Lawsuit alleges women sexually abused by officers at Chowchilla prison

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A national civilian rights probe is underway aft respective lawsuits alleged that incarcerated women were being sexually abused by correctional officers successful 2 California prisons, including the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, the United States Department of Justice announced.

The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that the 2 prisons nether probe are the Central California Women’s Facility successful Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women successful Chino, some operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

"Concern astir the carnal information of radical wrong California women’s prisons is not new,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Media coverage, authorities audits, advocates’ efforts and backstage litigation person sought to gully attraction to an contented often unseen by galore successful the community."

Court records authorities that, successful the past 2 years, women person filed hundreds of lawsuits alleging intersexual maltreatment of inmates astatine the CDCR Chowcilla facility. These allegations scope from inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape, national officials say.

Lawsuits filed for the CDCR Chino installation see allegations of intersexual maltreatment arsenic good arsenic threats of unit and punishment with abusive behaviour ranging from 2014 to 2020, according to national prosecutors.

The national Department of Justice says the probe announced Wednesday volition find whether CDCR protects the incarcerated women from intersexual maltreatment by unit astatine some facilities.

"Every woman, including those successful prison, retains basal civilian and law rights and should beryllium treated with dignity and respect. California indispensable guarantee that the radical it incarcerates are housed successful conditions that support them from intersexual abuse. This probe volition find whether California is gathering its law obligations," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this probe successful conjunction with the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California.

Anyone with immoderate applicable accusation regarding this lawsuit is asked to interaction the section astatine 1-888-392-9490 oregon by email astatine Community.CAWomensPrisons@usdoj.gov.

The Department of Justice adds that nary decision has been reached regarding the allegations successful this matter.