Conjugal visits to be addressed with future bill from valley assemblyman

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – After 2 women died portion visiting their husbands astatine a Northern California prison, Assemblyman David Tangipa wants to present a caller measure to forestall much deaths during conjugal visits. California is 1 of 4 states that let conjugal visits.

“We request to enactment radical archetypal successful law-abiding citizens archetypal implicit the criminals. And yet clip and clip again, criminals for immoderate crushed are getting first,” Assemblyman Tangipa said.

Tangipa wants to alteration however conjugal visits are handled successful California. This is aft 2 women were killed past twelvemonth astatine Mule Creek State Prison extracurricular of Sacramento.

“If you are a murderer, wherefore would you get the enactment to sojourn with your family? When I deliberation astir the victim's household who volition ne'er get the enactment to spot their household subordinate again.”

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Tania Thomas and Stephanie Dowells were some strangled to decease portion visiting their husbands astatine the Mule Creek State Prison successful Northern California.

Their deaths were conscionable 4 months isolated and some men were serving beingness sentences for murder. 

“I deliberation this is irresponsible. I deliberation murderers request 24-hour supervision. I deliberation they should not person conjugal visits. They've not earned it,” Tangipa said.

Tangipa wants to instrumentality distant conjugal visits altogether from prisoners serving beingness sentences. 

Local Criminal Defense Attorney Mark King says these visits tin past up to 4 days. 

“Several authorities prisons person an flat setup wherever there's a bedroom, there's a surviving room, there's a kitchen, and inmates who are connected bully behaviour and are not connected decease enactment and person not been convicted of sexually convulsive crimes are eligible to use for conjugal visits,” Criminal Defense Attorney Mark King said.

According to King, those visits person stopped.

“That situation and different prisons astir the authorities person temporarily suspended conjugal visits portion they reappraisal their procedures,” King said.

King besides said alteration is coming.

“I'm definite if conjugal visits proceed successful California, they're going to beryllium overmuch much cautious astir what benignant of inmate is granted that privilege,” King said.

Tangipa said helium is actively moving connected authorities with his colleagues.