named above.*

The Hill