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"slug": "as-central-valley-immigration-arrests-continue-advocates-say-ice-is-blocking-access-to-legal-counsel",
"title": "As Central Valley Immigration Arrests Continue, Advocates Say ICE Is Blocking Access to Legal Counsel",
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"headTitle": "As Central Valley Immigration Arrests Continue, Advocates Say ICE Is Blocking Access to Legal Counsel | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Since federal immigration agents descended on California’s Central Valley over the last two weeks, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">arresting scores of people\u003c/a> at gas stations, supermarkets and near agricultural fields, immigration attorneys say those arrested have been persistently denied access to legal counsel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lawyers say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also failed to update the whereabouts of all those arrested in its \u003ca href=\"https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search\">“detainee locator” database\u003c/a>, meaning that dozens of individuals are essentially disappearing into ICE’s vast detention system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the surge in arrests began on Oct. 5, pro bono immigration attorneys working with rapid response networks have spent hours each day at ICE’s Fresno — and later Bakersfield — short-term processing facilities, asking to be admitted to identify who was detained and advise them of their rights, according to María Sofía Corona Gómez, directing attorney at the UFW Foundation in Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On some days, lawyers said they gained entrance at 4 or 5 p.m. to discover dozens of people inside but were only given time to meet with two or three. On other days, they were not allowed inside ICE’s holding area at all. Then, within a day or so, those arrested were moved to other detention facilities — in California or as far away as Texas, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12054920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Farmworkers pick grapes at a field in Fresno on Sept. 3, 2025. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In some instances, Corona Gómez said, she’s been given a name by a family member of a person who was arrested, but has been unable to locate them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re back there, and I’m not getting access,” she said. “And after hours [of waiting], I’m then being told, ‘Oh, now they’re not here. Now they’re at this detention center.’ But then we show up at the detention center, and it’s ‘No, they’re not in my system.’ Well, this is day five. This is day nine. Where are they?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said detainees whose family members have been able to contact them say that detention staff repeatedly urge them to sign papers accepting “voluntary departure,” rather than fight deportation through the immigration courts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Who’s ready to give up their rights when they haven’t been able to speak to counsel?” she asked. “But we know through family that some of them are trying to speak to us. They know we’re trying to find them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response to a request for comment on the arrest operation and concerns that detainees are being denied access to attorneys, an ICE spokesperson who would not provide their name issued the following statement: “For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations. Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country, including in California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though ICE would not say, observers’ accounts suggest that as many as 200 people may have been arrested over the past two weeks. Corona Gómez said witness accounts described ICE using three or four unmarked SUVs to stop vehicles going to and from agricultural fields, especially along the state route 180 corridor west of Fresno. She said dozens of arrests continued last week, shifting Wednesday to Tulare and Kern counties, based on reports called in to hotlines for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.rapidresponsekern.com\">Rapid Response Network of Kern\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://faithinthevalley.org/vwn/\">Valley Watch Networ\u003c/a>k. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of those arrested are part of what she called “the backbone of our farmworker economy” — people who have lived in the U.S., often without authorization, for many years or decades, working and raising families but with no pathway to become legal immigrants. Some \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/national-agricultural-workers-survey/research/data-tables\">60% of California’s agricultural workers are undocumented immigrants\u003c/a>, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, said his consortium of Central Valley growers had seen bystander videos showing ICE agents entering agricultural fields, which he said violates the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nisei Farmers League calls on ICE to respect these legal requirements and the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities,” he said. “These disruptions are causing fear and hardship. … Hardworking individuals who contribute to our communities are being treated as criminals, while their families and employers face growing uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said that even though the number of immigrant legal service providers in the San Joaquin Valley is small, they would continue to try to track down arrested individuals to provide them counsel.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We need to keep documenting this. We need [people] to keep calling the rapid response hotlines,” she said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We can’t give up. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but community members have rights, and we can’t give up on those rights.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re back there, and I’m not getting access,” she said. “And after hours [of waiting], I’m then being told, ‘Oh, now they’re not here. Now they’re at this detention center.’ But then we show up at the detention center, and it’s ‘No, they’re not in my system.’ Well, this is day five. This is day nine. Where are they?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said detainees whose family members have been able to contact them say that detention staff repeatedly urge them to sign papers accepting “voluntary departure,” rather than fight deportation through the immigration courts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Who’s ready to give up their rights when they haven’t been able to speak to counsel?” she asked. “But we know through family that some of them are trying to speak to us. They know we’re trying to find them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response to a request for comment on the arrest operation and concerns that detainees are being denied access to attorneys, an ICE spokesperson who would not provide their name issued the following statement: “For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations. Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country, including in California.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Though ICE would not say, observers’ accounts suggest that as many as 200 people may have been arrested over the past two weeks. Corona Gómez said witness accounts described ICE using three or four unmarked SUVs to stop vehicles going to and from agricultural fields, especially along the state route 180 corridor west of Fresno. She said dozens of arrests continued last week, shifting Wednesday to Tulare and Kern counties, based on reports called in to hotlines for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.rapidresponsekern.com\">Rapid Response Network of Kern\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://faithinthevalley.org/vwn/\">Valley Watch Networ\u003c/a>k. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, said his consortium of Central Valley growers had seen bystander videos showing ICE agents entering agricultural fields, which he said violates the law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Nisei Farmers League calls on ICE to respect these legal requirements and the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities,” he said. “These disruptions are causing fear and hardship. … Hardworking individuals who contribute to our communities are being treated as criminals, while their families and employers face growing uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Nisei Farmers League calls on ICE to respect these legal requirements and the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities,” he said. “These disruptions are causing fear and hardship. … Hardworking individuals who contribute to our communities are being treated as criminals, while their families and employers face growing uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said that even though the number of immigrant legal service providers in the San Joaquin Valley is small, they would continue to try to track down arrested individuals to provide them counsel.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We need to keep documenting this. We need [people] to keep calling the rapid response hotlines,” she said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We can’t give up. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but community members have rights, and we can’t give up on those rights.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said that even though the number of immigrant legal service providers in the San Joaquin Valley is small, they would continue to try to track down arrested individuals to provide them counsel.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We need to keep documenting this. We need [people] to keep calling the rapid response hotlines,” she said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We can’t give up. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but community members have rights, and we can’t give up on those rights.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Immigration attorneys say people are disappearing into a vast detention system. ",
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"title": "As Central Valley Immigration Arrests Continue, Advocates Say ICE Is Blocking Access to Legal Counsel | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Since federal immigration agents descended on California’s Central Valley over the last two weeks, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">arresting scores of people\u003c/a> at gas stations, supermarkets and near agricultural fields, immigration attorneys say those arrested have been persistently denied access to legal counsel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lawyers say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also failed to update the whereabouts of all those arrested in its \u003ca href=\"https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search\">“detainee locator” database\u003c/a>, meaning that dozens of individuals are essentially disappearing into ICE’s vast detention system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since the surge in arrests began on Oct. 5, pro bono immigration attorneys working with rapid response networks have spent hours each day at ICE’s Fresno — and later Bakersfield — short-term processing facilities, asking to be admitted to identify who was detained and advise them of their rights, according to María Sofía Corona Gómez, directing attorney at the UFW Foundation in Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On some days, lawyers said they gained entrance at 4 or 5 p.m. to discover dozens of people inside but were only given time to meet with two or three. On other days, they were not allowed inside ICE’s holding area at all. Then, within a day or so, those arrested were moved to other detention facilities — in California or as far away as Texas, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12054920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250903_FARMLABORCRISIS_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Farmworkers pick grapes at a field in Fresno on Sept. 3, 2025. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In some instances, Corona Gómez said, she’s been given a name by a family member of a person who was arrested, but has been unable to locate them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re back there, and I’m not getting access,” she said. “And after hours [of waiting], I’m then being told, ‘Oh, now they’re not here. Now they’re at this detention center.’ But then we show up at the detention center, and it’s ‘No, they’re not in my system.’ Well, this is day five. This is day nine. Where are they?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said detainees whose family members have been able to contact them say that detention staff repeatedly urge them to sign papers accepting “voluntary departure,” rather than fight deportation through the immigration courts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>Who’s ready to give up their rights when they haven’t been able to speak to counsel?” she asked. “But we know through family that some of them are trying to speak to us. They know we’re trying to find them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response to a request for comment on the arrest operation and concerns that detainees are being denied access to attorneys, an ICE spokesperson who would not provide their name issued the following statement: “For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations. Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country, including in California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though ICE would not say, observers’ accounts suggest that as many as 200 people may have been arrested over the past two weeks. Corona Gómez said witness accounts described ICE using three or four unmarked SUVs to stop vehicles going to and from agricultural fields, especially along the state route 180 corridor west of Fresno. She said dozens of arrests continued last week, shifting Wednesday to Tulare and Kern counties, based on reports called in to hotlines for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.rapidresponsekern.com\">Rapid Response Network of Kern\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://faithinthevalley.org/vwn/\">Valley Watch Networ\u003c/a>k. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of those arrested are part of what she called “the backbone of our farmworker economy” — people who have lived in the U.S., often without authorization, for many years or decades, working and raising families but with no pathway to become legal immigrants. Some \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/national-agricultural-workers-survey/research/data-tables\">60% of California’s agricultural workers are undocumented immigrants\u003c/a>, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, said his consortium of Central Valley growers had seen bystander videos showing ICE agents entering agricultural fields, which he said violates the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Nisei Farmers League calls on ICE to respect these legal requirements and the rights of farmers, farmworkers and communities,” he said. “These disruptions are causing fear and hardship. … Hardworking individuals who contribute to our communities are being treated as criminals, while their families and employers face growing uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Corona Gómez said that even though the number of immigrant legal service providers in the San Joaquin Valley is small, they would continue to try to track down arrested individuals to provide them counsel.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We need to keep documenting this. We need [people] to keep calling the rapid response hotlines,” she said. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We can’t give up. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but community members have rights, and we can’t give up on those rights.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "what-is-a-kelvin-wave-how-el-nino-can-raise-west-coast-sea-levels",
"title": "What Is a Kelvin Wave? How El Niño Can Raise West Coast Sea Levels",
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"headTitle": "What Is a Kelvin Wave? How El Niño Can Raise West Coast Sea Levels | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do Kelvin waves last?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they called Kelvin waves? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also noted that “Kelvin waves are nothing new, and are a key part of El Niño events.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What causes Kelvin waves?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do Kelvin waves last?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Not a Tsunami or a surfable wave, El Niño’s invisible Kelvin waves can push tides up along the Bay Area shoreline, increasing flood risk. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do Kelvin waves last?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they called Kelvin waves? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also noted that “Kelvin waves are nothing new, and are a key part of El Niño events.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "federal-prosecutors-charge-28-california-green-card-holders-with-voting-violations",
"title": "Federal Prosecutors Charge 28 California Green Card Holders With Voting Violations",
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"headTitle": "Federal Prosecutors Charge 28 California Green Card Holders With Voting Violations | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigrants\u003c/a> from across California are \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/11-foreign-nationals-arrested-california-federal-charges-alleging-they-illegally\">facing federal charges\u003c/a> alleging they illegally registered to vote or vote in California elections, federal prosecutors announced Monday in the Trump administration’s latest effort to imply California election rolls are riddled with fraudulent voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">federal authorities filed\u003c/a> a lawsuit against state and Los Angeles County election officials that seeks to force elections officials not to count up to 20,000 registered voters’ ballots because federal prosecutors suspect those voters could be non-citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s charges demonstrate why that lawsuit is so important,” Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter told reporters. “It’s about preventing voter fraud that cancels out the votes of U.S. citizens. Enforcing federal law increases the integrity of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCotter said federal prosecutors filed a motion urging the judge overseeing the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles to order state officials to segregate the ballots that prosecutors suspect may have already been mailed to noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12105147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12105147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, right, arrives for a news conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters at an event Monday that voter fraud is wrong. If the suspects are guilty, they should be held accountable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Bonta noted that the charges are hardly proof that California’s elections are filled with fraudulent voters as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Twenty-eight out of 23 million registered voters in California is just … a drop in the bucket numerically,” Bonta said. “It’s 0.0001% of all the registered voters, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes just 15 days before the Nov. 3 election in which Californians are already deciding on a new governor, 14 statewide ballot measures and several competitive races that will be key to which party controls Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12104940 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20250903_FarmLaborCrisis_GC-15_qed.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s part of a national push by the Trump administration to find examples of noncitizens voting illegally in elections. Independent experts and state election officials say that voter fraud is exceedingly rare, despite claims from Trump and his allies that it happens on such a massive scale as to sway elections in Democrats’ favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said all of the 28 foreign nationals who face charges are lawful permanent residents, otherwise known as green card holders. That means they are legally allowed to stay in the country but they are not citizens and are not allowed to vote in elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defendants live in cities around the state from Los Angeles County to Sacramento. Of them, 22 are accused of voting in at least one election including as recently as the June primary; five only registered to vote and one submitted a provisional ballot in 2020, prosecutors say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Essayli said that in the last two months, federal prosecutors have charged around 113 noncitizens in 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The arrests represent just a miniscule fraction of registered voters. For example, more than 9.4 million Californians cast ballots in the June primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who oversees prosecutors in Los Angeles, said the federal government may charge state election officials with crimes if they allowed noncitizens to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are being complicit in noncitizens voting in our elections,” Essayli said. “And as they were warned last week, not only is it a civil violation, but they could also face criminal consequences for that conduct if they knowingly process ballots from noncitizens once we’ve informed them who the noncitizens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The charges come weeks after federal investigators issued grand jury \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-09-29/subpoena-records-trump-administration-probe-la-county-voters\">subpoenas\u003c/a> to Los Angeles elections officials seeking information on registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors also sought information on registered voters in San Diego County, \u003ca href=\"https://inewsource.org/2026/10/01/san-diego-county-doj-voter-information-subpoenas/\">the news outlet inewsource\u003c/a> reported, as well as Orange County, according to records obtained last week by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that Nevada had nearly 16,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls; they sent the state the names of only 185 voters. Nevada officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/politics/nevada-voters-homeland-security-trump.html\">confirmed they were all U.S. citizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom last week called the Trump administration’s voter fraud hunt “a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the prosecutors’ request to throw out ballots “should scare the hell out of every American.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will continue to carry out free and fair elections in the Golden State — and call out this authoritarian as he tries every play in the dictator’s playbook,” Newsom said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigrants\u003c/a> from across California are \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/11-foreign-nationals-arrested-california-federal-charges-alleging-they-illegally\">facing federal charges\u003c/a> alleging they illegally registered to vote or vote in California elections, federal prosecutors announced Monday in the Trump administration’s latest effort to imply California election rolls are riddled with fraudulent voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">federal authorities filed\u003c/a> a lawsuit against state and Los Angeles County election officials that seeks to force elections officials not to count up to 20,000 registered voters’ ballots because federal prosecutors suspect those voters could be non-citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s charges demonstrate why that lawsuit is so important,” Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter told reporters. “It’s about preventing voter fraud that cancels out the votes of U.S. citizens. Enforcing federal law increases the integrity of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCotter said federal prosecutors filed a motion urging the judge overseeing the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles to order state officials to segregate the ballots that prosecutors suspect may have already been mailed to noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12105147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12105147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, right, arrives for a news conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters at an event Monday that voter fraud is wrong. If the suspects are guilty, they should be held accountable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Bonta noted that the charges are hardly proof that California’s elections are filled with fraudulent voters as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Twenty-eight out of 23 million registered voters in California is just … a drop in the bucket numerically,” Bonta said. “It’s 0.0001% of all the registered voters, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes just 15 days before the Nov. 3 election in which Californians are already deciding on a new governor, 14 statewide ballot measures and several competitive races that will be key to which party controls Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s part of a national push by the Trump administration to find examples of noncitizens voting illegally in elections. Independent experts and state election officials say that voter fraud is exceedingly rare, despite claims from Trump and his allies that it happens on such a massive scale as to sway elections in Democrats’ favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said all of the 28 foreign nationals who face charges are lawful permanent residents, otherwise known as green card holders. That means they are legally allowed to stay in the country but they are not citizens and are not allowed to vote in elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defendants live in cities around the state from Los Angeles County to Sacramento. Of them, 22 are accused of voting in at least one election including as recently as the June primary; five only registered to vote and one submitted a provisional ballot in 2020, prosecutors say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Essayli said that in the last two months, federal prosecutors have charged around 113 noncitizens in 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The arrests represent just a miniscule fraction of registered voters. For example, more than 9.4 million Californians cast ballots in the June primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who oversees prosecutors in Los Angeles, said the federal government may charge state election officials with crimes if they allowed noncitizens to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are being complicit in noncitizens voting in our elections,” Essayli said. “And as they were warned last week, not only is it a civil violation, but they could also face criminal consequences for that conduct if they knowingly process ballots from noncitizens once we’ve informed them who the noncitizens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The charges come weeks after federal investigators issued grand jury \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-09-29/subpoena-records-trump-administration-probe-la-county-voters\">subpoenas\u003c/a> to Los Angeles elections officials seeking information on registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors also sought information on registered voters in San Diego County, \u003ca href=\"https://inewsource.org/2026/10/01/san-diego-county-doj-voter-information-subpoenas/\">the news outlet inewsource\u003c/a> reported, as well as Orange County, according to records obtained last week by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that Nevada had nearly 16,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls; they sent the state the names of only 185 voters. Nevada officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/politics/nevada-voters-homeland-security-trump.html\">confirmed they were all U.S. citizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom last week called the Trump administration’s voter fraud hunt “a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the prosecutors’ request to throw out ballots “should scare the hell out of every American.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will continue to carry out free and fair elections in the Golden State — and call out this authoritarian as he tries every play in the dictator’s playbook,” Newsom said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Midterms 2026: My Ballot Never Showed Up. How Can I Still Vote?",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Election Day — your last day to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">vote\u003c/a> — is just two weeks away, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. And every registered California voter will receive a mail-in ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if your ballot still hasn’t shown up yet?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline for Bay Area counties to start mailing out their ballots was Oct. 5, so if you’re registered to vote, your ballot should have shown up by now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But don’t worry: You have time — and several options — to fix things and make sure you get to cast your vote by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking for information about what’s on your ballot instead? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Take a look at KQED’s Voter Guide\u003c/a>, including information about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California’s governor race. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’ve made a mistake on your ballot, we also have a guide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">how to address different kinds of ballot — and signature — goofs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#quickest\">What’s the quickest way to get a replacement ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, check if your voter registration is correct — and if your ballot was actually sent out\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This site will show whether you’re correctly registered to vote and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">Read our guide to making sure you’re correctly registered to vote.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? Tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finding out if your voter registration is correct will help you determine next steps in getting your ballot:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot was sent to the wrong address\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it turns out your ballot was missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19. But if you missed that date, you can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">re-register with your new address in person through Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”). \u003c/a>You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening on Halloween, Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">call your county elections office \u003c/a>and ask them to send a new ballot. Scroll to the bottom of this story to find your Bay Area county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day because it can’t be sure the ballot will reach you in time. So, if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office is also already open for early voting through Election Day, so you could also go there and vote in person at the same time. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote or need to re-register to update details like your address or your legal name, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">Same Day Registration\u003c/a> at an open voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot showed up but it has your former name on it\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve legally changed your name since you last voted in California, you’ll need to re-register to vote with your current (new) name.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19, and if you miss that date you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">\u003c/a>re-register with your new address in person through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”)\u003c/a>. You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you when many early voting locations open around the Bay Area starting Oct. 24. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103647/dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide-california-midterm-elections-2026-vote-for-governor\">Read more about how to find your closest voting location.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quickest\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org/\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Election Day — your last day to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">vote\u003c/a> — is just two weeks away, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. And every registered California voter will receive a mail-in ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Election Day — your last day to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">vote\u003c/a> — is just two weeks away, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. And every registered California voter will receive a mail-in ballot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The deadline for Bay Area counties to start mailing out their ballots was Oct. 5, so if you’re registered to vote, your ballot should have shown up by now.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Looking for information about what’s on your ballot instead? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Take a look at KQED’s Voter Guide\u003c/a>, including information about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California’s governor race. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Looking for information about what’s on your ballot instead? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Take a look at KQED’s Voter Guide\u003c/a>, including information about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California’s governor race. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’ve made a mistake on your ballot, we also have a guide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">how to address different kinds of ballot — and signature — goofs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you’ve made a mistake on your ballot, we also have a guide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">how to address different kinds of ballot — and signature — goofs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"Jump straight to: What’s the quickest way to get a replacement ballot?"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#quickest\">What’s the quickest way to get a replacement ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#quickest\">What’s the quickest way to get a replacement ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
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"text": "First, check if your voter registration is correct — and if your ballot was actually sent out",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, check if your voter registration is correct — and if your ballot was actually sent out\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This site will show whether you’re correctly registered to vote and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">Read our guide to making sure you’re correctly registered to vote.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This site will show whether you’re correctly registered to vote and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">Read our guide to making sure you’re correctly registered to vote.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? Tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? Tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finding out if your voter registration is correct will help you determine next steps in getting your ballot:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Finding out if your voter registration is correct will help you determine next steps in getting your ballot:\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "If your ballot was sent to the wrong address"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot was sent to the wrong address\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot was sent to the wrong address\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If it turns out your ballot was missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If it turns out your ballot was missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19. But if you missed that date, you can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">re-register with your new address in person through Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”). \u003c/a>You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19. But if you missed that date, you can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">re-register with your new address in person through Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”). \u003c/a>You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening on Halloween, Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening on Halloween, Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
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"text": "If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">call your county elections office \u003c/a>and ask them to send a new ballot. Scroll to the bottom of this story to find your Bay Area county elections office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">call your county elections office \u003c/a>and ask them to send a new ballot. Scroll to the bottom of this story to find your Bay Area county elections office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day because it can’t be sure the ballot will reach you in time. So, if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day because it can’t be sure the ballot will reach you in time. So, if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your county elections office is also already open for early voting through Election Day, so you could also go there and vote in person at the same time. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Your county elections office is also already open for early voting through Election Day, so you could also go there and vote in person at the same time. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote or need to re-register to update details like your address or your legal name, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">Same Day Registration\u003c/a> at an open voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote or need to re-register to update details like your address or your legal name, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">Same Day Registration\u003c/a> at an open voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "If your ballot showed up but it has your former name on it"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot showed up but it has your former name on it\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot showed up but it has your former name on it\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’ve legally changed your name since you last voted in California, you’ll need to re-register to vote with your current (new) name.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’ve legally changed your name since you last voted in California, you’ll need to re-register to vote with your current (new) name.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19, and if you miss that date you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">\u003c/a>re-register with your new address in person through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”)\u003c/a>. You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19, and if you miss that date you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">\u003c/a>re-register with your new address in person through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”)\u003c/a>. You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you when many early voting locations open around the Bay Area starting Oct. 24. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103647/dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide-california-midterm-elections-2026-vote-for-governor\">Read more about how to find your closest voting location.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you when many early voting locations open around the Bay Area starting Oct. 24. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103647/dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide-california-midterm-elections-2026-vote-for-governor\">Read more about how to find your closest voting location.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
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"text": "How to contact your county directly about voting",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n",
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"Alameda: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.",
"Contra Costa: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.",
"Marin: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to send a form email.",
"Napa: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.",
"San Francisco: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.",
"San Mateo: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.",
"Santa Clara: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.",
"Solano: Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.",
"Sonoma: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org/\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org/\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "If your election ballot never showed up, here’s how registered voters can get a new one ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.",
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"title": "Midterms 2026: My Ballot Never Showed Up. How Can I Still Vote? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Election Day — your last day to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">vote\u003c/a> — is just two weeks away, on Tuesday, Nov. 3. And every registered California voter will receive a mail-in ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if your ballot still hasn’t shown up yet?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline for Bay Area counties to start mailing out their ballots was Oct. 5, so if you’re registered to vote, your ballot should have shown up by now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But don’t worry: You have time — and several options — to fix things and make sure you get to cast your vote by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking for information about what’s on your ballot instead? \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Take a look at KQED’s Voter Guide\u003c/a>, including information about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California’s governor race. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’ve made a mistake on your ballot, we also have a guide to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">how to address different kinds of ballot — and signature — goofs.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#quickest\">What’s the quickest way to get a replacement ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, check if your voter registration is correct — and if your ballot was actually sent out\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This site will show whether you’re correctly registered to vote and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">Read our guide to making sure you’re correctly registered to vote.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? Tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Finding out if your voter registration is correct will help you determine next steps in getting your ballot:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot was sent to the wrong address\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it turns out your ballot was missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19. But if you missed that date, you can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">re-register with your new address in person through Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”). \u003c/a>You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/primary-election-june-2-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening on Halloween, Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can just \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">call your county elections office \u003c/a>and ask them to send a new ballot. Scroll to the bottom of this story to find your Bay Area county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day because it can’t be sure the ballot will reach you in time. So, if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office is also already open for early voting through Election Day, so you could also go there and vote in person at the same time. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote or need to re-register to update details like your address or your legal name, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">Same Day Registration\u003c/a> at an open voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your ballot showed up but it has your former name on it\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve legally changed your name since you last voted in California, you’ll need to re-register to vote with your current (new) name.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The deadline to update your voter registration online using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> is Monday, Oct. 19, and if you miss that date you’ll need to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">\u003c/a>re-register with your new address in person through \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Same Day Registration (also called “conditional registration”)\u003c/a>. You can do this in person right up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can re-register to vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058837/election-2025-am-i-registered-to-vote-check-voter-registration-prop-50\">your county elections office during business hours\u003c/a>, which is now open for early voting. You can also ask for Same Day Registration at an open voting location near you when many early voting locations open around the Bay Area starting Oct. 24. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103647/dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide-california-midterm-elections-2026-vote-for-governor\">Read more about how to find your closest voting location.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you do this, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and give you a new one to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099793/am-i-registered-to-vote-midterms-2026-california-voting-for-governor-check-voter-registration-mail-in-ballots\">Read more about registering (or re-registering) to vote in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quickest\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org/\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Live Updates in Oakland Corruption Trial: Former Staffer Doubles Down on ‘Playboy’ Accusation",
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"headTitle": "Live Updates in Oakland Corruption Trial: Former Staffer Doubles Down on ‘Playboy’ Accusation | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leigh Hanson, chief of staff to former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, doubled down on her testimony on Monday that the ex-mayor called co-defendant Andy Duong a “playboy” and said he was going to “ruin her career.” That was after the ex-mayor had returned from a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023. A local reporter had begun asking questions about some members of the delegation who had allegedly been involved in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday morning, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Winston Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to Andy Duong’s father, David Duong, CEO of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in the case. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which he asked if Hanson told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan continued to press her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s testimony concluded after about an hour, but she could be called back to the stand later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Hanson finished her testimony, prosecutors called Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recall leaders allege corrupt political ‘machine’\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday morning, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price held a press conference outside the courthouse as Thao’s trial resumed, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Original story, published Monday, Oct. 19:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s former chief of staff will be back on the witness stand on Monday, as the second week of the ex-Oakland mayor’s federal corruption trial gets underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, along with her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leigh Hanson, Thao’s former chief of staff, was the first witness to take the stand last week, when she shed light on the inner workings of the mayor’s office in 2023 and 2024 — including an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">explosive allegation\u003c/a> of inappropriate conduct by some members of a trade delegation Thao attended in Vietnam. Hanson also told the court she had concerns about Jones’ unofficial — and in her view, sometimes inappropriate — role in Thao’s office, as well as a staffing pick, which prosecutors allege is part of an alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson is expected to face cross-examination from both Andy and David Duong’s defense teams, which could elicit further details about the alleged sexual misconduct on the Vietnam trip, which was sponsored, in part, through the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group David chaired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that following the trip in the summer of 2023, a journalist approached the mayor’s office with questions about child sex trafficking allegations involving members of the delegation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao attended the trip against Hanson’s advice, because she thought it could have looked bad for Thao to be out of the city so early in her mayorship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong’s attorney raised this concern to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers during a break in testimony, saying he didn’t object in the moment because it would have brought additional attention and that he didn’t originally plan to cross-examine Hanson on the point for that reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said that he now intended to do so, since in prior interviews, Hanson hadn’t implicated Andy Duong. Leaving the courthouse on Friday, Andy Duong did not respond to questions about the allegations, and his defense team told KQED that any response would come “only in court.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday morning, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price held a press conference outside the courthouse as Thao’s trial resumed, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s former chief of staff will be back on the witness stand on Monday, as the second week of the ex-Oakland mayor’s federal corruption trial gets underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, along with her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Leigh Hanson, Thao’s former chief of staff, was the first witness to take the stand last week, when she shed light on the inner workings of the mayor’s office in 2023 and 2024 — including an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">explosive allegation\u003c/a> of inappropriate conduct by some members of a trade delegation Thao attended in Vietnam. Hanson also told the court she had concerns about Jones’ unofficial — and in her view, sometimes inappropriate — role in Thao’s office, as well as a staffing pick, which prosecutors allege is part of an alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson is expected to face cross-examination from both Andy and David Duong’s defense teams, which could elicit further details about the alleged sexual misconduct on the Vietnam trip, which was sponsored, in part, through the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group David chaired.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong’s attorney raised this concern to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers during a break in testimony, saying he didn’t object in the moment because it would have brought additional attention and that he didn’t originally plan to cross-examine Hanson on the point for that reason. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andy Duong’s attorney raised this concern to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers during a break in testimony, saying he didn’t object in the moment because it would have brought additional attention and that he didn’t originally plan to cross-examine Hanson on the point for that reason. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said that he now intended to do so, since in prior interviews, Hanson hadn’t implicated Andy Duong. Leaving the courthouse on Friday, Andy Duong did not respond to questions about the allegations, and his defense team told KQED that any response would come “only in court.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, he said that he now intended to do so, since in prior interviews, Hanson hadn’t implicated Andy Duong. Leaving the courthouse on Friday, Andy Duong did not respond to questions about the allegations, and his defense team told KQED that any response would come “only in court.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Former chief of staff Leigh Hanson doubled down Monday on an accusation that seemed to implicate Andy Duong in allegations of sexual misconduct during a 2023 trade delegation to Vietnam that former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao also attended. ",
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"title": "Live Updates in Oakland Corruption Trial: Former Staffer Doubles Down on ‘Playboy’ Accusation | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leigh Hanson, chief of staff to former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, doubled down on her testimony on Monday that the ex-mayor called co-defendant Andy Duong a “playboy” and said he was going to “ruin her career.” That was after the ex-mayor had returned from a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023. A local reporter had begun asking questions about some members of the delegation who had allegedly been involved in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday morning, Andy Duong’s defense attorney Winston Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to Andy Duong’s father, David Duong, CEO of California Waste Solutions and a co-defendant in the case. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which he asked if Hanson told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan continued to press her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson’s testimony concluded after about an hour, but she could be called back to the stand later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After Hanson finished her testimony, prosecutors called Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recall leaders allege corrupt political ‘machine’\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday morning, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price held a press conference outside the courthouse as Thao’s trial resumed, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Original story, published Monday, Oct. 19:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s former chief of staff will be back on the witness stand on Monday, as the second week of the ex-Oakland mayor’s federal corruption trial gets underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, along with her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges. Prosecutors allege they engaged in a pay-to-play scheme to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Leigh Hanson, Thao’s former chief of staff, was the first witness to take the stand last week, when she shed light on the inner workings of the mayor’s office in 2023 and 2024 — including an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">explosive allegation\u003c/a> of inappropriate conduct by some members of a trade delegation Thao attended in Vietnam. Hanson also told the court she had concerns about Jones’ unofficial — and in her view, sometimes inappropriate — role in Thao’s office, as well as a staffing pick, which prosecutors allege is part of an alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson is expected to face cross-examination from both Andy and David Duong’s defense teams, which could elicit further details about the alleged sexual misconduct on the Vietnam trip, which was sponsored, in part, through the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group David chaired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that following the trip in the summer of 2023, a journalist approached the mayor’s office with questions about child sex trafficking allegations involving members of the delegation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao attended the trip against Hanson’s advice, because she thought it could have looked bad for Thao to be out of the city so early in her mayorship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong’s attorney raised this concern to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers during a break in testimony, saying he didn’t object in the moment because it would have brought additional attention and that he didn’t originally plan to cross-examine Hanson on the point for that reason. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said that he now intended to do so, since in prior interviews, Hanson hadn’t implicated Andy Duong. Leaving the courthouse on Friday, Andy Duong did not respond to questions about the allegations, and his defense team told KQED that any response would come “only in court.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "put-them-down-with-gas-kqed-investigation-finds-abuse-and-retaliation-at-chowchilla-prison",
"title": "‘Put Them Down With Gas’: KQED Investigation Finds Abuse and Retaliation at Chowchilla Prison",
"publishDate": 1792418400,
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"headTitle": "‘Put Them Down With Gas’: KQED Investigation Finds Abuse and Retaliation at Chowchilla Prison | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104586\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Resources hang on the wall at the housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wZ89a/5/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ali’s story\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault. (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘These bitches need to know’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 1, 2024, acting Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Associate Warden Stephanie Torres came to Rojas about problems with prisoners smoking and being “disruptive” in a housing area called D Yard, according to internal affairs interviews that were leaked on YouTube and later taken down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to gain control of that fucking unit,” Rojas said, according to one of those leaked tapes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. The R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas and her staff planned a massive search-and-seizure operation to look for contraband and enforce prison property limits for the entire unit. Under CDCR regulations, each incarcerated person’s state-issued and approved personal belongings must fit within 6 cubic feet of space — about the size of a mini-fridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ name was redacted in the investigation report, but KQED was able to identify her by comparing her statements to leaked internal affairs interviews and details about her role in the prison. She said the chief deputy warden gave her and Mendoza about a four-and-a-half-hour window to plan a search that would normally take days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres and Mendoza later told internal affairs investigators that they “questioned the reasoning and urgency” for the search, according to the report. The two senior staff members said that Rojas told them, “these bitches need to know who’s in control,” and that De La Cruz had directed her to “do what I know how to do.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Operation Breakdown was set for the next day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Fun, fun, fun, baby’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the fuck? What do you mean we went code three?” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cafeteria at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The 159 incarcerated women on D Yard had been taken out of their cells and crowded into the dining hall first thing that morning. As the morning wore on, the scope of the search became apparent, according to a dozen women who were there that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They watched through the windows of the chow hall as their pillows, shoes, clothing, TVs and even some mattresses were taken or thrown away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After more than four hours in the sweltering Central Valley heat without food, water or medication, the people being held in the dining hall were frustrated, according to at least a dozen women who were there. They shouted at the officers. They banged on the tables and windows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza was recorded on body camera directing officers to “go gas” and placing chemical grenades in the hands of subordinates, according to disciplinary documents. He later told them he “took the initiative to be the response supervisor” at the dining hall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scrimmage line unleashed chemical blast grenades and pepper spray on the crowd of incarcerated people, sending them scrambling toward the back of the room, surveillance video reviewed by KQED showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a leaked internal affairs interview, correctional officer Jordan R. Chavira told another officer that he had entered the dining hall and “started dumping it, dude,” referring to chemical agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One by one, the women’s hands were zip-tied behind their backs and eventually were walked outside to the yard, surveillance footage showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two investigations, different questions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman wearing a spit hood through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026 (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not that I recall,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Ripple effects",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped\">\n\n\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘These bitches need to know’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘These bitches need to know’\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Aug. 1, 2024, acting Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Associate Warden Stephanie Torres came to Rojas about problems with prisoners smoking and being “disruptive” in a housing area called D Yard, according to internal affairs interviews that were leaked on YouTube and later taken down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rojas and her staff planned a massive search-and-seizure operation to look for contraband and enforce prison property limits for the entire unit. Under CDCR regulations, each incarcerated person’s state-issued and approved personal belongings must fit within 6 cubic feet of space — about the size of a mini-fridge.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Torres’ name was redacted in the investigation report, but KQED was able to identify her by comparing her statements to leaked internal affairs interviews and details about her role in the prison. She said the chief deputy warden gave her and Mendoza about a four-and-a-half-hour window to plan a search that would normally take days. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Torres and Mendoza later told internal affairs investigators that they “questioned the reasoning and urgency” for the search, according to the report. The two senior staff members said that Rojas told them, “these bitches need to know who’s in control,” and that De La Cruz had directed her to “do what I know how to do.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Operation Breakdown was set for the next day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What the fuck? What do you mean we went code three?” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 159 incarcerated women on D Yard had been taken out of their cells and crowded into the dining hall first thing that morning. As the morning wore on, the scope of the search became apparent, according to a dozen women who were there that day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They watched through the windows of the chow hall as their pillows, shoes, clothing, TVs and even some mattresses were taken or thrown away.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After more than four hours in the sweltering Central Valley heat without food, water or medication, the people being held in the dining hall were frustrated, according to at least a dozen women who were there. They shouted at the officers. They banged on the tables and windows.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza was recorded on body camera directing officers to “go gas” and placing chemical grenades in the hands of subordinates, according to disciplinary documents. He later told them he “took the initiative to be the response supervisor” at the dining hall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The scrimmage line unleashed chemical blast grenades and pepper spray on the crowd of incarcerated people, sending them scrambling toward the back of the room, surveillance video reviewed by KQED showed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to a leaked internal affairs interview, correctional officer Jordan R. Chavira told another officer that he had entered the dining hall and “started dumping it, dude,” referring to chemical agents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One by one, the women’s hands were zip-tied behind their backs and eventually were walked outside to the yard, surveillance footage showed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Hear more of the story on the podcast \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">‘We Are Jane Doe,\u003c/a>’ from KQED’s Snap Studios.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aliksandria Prout was at home the evening of Aug. 2, 2024, when her phone rang. It was her former cellmate at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/central-california-womens-facility\">Central California Women’s Facility\u003c/a>. Catrina Cameron was nearly incoherent over the prison phone line. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She told me she couldn’t see outta one eye,” Prout said. Cameron told Prout that correctional officers had sprayed her and dozens of other women with tear gas and pepper spray. “Our other cellmate had gotten beat up by correctional staff.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout could barely grasp the enormity of the incident. As the public would later learn, correctional officers had removed 159 women from a CCWF housing unit, confined them for more than four hours in a dining hall without food, water or medication, and then unleashed streams of pepper spray and chemical blast grenades on them when tensions escalated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, as the prisoners sat outside on the hot, dusty yard with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, officers again used tear gas and pepper grenades on them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1213\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104593\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-160x97.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_DiningHall-deb186ea-1536x932.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows officers throwing chemical blast grenades at incarcerated women in the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A retired prison administrator who reviewed footage of the incident told KQED: “It looks like they’re lining ’em up for the firing squad.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women suffered injuries including stroke, blindness and seizures. “I didn’t know what they were doing to us or why, but I needed help, and I need somebody out there to know,” Cameron later recalled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the phone with her friend, Prout felt sick. The 33-year-old nursing student and mother of three had been out of prison for nearly two years, but she hadn’t been able to leave it behind. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In just a couple of months, Prout was set to testify against the now-infamous former correctional officer, Gregory Rodriguez, who’d been charged with sexually assaulting more than a dozen women at the facility in Chowchilla, about 35 miles from Fresno. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And now, her close friend and former cellmate had been attacked by officers in the chow hall. She couldn’t help but think her efforts to expose Rodriguez were connected to what had just happened to Cameron and more than 150 women in her old unit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104581\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-04-BL-5587a320-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout sits in her home office, surrounded by legal paperwork, on Aug. 19, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s concerns were well-founded, according to a two-year KQED investigation into “Operation Breakdown,” as the incident was called in internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Interviews with more than a dozen women, a KQED analysis of six years’ worth of sexual assault complaints, trial transcripts, court filings, leaked internal affairs interviews and hundreds of disciplinary documents revealed a pattern of retaliation against incarcerated women who reported assault, failure to investigate those assaults and the dysfunctional accountability system that allowed staff sexual exploitation of women to flourish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent U.S. Department of Justice investigation reached a similar conclusion, finding an “unbroken pattern” of sexual abuse and retaliation in California’s women’s prisons dating back more than two decades. CCWF is one of just two women’s penitentiaries in the state and is one of the largest women’s prisons in the world, with a population of more than 2,000 women, nonbinary and trans people held inside.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104586\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104586\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-51-BL-2bb5aa03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104629\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104629\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-120-BL-5d00dae8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Resources hang on the wall at the housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of the DOJ’s report, and as KQED neared publication of this investigation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100922/warden-of-californias-largest-womens-prison-reassigned-amid-scrutiny-over-sexual-abuse\">the warden at CCWF, Anissa De La Cruz, was demoted and transferred\u003c/a>, and multiple officers were put under investigation for sexual abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said the agency cannot comment on personnel decisions or the ongoing investigation. It said the agency is “fully committed to protecting victims of sexual assault.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Press Secretary Terri Hardy said in an email that the department conducted its own investigation into the events of Aug. 2, investigating 95 employees and disciplining 34 for their conduct, including firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Initially, the department moved to discipline 41 staff members, but that number dropped as correctional officers filed appeals, some of which are still pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/wZ89a/5/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said the case was the largest corrective action stemming from a single incident in its history. Yet, key questions about the operation’s connection to a rising tide of sexual assault complaints remain unanswered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A KQED analysis of six years of \u003ca href=\"https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/about/prison-rape-elimination-act\">Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)\u003c/a> data obtained from CDCR showed that the rate of sexual misconduct complaints against staff at CCWF increased by about 1,800% from 2022 to 2023. CDCR did not answer questions about this data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout’s experience illuminates a pervasive culture of sexual abuse at CCWF, helps explain why women suddenly started coming forward in 2023, and reveals what the officers charged with keeping people safe in custody did in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ali’s story\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In May 2022, Prout had been at CCWF for just a few days when correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez stopped her as she walked to a medical appointment. He asked her to pull down her N95 mask so he could verify her identity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He said, ‘You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,’” Prout told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three days later, an officer gave Prout a paper pass, known as a ducat, allowing her to move through the prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me I had an attorney visit,” she said. An officer escorted her to the Board of Parole Hearings room, where such visits are usually held.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104579\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-01-BL-3762f796-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was no attorney visit. Instead, she saw Rodriguez. This is the first time she has spoken to the media about what happened in that room. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez came close and tried to kiss her. He lifted her shirt and then turned her around on a chair beneath a window. Prout remembers staring at the officer’s boot, propped against the left side of the green upholstered chair. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What really upset me was he didn’t use protection,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it was over, Prout said, Rodriguez warned her that if she told anyone, she could face disciplinary action, which could mean more time in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1140\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104526\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-160x91.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Ducat-05202022-ee786799-1536x876.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A pass issued for a fraudulent attorney visit on May 20, 2022, is among the evidence Aliksandria Prout saved following her sexual assault. (Courtesy of Aliksandria Prout)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED heard similar stories from other women at the prison. Eight women said they feared disciplinary write-ups, repeated cell searches and other retaliation if they reported sexual assault by staff. In a statement, CDCR said it is committed to protecting victims of sexual assault and that “sexual abuse, harassment and retaliation against incarcerated people is unacceptable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the time, Prout stayed silent, but she made sure to keep track of the multiple times Rodriguez called her back to that room. When she was paroled after just a few months in prison, Prout began contacting attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found out that CDCR’s Office of Internal Affairs was already investigating Rodriguez. They ultimately identified 22 potential victims, including Prout, and worked with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office to arrest the former officer in May of 2023. The case, in which Prout testified as a \u003ca href=\"https://snapjudgment.org/we-are-jane-doe/\">Jane Doe\u003c/a>, attracted national attention. Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual battery. He was sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, a prison spokesperson wrote that Rodriguez’s sentence “reaffirms CDCR’s own internal investigation” and that the department “condemns any staff member — especially a peace officer who is entrusted to enforce the law — who violates their oath and public trust.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/CCWFFootage_05202022-70fb2fc8-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot of an internal affairs investigation report obtained by KQED through a public records request from an investigation led by Special Agent Dustin Baker. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also said that then-Warden Michael Pallares was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, where he was made associate warden.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, documents recently obtained by KQED reveal troubling new details about that investigation. The internal affairs report showed there was a six-month window in which investigators and CDCR leadership were notified of Rodriguez’s misconduct and failed to act. During that period, he assaulted at least six women, including Prout, numerous times. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Prout even arrived at CCWF, a woman had already told investigators that Rodriguez summoned her to the Board of Parole Hearings room for fake attorney visits and sexually assaulted her on three occasions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Rodriguez remained at his job until Aug. 17, 2022, when he was finally reassigned to the mailroom. He retired shortly after that. CDCR did not answer questions about why it took so long to stop Rodriguez’s abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104582\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260819-CCWFPortraits-05-BL-646d2faf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aliksandria Prout holds documents related to her case at her home. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez had been flagged before. All the way back in 2014, someone had reported potential relations between Rodriguez and a young woman identified in the trial transcripts as Nicole Doe. An investigation was done at the time, but the allegations against Rodriguez were dismissed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nicole Doe was sent to solitary confinement for more than six months and then transferred to another prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was treated like I was the problem,” Nicole Doe said at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2019, a female co-worker reported Rodriguez for sexual harassment. Rodriguez tried to kiss her and get her to go into the staff restroom at work, this woman told investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ll be quick, I’ll be quick,” she recalled Rodriguez saying, according to internal documents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104588\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-62-BL-aad30f85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign hangs above a doorway to a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez was reprimanded and told not to do it again, according to trial testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The internal affairs report appeared to show that no other officers were disciplined in connection with Rodriguez’s years of criminal abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prout said other officers must have known. They were often responsible for issuing ducats like the ones she received. The police of the prison, Investigative Services Unit officers, had an office right across the hall from the room where Rodriguez repeatedly called women in order to assault them. Prout, concerned she might be pregnant, had also gone to the prison clinic after that first assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They told me that if I wanted a pregnancy or STD test,” Prout testified at trial, “I had to admit to engaging in risky behavior, and that if I did that, it would add more time onto my sentence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ripple effects\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s 2023 arrest also drew the attention of state lawmakers, who convened a \u003ca href=\"https://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/node/434\">special hearing on sexual abuse\u003c/a> inside California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11786495/metoo-behind-bars-new-records-shed-light-on-sexual-abuse-inside-state-womens-prisons\">allegations of sexual abuse by officers have persisted for years\u003c/a>, the Rodriguez case, along with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11958308/dublin-womens-prison-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse-scandal\">wide-ranging scandal of abuse at the federal prison\u003c/a> in Dublin, California, brought renewed urgency to the issue.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a real pivotal moment,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy nonprofit Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who spoke at that hearing. “I feel like it’s kind of when Pandora’s Box opened.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-108-BL-253d6f4d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The Legislature allocated funds to create a sexual-abuse response and prevention working group. As part of that, CCWF began allowing incarcerated people to gather inside the prison gym for town halls organized by Sister Warriors and other advocacy groups.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates stood watch at the doors of the gym to ensure correctional officers did not enter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the 30 years that I had been there, never had the prison allowed such a large group of us to gather with guests and without staff present,” said Elizabeth Lozano, one of the incarcerated women who was there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, Lozano spoke about the terror and violation she felt when being groped by a correctional officer. “There’s things that happen where it’s out of your control,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October of 2023, CDCR agreed to pay Prout $1.2 million to settle a civil suit she’d filed. Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against CDCR since Rodriguez’s arrest, alleging sexual abuse by him and dozens of officers. The cases became so numerous they were consolidated into a single coordinated proceeding that is still moving through the Sacramento Superior Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As civil claims and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) complaints began to rise, five women, including Antoinette Yancey, who served on the prison’s inmate advisory council, said in interviews with KQED or in legal filings that they were warned that the complaints needed to stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104583\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104583\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-112-BL-e5d10b8a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rape crisis center and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) informational signs hang in a housing unit at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12104618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104618\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-123-BL-7f4a99ab-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a yard on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During a smaller search about a month before Operation Breakdown, Yancey said that Sgt. Isidro Arroyo confronted her, saying, “The PREA, the staff assaults, the complaints and all the 602s [prison grievances] all of that stuff needs to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If the complaints do not stop, then I’m going to lock you guys down, take all your privileges, and this is gonna continue until the complaints stop,” Yancey recalled Arroyo saying.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she told him this was neither legal nor fair and refused to discourage women from filing sexual-abuse complaints. She also said she brought up this incident with Arroyo during a regular inmate advisory council meeting with leadership of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR declined to make Arroyo available for an interview and did not respond to questions about this incident. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘These bitches need to know’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the days leading up to Operation Breakdown, then-Warden Anissa De La Cruz was not at the prison, so Chief Deputy Warden Cynthia Rojas was in charge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 1, 2024, acting Capt. Carlos Mendoza and Associate Warden Stephanie Torres came to Rojas about problems with prisoners smoking and being “disruptive” in a housing area called D Yard, according to internal affairs interviews that were leaked on YouTube and later taken down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to gain control of that fucking unit,” Rojas said, according to one of those leaked tapes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104631\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-132-BL-1167e155-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Incarcerated women walk through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. The R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas and her staff planned a massive search-and-seizure operation to look for contraband and enforce prison property limits for the entire unit. Under CDCR regulations, each incarcerated person’s state-issued and approved personal belongings must fit within 6 cubic feet of space — about the size of a mini-fridge.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres’ name was redacted in the investigation report, but KQED was able to identify her by comparing her statements to leaked internal affairs interviews and details about her role in the prison. She said the chief deputy warden gave her and Mendoza about a four-and-a-half-hour window to plan a search that would normally take days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Torres and Mendoza later told internal affairs investigators that they “questioned the reasoning and urgency” for the search, according to the report. The two senior staff members said that Rojas told them, “these bitches need to know who’s in control,” and that De La Cruz had directed her to “do what I know how to do.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza sent an email to De La Cruz, Rojas, Torres and other prison leaders late that Thursday afternoon, laying out the basics, including breaking the prisoners down to 6 cubic feet, using K-9 and searching the building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Operation Breakdown was set for the next day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Fun, fun, fun, baby’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Aug. 2, Torres described a “skeleton crew of managerial staff” on site. Prison officials had to bring in officers who were still in training, according to the report. Two trainees said it was their first day working inside a prison. And despite initiating and planning Operation Breakdown, Rojas was also not at work that day. But when the acting captain of D Yard called her around midday, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Boss, we just went code three,” Mendoza said, according to Rojas’ leaked interview with internal affairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the fuck? What do you mean we went code three?” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-78-BL-d639420e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A cafeteria at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The 159 incarcerated women on D Yard had been taken out of their cells and crowded into the dining hall first thing that morning. As the morning wore on, the scope of the search became apparent, according to a dozen women who were there that day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They watched through the windows of the chow hall as their pillows, shoes, clothing, TVs and even some mattresses were taken or thrown away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People been here for 20 years,” said Wisdom Muhammad, who is out of prison now. “You throwing away they sentimental things that they have. You feel me? Like stuff that’s unreplaceable, and all that stuff is just hot trash.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around 12:20 p.m., one of the people being held in the dining hall had a seizure. An alarm sounded, and officers filed into the dining hall in a skirmish line carrying MK-46 pepper sprayers and chemical grenades, surveillance footage and internal records showed. Things quickly escalated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After more than four hours in the sweltering Central Valley heat without food, water or medication, the people being held in the dining hall were frustrated, according to at least a dozen women who were there. They shouted at the officers. They banged on the tables and windows.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she pointed to Arroyo and then to herself, trying to signal that she wanted to speak with him. He did not acknowledge her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza handed Arroyo a chemical blast grenade and instructed him to “put ’em down with the gas,” according to internal disciplinary documents obtained by KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza was recorded on body camera directing officers to “go gas” and placing chemical grenades in the hands of subordinates, according to disciplinary documents. He later told them he “took the initiative to be the response supervisor” at the dining hall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The scrimmage line unleashed chemical blast grenades and pepper spray on the crowd of incarcerated people, sending them scrambling toward the back of the room, surveillance video reviewed by KQED showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a leaked internal affairs interview, correctional officer Jordan R. Chavira told another officer that he had entered the dining hall and “started dumping it, dude,” referring to chemical agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One by one, the women’s hands were zip-tied behind their backs and eventually were walked outside to the yard, surveillance footage showed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey assumed the officers were going to start letting them go back into their housing unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, as the incarcerated people sat under the baking sun in 90-degree weather, the officers formed a half circle around them, according to surveillance footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One woman, hands zip-tied behind her back, got up and took four steps to sit by another woman. Just then, the officers started throwing grenades filled with tear gas or pepper spray at the entire group. At least 15 blast grenades were deployed, according to KQED’s analysis of the disciplinary documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the assault died down, multiple women were carried off the field on stretchers. According to leaked internal affairs tapes, Chavira was captured on his body-worn camera approaching another officer and saying, “Fun, fun, fun, baby.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104609\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Screenshot_OutsideDiningHall-244ce2c7-1536x974.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Surveillance footage obtained by KQED through a public records request shows an incarcerated woman secured to a stretcher outside the dining hall at the Central California Women’s Facility on Aug. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chavira told investigators he made those remarks in “the heat of the moment” and that he was being sarcastic.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendoza and Chavira were charged with inexcusable neglect of duty, dishonesty, willful disobedience and excessive force; both were fired. Arroyo received a 10% salary reduction for seven pay periods and has returned to work at CCWF.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED was unable to reach Mendoza. Multiple attempts to reach Chavira were unsuccessful.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“To me, if you can openly spray people as if they’re rats or roaches, like they’re not human, you completely disregard their humanity,” said Lozano, who was there on Aug. 2. “You’re sadistic. You’re an abuser.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two investigations, different questions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thirteen women, including Catrina Cameron and Antionette Yancey, filed a suit against the state for their injuries during the Aug. 2 incident, alleging the incident was tied to reports of sexual assault. CDCR admitted no fault, but paid the group $1.9 million to settle the case. A separate class action lawsuit is still pending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR’s internal investigation focused on the conduct of individual employees during the operation: who gave orders, who followed them and whether the force they used complied with department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newly disclosed documents obtained by KQED reveal that the operation was plagued by staffing shortages, lack of planning and oversight failures. Vital questions about why this operation was rushed out were never answered. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104612\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-130-BL-89511a0e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman wearing a spit hood through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026 (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I still don’t understand that,” Torres told internal affairs. “I wish to understand it, and in some ways, I don’t wish to understand it. It doesn’t make sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR Administrator Angela Kent is retired now, but at the time she served as the associate director of Female Offender Programs and Services. In her 27 years in law enforcement, she had never seen anything like the use of force on Aug. 2, she told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I absolutely felt that every officer, supervisor and manager involved should be fired,” Kent said. At the time, she urged the department to release the body-worn camera footage along with a statement, “immediately, in line with the industry standard.” As of publication, CDCR still has not released the body-worn camera footage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief Deputy Warden Rojas, who’d approved the operation but wasn’t there to oversee it, was not disciplined, according to documents obtained by KQED. In a leaked interview, she was questioned about the statement that Torres and Mendoza told investigators about. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Did you make the statement, ‘These bitches need to be reminded who’s in charge,’ or words to that effect?” the investigator said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not that I recall,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rojas was later promoted and is now acting warden at the second-largest men’s prison in the state, the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, which currently holds about 4,000 people in custody, according to CDCR’s website. CDCR declined to make Rojas available for an interview.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the documents obtained by KQED and the leaked internal affairs tapes, CDCR did not determine why the operation was launched or whether it was connected to the growing number of sexual-abuse complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt in my mind that if you start to empower women that are incarcerated and you start to give credibility to their voice that there’s gonna be tremendous resistance,” Kent said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A month after the Aug. 2 incident, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a broad civil rights investigation into sexual abuse and retaliation at California’s women’s prisons. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators examined the incident within the context of rising reports of sexual misconduct, allegations that staff punished women for speaking up and what the department described as longstanding failures to protect them. \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">The department released its findings last month\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young told KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, CDCR said it takes every allegation seriously and remains committed to accountability and safety. The agency pointed to federal Prison Rape Elimination Act audits that found both women’s prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those audits measure whether a facility has policies and practices designed to comply with PREA; they do not determine whether abuse occurred in every reported case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260630-CCWFTour-113-BL-feaf958a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mural covers the side of a fitness facility at the Central California Women’s Facility on June 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaint data obtained from CDCR showed that in 2025, the year following the Aug. 2 incident, the rate of complaints being filed against staff at CCWF fell by about 75%. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. There are likely many reasons for this sudden decline, but multiple people at the prison said they no longer felt safe to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One incarcerated woman, who was a victim of Rodriguez’s and spoke to KQED on the condition of anonymity because she is afraid for her safety, said if she had to do it over again, she would not report Rodriguez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED’s analysis of PREA complaints found another trend: As complaints rose in 2023 and 2024, the department appeared unable to keep up. As of the most recent data, more than 2,000 complaints across California’s state prisons had not been adjudicated. CDCR did not answer questions about this data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For many of the women who remain incarcerated at CCWF, Operation Breakdown has left lasting scars. Cameron said she has not set foot in the dining hall since Aug. 2 and that she still has not regained sight in one of her eyes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yancey said she still sees officers who were involved in the operation regularly. “They work in this building. They’re still antagonistic towards us.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked whether the operation had succeeded in frightening women into silence, Cameron said it may have deterred many, but not everyone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hopefully, the more of us who start to speak, the more will follow,” she said. “What happens in the dark always comes to light.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Anna Sussman contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jeremy Sanchez Rue, associate professor of practice for UC Berkeley Journalism School, was the data editor for this series. AI tools were used to assist with the data analysis for this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced with support from \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets throughout the state, with NPR as its national partner.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "as-bay-area-cities-break-up-with-flock-pushback-to-surveillance-mounts-in-sf",
"title": "As Bay Area Cities Break Up With Flock, Pushback to Surveillance Mounts in SF",
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"headTitle": "As Bay Area Cities Break Up With Flock, Pushback to Surveillance Mounts in SF | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Tensions around police surveillance technology are boiling over as Flock’s contract with San Francisco faces renewal in February 2027.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As Bay Area cities set stricter guardrails or break up entirely with automated license plate reader tools like Flock in the face of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096106/anti-flock-organizers-ramp-up-bay-area-protests-urging-cities-to-cut-ties-with-company\">intense criticism from constituents\u003c/a>, many elected officials in San Francisco are doubling down on their support for the surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From Mayor Daniel Lurie to supervisors like Matt Dorsey and other local Democratic Party leaders, they say the cameras have aided law enforcement and reduced crime. Critics say they are a gross invasion of privacy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tensions over the city’s use of Flock have fueled protests and fiery public comment as San Francisco prepares to reconsider its contract with the controversial Atlanta-based company next February and as the election next month spurs widespread debate about artificial intelligence and surveillance technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t feel safe being watched. There’s definitely nothing related to surveillance that is going to help me feel safer,” said Zachary Schwartz, a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School, who started the local DeFlock SF chapter to organize against what he said is increasing mass surveillance in the city where he’s growing up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco announced in 2024 that it would begin rolling out a network of about \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/sf-takes-historic-step-to-solve-crime-with-400-lpr-cameras\">400 cameras\u003c/a> mounted on streetlights around the city. Today, San Francisco ranks toward the top of U.S. cities when it comes to the number of cameras per road mile, according to geographic data from DeFlock, a national organization seeking to remove automated license plate reader technology from cities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104422\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-33-KQED-c5d20ac1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny speaks at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the license plate reader technology can quickly help solve crimes, like smash-and-grab car burglaries, which have plummeted in the city since 2023. By mapping out images collected by the cameras, police officers can reconstruct a vehicle’s route and location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology helps us keep workers, small business owners and families safe, because we will not go back to a time when people could break into cars, rob businesses or commit serious crime without consequences,” Lurie said at a recent press conference. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But critics say automated license plate readers, drones and other mounted cameras have created mass surveillance systems that operate with no opportunity to opt out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This type of technology is still being used in unconstitutional ways to watch all of our movements all the time,” said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on civil liberties in the digital age. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the roughly two years since San Francisco began mounting hundreds of cameras, stories of data misuse and concerns around mass surveillance have taken off around the country, setting off new pressure to take the technology down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2295252662-scaled-e1791310942675.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103099\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DeFlock privacy advocacy sticker warns of a nearby Flock Safety AI-enabled automated license plate reader tracking vehicles, San Francisco, California, Sept. 9, 2026. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We kept hearing from our community members about their fears of constantly being on camera and what can happen if their data gets in the wrong hands,” said Kimberly Woo, a Bay Area-based community organizer for the Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network, which works with immigrant and refugee communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, SFPD announced that its Flock data had been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088076/san-francisco-police-audit-shows-feds-accessed-license-plate-data-hundreds-of-times\">inappropriately searched\u003c/a> hundreds of times by federal and other out-of-state agencies. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission found that the improper searches did not violate the city’s sanctuary policy, but called for new guardrails to protect people from future mishandling of data. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as they’ve insisted the technology is worthwhile, local officials have made some changes in response to reports of misuse and pushback. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Following public protests by residents concerned about the way Flock data is collected and shared with police, Lurie announced last month that the city would \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101844/san-francisco-keeps-its-flock-cameras-with-new-restrictions\">restrict the number of days\u003c/a> that San Francisco Police officers can access license plate reader data from one year to 30 days after it is captured. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The public should never be expected to sacrifice privacy for safety, and the SFPD has always used technology like ALPR for law enforcement purposes only,” SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The announcement brought San Francisco in line with many other metro areas. But the city is still not meeting Flock’s own privacy recommendations for how long the data should be retained, which it recently brought down to \u003ca href=\"https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparency\">just seven days\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Abuse of Flock technology, at any level, is unacceptable,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in an announcement of the company’s standards change and other new privacy features. “These changes reflect years of work and deliberation. They are not the end of that work, but simply the continuation of our commitment to both safety and privacy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Lurie, who made increasing public safety a cornerstone of his campaign for mayor, touted the city’s move to the 30-day retention policy, saying it was in the interest of both protecting privacy and allowing police to use what they deem an essential tool for quickly responding to crimes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“San Franciscans expect us to keep them safe and protect their privacy,” he said. “Today, we are putting tighter limits on the data collected by public safety cameras — strengthening the trust between law enforcement and communities that has been critical to our city’s public safety progress.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nationwide, opinions on Flock skew negative. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/who-likes-flock-ai-cameras-reutersipsos-polled-1000-americans-find-out-2026-09-11/\">September 2026 poll from Reuters\u003c/a> found that 47% of American adults do not want the cameras in their communities, while 38% support them. Younger Americans were more likely to oppose Flock cameras compared to older adults, and Republicans were also more likely to support the technology than Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public opinion is more mixed in San Francisco. A \u003ca href=\"https://growsf.org/pulse/growsf-pulse-july-2026/?share=police-cameras-and-drones#police-cameras-and-drones\">poll by GrowSF\u003c/a>, a tech-backed political group, found that 64% of poll responders said they support allowing police to monitor live footage from cameras, specifically in areas like the Tenderloin and the Mission, to deter crime. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This technology has been a game changer in strengthening our ability to hold people who commit crimes in our city accountable,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who also supports a state legislative proposal to increase penalties for people who misuse license plate reader data. “We cannot allow concerns about misuse to prevent us from using the tools we need to protect our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104419\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-28-KQED-6725326d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators wear Flock cameras made of cardboard on their heads at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, which allowed police to use drones for active investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the two years since then, many Bay Area cities have scaled back their relationships with Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100732/richmond-could-be-the-latest-bay-area-city-to-leave-flock-safety\">Richmond\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069705/santa-cruz-the-first-in-california-to-terminate-its-contract-with-flock-safety\">Santa Cruz\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/el-cerrito-flock-cameras-to-be-removed/4122158/\">El Cerrito\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/los-altos-hills-to-remove-alpr-cameras/article_59f90aa8-14c1-4309-9f7f-12d16c649d9e.html\">Los Altos Hills\u003c/a> have all pulled back or canceled their Flock contracts over concerns about privacy and data-sharing, as have several cities in \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/santa-clara-county-stop-using-flock-safety-cameras-several-cities-privacy-concerns/18646060/\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>. Some cities that have broken up with Flock have turned to other automated license plate reader vendors. \u003ca href=\"https://www.mountainview.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1211/284\">Mountain View\u003c/a>, a wealthy suburb in the South Bay, ended use of automatic license plate technology entirely, a move that Woo of SIREN called a “north star victory.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year in San José, another major metro area that embraced the technology, a police officer used the technology to find the vehicle of a woman who accused his cousin of domestic violence. Woo’s organization, SIREN, sued the city of San José over its Flock camera use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan later \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/09/23/san-jose-pushes-tighter-controls-on-flock-camera-database-after-officer-abuse/?clearUserState=true\">called for stronger safeguards\u003c/a> against misuse of the technology. The city still has nearly 500 cameras. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104423\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-36-KQED-93970c72-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Demonstrators protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082887/berkeley-extends-surveillance-contract-with-flock-safety-but-rejects-major-expansion\">Berkeley\u003c/a> voted to continue its relationship with Flock, but did not pass a proposed expansion of the technology. In Oakland, the City Council voted in December to renew and expand its Flock network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, in San Francisco, several politicians who have publicly supported the city’s Flock program have faced criticism over conflicts of interest and funding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, for example, has two members who are employed by Flock. This fall, when committee member Gordon Mar attempted to pass a resolution calling for stricter guardrails for the technology, the proposal was met with opposition and a competing resolution reaffirming the party’s support for the technology. Mar’s resolution failed to pass.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It reinforced my concern about the level of influence that wealthy tech interests, including those that have been championing AI-enabled mass surveillance technologies like Flock, have over our Democratic Party and the political establishment in San Francisco currently,” Mar told KQED. He later resigned from the committee, citing disappointment in the party’s direction and leadership under Chair Nancy Tung, who attended a Flock conference weeks before the vote, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/09/28/sf-dem-party-chair-who-blocked-key-flock-vote-got-10-000-donation-billionaire/\">\u003cem>San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a> reported. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same meeting, a group of protesters staged a demonstration calling out the party for its ties to Flock. Schwartz of DeFlock SF was among them. He said the city’s recent policy change for its Flock data is welcome, but he’d like the city to move away from the technology entirely, including other companies that offer the same service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104416\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-4-KQED-3e58826b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera display outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In late August, activists protested outside of cryptocurrency billionaire \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104645/sf-billionaire-chris-larsen-on-ai-this-is-an-incredibly-dangerous-moment\">Chris Larsen\u003c/a>’s San Francisco mansion, turning out immigrant rights advocates, climate activists and other groups opposing the technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Larsen, a major political donor in San Francisco politics and public safety efforts, has contributed millions of dollars to create the city’s Real Time Investigation Center, a facility that uses drones and surveillance cameras to respond to crime reports and to the expansion of license plate reader technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Larsen now shares some of his critics’ concerns, which he recently told KQED’s Political Breakdown are “legitimate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re right to be protesting because of what’s going on kind of nationally,” he said, noting that public distrust in government and technology is high, especially due to federal immigration enforcement and AI safety risks. “It’s a shame because at the same time, these tools, if they’re targeted and very, very focused like they are in San Francisco, they’re incredibly effective.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In today’s digital age, devices capture data constantly. But Woo said that ALPR technology is particularly concerning, compared to social media, for example, because there isn’t an ability to opt out or avoid the cameras, and the government immediately has access to that personal data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104421\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-SFFLOCK-NG-30-KQED-169ae6ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A demonstrator wears a Flock camera made of cardboard on their head at a protest against Flock cameras outside the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco where Flock CEO Garrett Langley spoke on Oct. 14, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have phones in our hands, but in order for the government to access that data, that requires a valid judicial warrant,” Woo said. “With these ALPR cameras, however, these are tracking anyone who gets within their purview without a warrant and without a consent on a mass dragnet scale.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Schwartz said he’d rather have the city he was raised in invest resources toward reducing poverty and improving access to education, to address crime. Even though the city has responded to pushback by curtailing its Flock data somewhat, he and other concerned residents aren’t satisfied. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Protests have not slowed down after Lurie’s announcement that the city would restrict data retention. Last week, a group of anti-surveillance protesters gathered outside the TechCrunch conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, calling for an end to the technology across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco will consider renewing its contract with Flock in February 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These policies are a step in the right direction, but they’re not a solution to the problem,” Schwartz said. “We’re still going to keep fighting this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"id": "here-and-now",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
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