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"content": "\n\u003cp>Over the past 10 years, Joanna Hernandez has learned that even a small thing can become a challenge when a loved one is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/jails\">behind bars\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her son has been held in San Francisco County Jail since July 2016 and is set for trial in September. A tooth ached without dental care. Lunch trays served cold. Deputies ridiculed him, he told his mother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And for her 9-year-old grandson, seeing his father has meant months of emails to command staff and visits canceled without warning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re still human beings,” Hernandez said. “They deserve compassionate medical care and mental health support. And I mean, dignity for crying out loud.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/SF_Jail_Survey_2026_Report.pdf\">report suggests Hernandez’s son’s experience is far from isolated.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Carolyn Sufrin reads to female inmates at San Francisco Jail from her book, 'Jailcare.'\" class=\"wp-image-11591983\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-1020x654.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-1180x757.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-960x616.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-240x154.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-375x240.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-520x333.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Carolyn Sufrin reads to female inmates at San Francisco County Jail from her book, ‘Jailcare.’ (Marisa Lagos/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey of the city’s jail population, conducted by the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability, reported poor conditions across nearly every aspect of daily life, including nutrition, safety, access to sunlight, family visitation, medical care and contact with attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly one-third reported being seriously injured while held in custody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey was offered on jail tablets from March 18 to April 24. Nearly 500 people completed the survey of the roughly 1,200 people incarcerated at the time. DPA designed the 78-question survey in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office and other city departments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hope that this sheds light and provides an avenue for a lot of other neighboring counties and states to review and look at what’s happening inside of their county jails,” said Paul Briley, who spent about two months in a San Francisco county jail and now leads nonprofit Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. “So that the conditions of confinement are not depriving people of their basic humanity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the survey, about 31% said they had been seriously injured in the jails, and 36% said the jail does not adequately protect people from violence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 151 people who reported an injury, 64 identified a physical altercation with Sheriff’s Office deputies as the source, compared with 40 who named other incarcerated people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said following up on the injury reports is his highest priority, and noted the responses are self-reported and were not independently verified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want people to be safe, and we don’t want to think that our system is not protecting people,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His office logged 226 fights between incarcerated people and 125 incidents of violence toward staff last fiscal year, he said, plus 36 excessive force complaints, one sustained after an outside investigation by DPA. But he said the survey’s anonymity makes individual claims nearly impossible to trace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of women surveyed said they felt unprotected. This followed calls from advocates earlier this year to investigate reports that more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065232/advocates-demand-investigation-after-women-say-sf-jail-deputies-recorded-strip-searches\">a dozen women incarcerated\u003c/a> at a San Francisco jail were strip-searched in front of male deputies and recorded on body-worn cameras.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Briley said he became an advocate after seeing the conditions in county jails: 4 a.m. cold showers, wearing other people’s dirty clothing and an intake unit where meals are cold and no one goes outside.\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/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sheriff in uniform speaks from a podium.\" class=\"wp-image-11968000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheriff Paul Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Civic Center in San Francisco on June 8, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It sparked a fire inside of me to have to address this from the outside,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food was the lowest-rated section in the survey. Nearly two-thirds said meals do not meet their nutritional needs at all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the Public Defender’s Office, said she watched a client receive a lunch of two small pieces of bread, a ball of unidentifiable meat and a few dried baby carrots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s supposed to keep that adult individual full and healthy for half a day,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said clients have left custody with high blood pressure and other conditions they did not arrive with. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said the menu is vetted against state standards and reviewed by a nutritionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It may not seem tasty or healthy at some times, but we definitely have guardrails,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roughly one in three said they could not reach their attorney by phone, video or in person, and 40% said lockdowns interfered with legal visits. Chan said her staff sometimes wait hours to see a client and are told no one is available to bring them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a matter of priority,” she said, adding that lockdowns are not a lawful basis to deny a legal visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said delays happen but denied intentionally “preventing people from seeing their attorneys.” He cited the difficulty of moving people between San Bruno and downtown courts and the mismatch between jail phone hours and public defenders’ court calendars.\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/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaks during a rally outside of San Francisco County Jail 2 on May 22, 2026, one year after women incarcerated at the jail alleged they were subjected to illegal strip searches by sheriff’s deputies in a women’s housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Briley said he was most surprised by how long some people have been inside. The survey found 39 respondents had spent five to 10 years in the jails and 15 for more than a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a county jail,” he said. “This is not a prison.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a next step, the Sheriff’s Office has asked the Jail Justice Coalition for recommendations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think this is just a list of complaints,” said Anne Stuhldreher, senior adviser in the city’s office of the Treasurer, which helped develop the survey. “It’s really a list that lays out, OK, these are the challenges that we really need to work on — to fix.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Asked what she would change right now, Hernandez said she wants to be able to hold her son. There should be a rule, she said, that anyone held longer than a year gets at least one hug a month from their mother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The human touch between a loved one and an incarcerated loved one can do so much,” she said. “Imagine what that can do to his mental health.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the city’s Department of Police Accountability sustained two excessive force complaints. Only one complaint was sustained. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the 151 people who reported an injury, 64 identified a physical altercation with Sheriff’s Office deputies as the source, compared with 40 who named other incarcerated people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said following up on the injury reports is his highest priority, and noted the responses are self-reported and were not independently verified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We want people to be safe, and we don’t want to think that our system is not protecting people,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His office logged 226 fights between incarcerated people and 125 incidents of violence toward staff last fiscal year, he said, plus 36 excessive force complaints, one sustained after an outside investigation by DPA. But he said the survey’s anonymity makes individual claims nearly impossible to trace.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Briley said he became an advocate after seeing the conditions in county jails: 4 a.m. cold showers, wearing other people’s dirty clothing and an intake unit where meals are cold and no one goes outside.\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/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sheriff in uniform speaks from a podium.\" class=\"wp-image-11968000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-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\">Sheriff Paul Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Civic Center in San Francisco on June 8, 2023.\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/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sheriff in uniform speaks from a podium.\" class=\"wp-image-11968000\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheriff Paul Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Civic Center in San Francisco on June 8, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It sparked a fire inside of me to have to address this from the outside,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food was the lowest-rated section in the survey. Nearly two-thirds said meals do not meet their nutritional needs at all. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the Public Defender’s Office, said she watched a client receive a lunch of two small pieces of bread, a ball of unidentifiable meat and a few dried baby carrots.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the Public Defender’s Office, said she watched a client receive a lunch of two small pieces of bread, a ball of unidentifiable meat and a few dried baby carrots.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s supposed to keep that adult individual full and healthy for half a day,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said clients have left custody with high blood pressure and other conditions they did not arrive with. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said the menu is vetted against state standards and reviewed by a nutritionist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It may not seem tasty or healthy at some times, but we definitely have guardrails,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roughly one in three said they could not reach their attorney by phone, video or in person, and 40% said lockdowns interfered with legal visits. Chan said her staff sometimes wait hours to see a client and are told no one is available to bring them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a matter of priority,” she said, adding that lockdowns are not a lawful basis to deny a legal visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said delays happen but denied intentionally “preventing people from seeing their attorneys.” He cited the difficulty of moving people between San Bruno and downtown courts and the mismatch between jail phone hours and public defenders’ court calendars.\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/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-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\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaks during a rally outside of San Francisco County Jail 2 on May 22, 2026, one year after women incarcerated at the jail alleged they were subjected to illegal strip searches by sheriff’s deputies in a women’s housing unit.\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/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085080\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaks during a rally outside of San Francisco County Jail 2 on May 22, 2026, one year after women incarcerated at the jail alleged they were subjected to illegal strip searches by sheriff’s deputies in a women’s housing unit.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Briley said he was most surprised by how long some people have been inside. The survey found 39 respondents had spent five to 10 years in the jails and 15 for more than a decade. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In a county jail,” he said. “This is not a prison.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a next step, the Sheriff’s Office has asked the Jail Justice Coalition for recommendations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t think this is just a list of complaints,” said Anne Stuhldreher, senior adviser in the city’s office of the Treasurer, which helped develop the survey. “It’s really a list that lays out, OK, these are the challenges that we really need to work on — to fix.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asked what she would change right now, Hernandez said she wants to be able to hold her son. There should be a rule, she said, that anyone held longer than a year gets at least one hug a month from their mother.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Asked what she would change right now, Hernandez said she wants to be able to hold her son. There should be a rule, she said, that anyone held longer than a year gets at least one hug a month from their mother.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The human touch between a loved one and an incarcerated loved one can do so much,” she said. “Imagine what that can do to his mental health.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the city’s Department of Police Accountability sustained two excessive force complaints. Only one complaint was sustained. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the city’s Department of Police Accountability sustained two excessive force complaints. Only one complaint was sustained. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Over the past 10 years, Joanna Hernandez has learned that even a small thing can become a challenge when a loved one is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/jails\">behind bars\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her son has been held in San Francisco County Jail since July 2016 and is set for trial in September. A tooth ached without dental care. Lunch trays served cold. Deputies ridiculed him, he told his mother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And for her 9-year-old grandson, seeing his father has meant months of emails to command staff and visits canceled without warning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re still human beings,” Hernandez said. “They deserve compassionate medical care and mental health support. And I mean, dignity for crying out loud.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A new San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/SF_Jail_Survey_2026_Report.pdf\">report suggests Hernandez’s son’s experience is far from isolated.\u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1231\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Carolyn Sufrin reads to female inmates at San Francisco Jail from her book, 'Jailcare.'\" class=\"wp-image-11591983\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-800x513.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-1020x654.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-1180x757.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-960x616.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-240x154.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-375x240.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/07/ReadingtoInmates-520x333.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Carolyn Sufrin reads to female inmates at San Francisco County Jail from her book, ‘Jailcare.’ (Marisa Lagos/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey of the city’s jail population, conducted by the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability, reported poor conditions across nearly every aspect of daily life, including nutrition, safety, access to sunlight, family visitation, medical care and contact with attorneys. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly one-third reported being seriously injured while held in custody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey was offered on jail tablets from March 18 to April 24. Nearly 500 people completed the survey of the roughly 1,200 people incarcerated at the time. DPA designed the 78-question survey in collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office and other city departments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I hope that this sheds light and provides an avenue for a lot of other neighboring counties and states to review and look at what’s happening inside of their county jails,” said Paul Briley, who spent about two months in a San Francisco county jail and now leads nonprofit Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. “So that the conditions of confinement are not depriving people of their basic humanity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the survey, about 31% said they had been seriously injured in the jails, and 36% said the jail does not adequately protect people from violence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 151 people who reported an injury, 64 identified a physical altercation with Sheriff’s Office deputies as the source, compared with 40 who named other incarcerated people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said following up on the injury reports is his highest priority, and noted the responses are self-reported and were not independently verified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We want people to be safe, and we don’t want to think that our system is not protecting people,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His office logged 226 fights between incarcerated people and 125 incidents of violence toward staff last fiscal year, he said, plus 36 excessive force complaints, one sustained after an outside investigation by DPA. But he said the survey’s anonymity makes individual claims nearly impossible to trace.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of women surveyed said they felt unprotected. This followed calls from advocates earlier this year to investigate reports that more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065232/advocates-demand-investigation-after-women-say-sf-jail-deputies-recorded-strip-searches\">a dozen women incarcerated\u003c/a> at a San Francisco jail were strip-searched in front of male deputies and recorded on body-worn cameras.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Briley said he became an advocate after seeing the conditions in county jails: 4 a.m. cold showers, wearing other people’s dirty clothing and an intake unit where meals are cold and no one goes outside.\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/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A sheriff in uniform speaks from a podium.\" class=\"wp-image-11968000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/009_KQED_SheriffPressConference_06082023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheriff Paul Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Civic Center in San Francisco on June 8, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It sparked a fire inside of me to have to address this from the outside,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food was the lowest-rated section in the survey. Nearly two-thirds said meals do not meet their nutritional needs at all. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Angela Chan, assistant chief attorney at the Public Defender’s Office, said she watched a client receive a lunch of two small pieces of bread, a ball of unidentifiable meat and a few dried baby carrots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s supposed to keep that adult individual full and healthy for half a day,” Chan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said clients have left custody with high blood pressure and other conditions they did not arrive with. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said the menu is vetted against state standards and reviewed by a nutritionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It may not seem tasty or healthy at some times, but we definitely have guardrails,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roughly one in three said they could not reach their attorney by phone, video or in person, and 40% said lockdowns interfered with legal visits. Chan said her staff sometimes wait hours to see a client and are told no one is available to bring them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a matter of priority,” she said, adding that lockdowns are not a lawful basis to deny a legal visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Miyamoto said delays happen but denied intentionally “preventing people from seeing their attorneys.” He cited the difficulty of moving people between San Bruno and downtown courts and the mismatch between jail phone hours and public defenders’ court calendars.\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/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260522-JAILSEARCHSUIT-25-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju speaks during a rally outside of San Francisco County Jail 2 on May 22, 2026, one year after women incarcerated at the jail alleged they were subjected to illegal strip searches by sheriff’s deputies in a women’s housing unit. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Briley said he was most surprised by how long some people have been inside. The survey found 39 respondents had spent five to 10 years in the jails and 15 for more than a decade. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In a county jail,” he said. “This is not a prison.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a next step, the Sheriff’s Office has asked the Jail Justice Coalition for recommendations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think this is just a list of complaints,” said Anne Stuhldreher, senior adviser in the city’s office of the Treasurer, which helped develop the survey. “It’s really a list that lays out, OK, these are the challenges that we really need to work on — to fix.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Asked what she would change right now, Hernandez said she wants to be able to hold her son. There should be a rule, she said, that anyone held longer than a year gets at least one hug a month from their mother.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The human touch between a loved one and an incarcerated loved one can do so much,” she said. “Imagine what that can do to his mental health.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jlara\">\u003cem>Juan Carlos Lara\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the city’s Department of Police Accountability sustained two excessive force complaints. Only one complaint was sustained. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "she-made-a-fatal-choice-at-22-now-shes-in-prison-figuring-herself-out-1-day-at-a-time",
"title": "She Made a Fatal Choice at 22. Now She’s in Prison, Figuring Herself Out 1 Day at a Time",
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"headTitle": "She Made a Fatal Choice at 22. Now She’s in Prison, Figuring Herself Out 1 Day at a Time | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-kqed-v2-dropcap-paragraph dropcap-paragraph\">\u003cspan class=\"dropcap\">G\u003c/span>race Coleman thinks about her crime a lot — like all the time, every day. Killing two people while driving drunk forced her to start seeing herself through an unfiltered lens of accountability. Since the day after that terrible night in late 2020, she has moved forward through her incarceration and shaped a path into recovery, rehabilitation and mental wellness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not even just as simple as, oh, I wake up in prison every day and that in itself is a reminder of the harm that I’ve caused,” she said. “It’s the way that I choose to live my life. It’s being in AA. It’s being a part of these DUI programs. Sharing my story in those spaces, that’s what keeps me sober.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her story is not pretty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Dec. 8, 2020, Coleman sped through a red light and smashed into a car carrying a family of five. Gabriela Andrade and Henry Saldana-Mejia died. Strapped in the backseat, their three young daughters were injured but lived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">DUI homicides\u003c/a> leave surviving victims and communities looking for answers. Without direct intent to harm, the offender can be left struggling to reconcile what they did with who they are.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some grasp for ways to change for the better. They start searching within themselves for the underlying causes of their behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ots.ca.gov/grants/alcohol-impaired-driving/\">1,300\u003c/a> alcohol-related driving deaths occur each year in California, but it’s hard to say just how many people are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/license-to-kill/\">actually prosecuted and convicted\u003c/a> for causing these DUI fatalities. Murder statutes do not differentiate whether a homicide charge is attributed to drunk driving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman faces an era of incarceration where the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/whats-next-california-prisons/\">concept of rehabilitation\u003c/a> continues to evolve. Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/san-quentin-rehabilitation-center/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has emphasized prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/the-california-model/\">reforms\u003c/a> that aim to prepare people for parole and reentry back into society. Decades of mass incarceration and tough-on-crime policies have slowly given way to trauma-informed programming and better second chance opportunities for those willing to wrestle with the \u003cem>why\u003c/em> of what they did. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s an arduous journey of self-reflection that many offenders are not prepared to face early on. Some take years or even decades. Some never reach that point. But Coleman did not hesitate to start working on herself right away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the beginning, I was like, all right — I clearly got to get therapy,” she said. “I need to get my mental health in check. Clearly something is wrong with me if I just woke up and found out I killed people. This doesn’t just happen.”\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/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097393\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman co-facilitates Responsibly Driven, a self-help curriculum specifically designed to help DUI offenders analyze their flawed decision-making patterns and learn to overcome them. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>While awaiting trial in Orange County Jail, Coleman met with surviving relatives of Andrade and Saldan-Mejia. It’s rare for criminal offenders to get such an opportunity — even rarer before being convicted. But her defense attorney, judge, prosecutor and the lawyer representing the victims’ family helped facilitate the face-to-face sit-down. Coleman listened to their pain, felt their loss and did her best to answer questions through her own tears.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a daughter, and as an only daughter, I knew that feeling that my parents were my everything,” she said. “And I just couldn’t even, like, stand the fact that I had taken away the two most important people in a child’s life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soon after that 2022 meeting, Coleman pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and accepted a 21 years-to-life prison sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For me, it definitely started with that day,” she said. “Like, any bit of denial that I was stuck in was gone. Any bit of selfishness that I still had — and caring about myself and what was going to happen to me — didn’t seem to matter as much anymore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it definitely at the same time brought a sense of hope versus just like all of this devastating hopelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Roberts represented the family of Coleman’s victims and remembers her from that private meeting in 2022. He also interviewed her during depositions for a civil wrongful death lawsuit. “I did get to know Grace a little bit, and I know she’s got a story too,” said Roberts. “She had a bit of a broken situation, even though she seemed like a young lady of privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roberts would like to see Coleman emerge from prison ready to continue sharing her story and help others avoid drunken driving and substance abuse. He was surprised to learn her sentence does not carry a definitive and clear release date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Grace needed to serve a good length of time,” said Roberts. “But I don’t think she needed to serve a life sentence, because quite frankly — that she killed two people and left three people orphaned \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a life sentence. Emotionally, she won’t forget about that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health while under arrest\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman’s dark reality began in a hospital bed after the crash. She woke up groggy, confused, in pain and sedated. Her left arm was in a sling. Her right wrist was handcuffed to the bed’s metal safety railing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A nurse knew few details, but told her the horrible news while a police officer watched in silence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t know what happened, who I killed, how I even got into my car that night,” said Coleman. “Because the last thing I remembered, I was nowhere near my car — so I had a lot of questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a few days, they moved her to a medical unit inside the jail. Everywhere was under COVID lockdown at the time. Visits were nonexistent. Communication was sparse. It took weeks for Coleman to piece together all the facts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman’s boyfriend had driven her home moments before the crash. A day fueled by alcohol, drugs and the tense dynamics of a toxic relationship should have ended when he left her wobbling toward her front door, keys in hand. But in a blackout state, she went to her Range Rover and took off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right away in jail, she started seeing a private mental health specialist who was allowed in the jail despite the pandemic lockdowns. Coleman said she’d always believed in the value of therapy, but this was the first time she dove in and embraced the help.\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/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman inside her room in the Latham unit at California Institution for Women. Positive affirmations and photos with childhood friends keep her eyes on the hope of parole. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I talk about it like an identity crisis because you’re stripping yourself, stripping away layers of yourself and going through such a huge transition in your life,” said Coleman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weekly therapy sessions and clarity from her newfound sobriety helped Coleman analyze the root causes of her substance abuse. She realized how a fundamental lack of self-worth contributed to codependency issues and people-pleasing belief systems. For years, she’d been the girl who always said yes to everything — always \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to say yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The crime would have never happened without deep levels of alcoholism, and then, bringing it back to the reasons why I drank or how I even ended up in these alcoholic states,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a 22-year-old white girl from Laguna Beach, Coleman feared how other people in jail would react to her privilege and affluence. The story of her crime stayed on the local television news. Everyone knew her face. To survive socially, she needed to connect and empathize with those around her. She needed to walk with both humility and self-assurance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1023\" data-id=\"12097399\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photograph of Coleman and her best friend hangs in her locker. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1023\" data-id=\"12097398\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097398\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman practices yoga and meditation in the backyard of Latham unit, where she’s currently housed. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She turned to her faith in God to quell the crippling anxiety and stress — the same demons she’d once fiercely self-medicated against with alcohol, weed and Xanax. The jail offered hardly any rehabilitative programming, but Coleman did whatever she could think of to stay motivated and productive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was no way that I was going to be able to move forward without creating some sort of spiritual foundation in order for me to even have a reason worth living,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She organized nondenominational worship groups and recovery groups with other women in the jail. She also began writing down and collecting positive affirmations. She found community through cooking and sharing meals. She exercised fervently and looked for spaces in the small cramped housing to meditate and do yoga.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When high school and college friends visited her, they were startled with how healthy and well she looked. Their last images of her before jail were of her using and being high all the time. They liked seeing the bright, clear-headed person they’d always known she could be.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That party girl version of me was something that I had to let go of,” she said. “I struggled with that for sure because I felt it was like a part of who I was — being fun and being social. But I realized I could be all of those things without needing to be like, you know, that horrible blacked out friend.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome to life in prison\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plea deal represented Coleman’s desire to move forward. Although naive to the prison system, she learned during her 18 months in jail how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could offer her better opportunities for self-help programming and education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As soon as Coleman arrived at her first prison in the fall of 2022, other DUI offenders welcomed her into support groups. She listened to stories similar to hers. She realized she did not need to deal with the trauma of her remorse, guilt and shame alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also found healing and catharsis through sharing her experience with others. She became heavily involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous community. She discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2019/11/18/ccwf-program-targets-distracted-and-drunk-driving/\">FADD — Felons Against Distracted and Drunk Driving\u003c/a>.\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/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman stays busy but finds solace in quiet moments. She wonders how to manage and cope with the indefinite years of incarceration still ahead. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The road through mental health therapy, however, became more difficult with the transition into prison. Coleman maintained some phone sessions with her private therapist, but it was never the same as their in-person conversations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And relying on the prison healthcare system at Central California Women’s Facility meant a barrage of randomly assigned psychiatrists and psychologists with different styles of treatment, different strategies and different agendas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within prison culture, seeking and receiving mental health care left Coleman vulnerable to stigmatization and judgment from her peers. Participating in therapy or being on prescribed medication can be perceived as signs of weakness. People worry about how the parole board might react to psychiatric diagnoses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I come from the generation who very much believe in mental health and therapy as a positive thing and, like, a healthy thing,” said Coleman. “So coming into the prison system and there being this whole stigma, but also fear of it, was very different to me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found herself at a crossroads as she adapted to the rigors of long-term incarceration. Many offenders her age might choose to continue with the same lifestyle that brought them to prison. They fight. They act out. They indulge in contraband and substance abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman chose a different crowd. Her focus on self-help and rehabilitation put her in circles with women two to three times her age who’d been in the system for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everybody’s older than me,” she said. “I’m always the youngest by like 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She saw how parole hearings do not equate to a guarantee of release. All around her, she observed the effects of aging in prison. It made her question her own future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I look at older women in here and especially like older women who do the same things I do,” she said. “Because one day, they could be me or I could be them. Having a life sentence, I know that my way home isn’t promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health decisions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because steadfast sobriety is so central to her recovery and rehabilitative mindset, Coleman believed that antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication could be a step backward. She declined psychiatrists’ offers of prescriptions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exercise, yoga and support groups continued to be her go-tos for finding stability. Her faith in a higher power kept her grounded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October 2023, Coleman transferred to the lower-security facility of California Institute for Women in Chino. It offers a more relaxed atmosphere and better rehabilitative opportunities.\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/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most rehabilitative self-help programs in prison rely on support from outside volunteers. But California Institution for Women’s Responsibly Driven cohort is solely organized and facilitated from within the incarcerated community. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>She began leading yoga classes and found programs that fit her needs and personality. At home in AA meetings, she quickly became a lead facilitator. She joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Responsibly-Driven-Impaired-Prevention-Curriculum/dp/0999766228\">Responsibly Driven\u003c/a>, a group with a specialized curriculum aimed at unraveling the decision-making processes behind substance abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She applied herself to a vocational job assignment in audio-video production training and joined the prison’s newsletter team. Her community leaders brought her onto the Inmate Advisory Council.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was still a lot of turmoil inside her head.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sabrina Limon befriended Coleman when she first arrived. They bonded over their mutual commitment to sobriety and working the 12 steps of AA.\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/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and others share their experiences and learn to take accountability for their actions. Groups like Responsibly Driven and Alcoholics Anonymous allow them a safe space to open up and be vulnerable. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could see her anxiety just all over her face and body language,” said Limon. “It just looked like she was searching to find, like, ‘What am I supposed to be doing? Where do I go?’ And you could really, really see that anxiety on her.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Incarcerated since 2016, the 46-year-old Limon experienced bouts of anxiety and struggled with depression herself but remained leery of seeking mental health services. “There’s a lot of rumors on the yard that, you know, the parole board’s gonna look down on that. There’s like this fear.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Institute for Women started an onsite guidance center to make mental health resources more accessible. Individuals can participate in self-help groups led by psychologists or get one-on-one therapy sessions without being classified as patients.\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/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yoga and spirituality help Coleman stay positive while serving her time. She gathers with other women before leading a yoga class. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The open-door policy made it easy for Coleman to talk to someone and pursue the right kind of treatment. She soon decided to sign up for patient care. She also became more confident that her sobriety shouldn’t prevent her from taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications while under psychiatric supervision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Anxiety is a part of, like, my daily life,” said Coleman. “It’s something that I ignored for a very long time, and why I turned to alcoholism and smoking weed in the first place, so I think acknowledging my anxiety today is really important.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Limon noticed the difference therapy made in Coleman’s life and appreciated her willingness to talk about it honestly. It inspired her to seek her own treatment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen such a change in Grace as far as her anxiety goes and really working on her mental health one-on-one with a therapist,” said Limon. “I decided I’m gonna go check it out for myself. And sure enough, thanks to Grace, now I have a therapist. It’s wonderful. It’s helping me so much.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rehabilitation and parole\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman qualifies as a youth offender because she committed her crime at age 22. Under current law, that means she can go before \u003ca href=\"http://dcr.ca.gov/bph/\">California’s Board of Parole Hearings\u003c/a> in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her first chance at freedom will depend on what she does and the choices she makes between now and then. The parole board will look to see who she has become.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Rehabilitation isn’t presented to us on a silver platter or silver bunk beds,” said Coleman. “It’s something that we actively work for.”\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/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman with Rocky, one of six rescue dogs she and her peers train as service animals in California Institution for Women’s Puppy Program. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman runs laps out on the facility’s main rec yard to clear her head, even on days when the Southern California heat of Chino exceeds 90 degrees. But it’s her yoga mat that she says will always be her best safe space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One way or another, illicit drugs find their way into the general population of most prisons. Substance abuse and drug trafficking remain obstacles a person focused on rehabilitation must continually stay clear of and navigate around. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman lives in a housing unit where residents choose to abide by a code of integrity. In the unit, participants of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caninesupportteams.org/prison-pup-program\">Puppy Program\u003c/a> care for and train rescue animals to become service dogs. They are required to maintain a disciplinary-free record and consent to drug testing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of people who want to start doing better and who want to be in, like, a better living environment to stay sober,” she said. “They come over here so that they feel like they have a positive support system to get out of the mix.”\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/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and Rocky walk together down a hallway where each door opens to a two-person cell. Unless her security level goes up, Coleman will remain at CIW until she earns parole. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman fills her days with meaningful work and interacts with volunteer organizations from the outside. She contributes to \u003ca href=\"https://csw.ucla.edu/research/feminist-anti-carceral-studies/uc-sentencing-project/\">University of California’s Sentencing Project\u003c/a> as a storytelling participant. \u003ca href=\"https://www.poeticjustice.org/\">Poetic Justice\u003c/a> gives her a creative outlet to express her trauma and healing through poetry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereevolution.org/\">ReEvolution\u003c/a> brings formerly incarcerated mentors and advocates inside the prison to discuss restorative justice and circles of harm — harm experienced and harm caused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barbara Van Sickle, ReEvolution’s executive director, goes into the prison regularly and has spent lots of time with Coleman in group settings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen her get to a place where she’s living in responsibility, accountability, and remorse, and not feeling that she can move forward,” said Van Sickle. “But I believe she’s working through that with a lot of introspection and is beginning to find her value again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters & CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported with support from the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/08/california-prisons-rehabilitation-after-dui/\">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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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"content": "Grace Coleman thinks about her crime a lot — like all the time, every day. Killing two people while driving drunk forced her to start seeing herself through an unfiltered lens of accountability. Since the day after that terrible night in late 2020, she has moved forward through her incarceration and shaped a path into recovery, rehabilitation and mental wellness."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-kqed-v2-dropcap-paragraph dropcap-paragraph\">\u003cspan class=\"dropcap\">G\u003c/span>race Coleman thinks about her crime a lot — like all the time, every day. Killing two people while driving drunk forced her to start seeing herself through an unfiltered lens of accountability. Since the day after that terrible night in late 2020, she has moved forward through her incarceration and shaped a path into recovery, rehabilitation and mental wellness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-kqed-v2-dropcap-paragraph dropcap-paragraph\">\u003cspan class=\"dropcap\">G\u003c/span>race Coleman thinks about her crime a lot — like all the time, every day. Killing two people while driving drunk forced her to start seeing herself through an unfiltered lens of accountability. Since the day after that terrible night in late 2020, she has moved forward through her incarceration and shaped a path into recovery, rehabilitation and mental wellness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not even just as simple as, oh, I wake up in prison every day and that in itself is a reminder of the harm that I’ve caused,” she said. “It’s the way that I choose to live my life. It’s being in AA. It’s being a part of these DUI programs. Sharing my story in those spaces, that’s what keeps me sober.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not even just as simple as, oh, I wake up in prison every day and that in itself is a reminder of the harm that I’ve caused,” she said. “It’s the way that I choose to live my life. It’s being in AA. It’s being a part of these DUI programs. Sharing my story in those spaces, that’s what keeps me sober.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Dec. 8, 2020, Coleman sped through a red light and smashed into a car carrying a family of five. Gabriela Andrade and Henry Saldana-Mejia died. Strapped in the backseat, their three young daughters were injured but lived.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Dec. 8, 2020, Coleman sped through a red light and smashed into a car carrying a family of five. Gabriela Andrade and Henry Saldana-Mejia died. Strapped in the backseat, their three young daughters were injured but lived.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">DUI homicides\u003c/a> leave surviving victims and communities looking for answers. Without direct intent to harm, the offender can be left struggling to reconcile what they did with who they are.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">DUI homicides\u003c/a> leave surviving victims and communities looking for answers. Without direct intent to harm, the offender can be left struggling to reconcile what they did with who they are.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some grasp for ways to change for the better. They start searching within themselves for the underlying causes of their behavior.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some grasp for ways to change for the better. They start searching within themselves for the underlying causes of their behavior.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ots.ca.gov/grants/alcohol-impaired-driving/\">1,300\u003c/a> alcohol-related driving deaths occur each year in California, but it’s hard to say just how many people are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/license-to-kill/\">actually prosecuted and convicted\u003c/a> for causing these DUI fatalities. Murder statutes do not differentiate whether a homicide charge is attributed to drunk driving.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ots.ca.gov/grants/alcohol-impaired-driving/\">1,300\u003c/a> alcohol-related driving deaths occur each year in California, but it’s hard to say just how many people are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/license-to-kill/\">actually prosecuted and convicted\u003c/a> for causing these DUI fatalities. Murder statutes do not differentiate whether a homicide charge is attributed to drunk driving.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman faces an era of incarceration where the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/whats-next-california-prisons/\">concept of rehabilitation\u003c/a> continues to evolve. Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/san-quentin-rehabilitation-center/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has emphasized prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/the-california-model/\">reforms\u003c/a> that aim to prepare people for parole and reentry back into society. Decades of mass incarceration and tough-on-crime policies have slowly given way to trauma-informed programming and better second chance opportunities for those willing to wrestle with the \u003cem>why\u003c/em> of what they did. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman faces an era of incarceration where the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/whats-next-california-prisons/\">concept of rehabilitation\u003c/a> continues to evolve. Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/san-quentin-rehabilitation-center/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has emphasized prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/the-california-model/\">reforms\u003c/a> that aim to prepare people for parole and reentry back into society. Decades of mass incarceration and tough-on-crime policies have slowly given way to trauma-informed programming and better second chance opportunities for those willing to wrestle with the \u003cem>why\u003c/em> of what they did. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s an arduous journey of self-reflection that many offenders are not prepared to face early on. Some take years or even decades. Some never reach that point. But Coleman did not hesitate to start working on herself right away.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It’s an arduous journey of self-reflection that many offenders are not prepared to face early on. Some take years or even decades. Some never reach that point. But Coleman did not hesitate to start working on herself right away.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the beginning, I was like, all right — I clearly got to get therapy,” she said. “I need to get my mental health in check. Clearly something is wrong with me if I just woke up and found out I killed people. This doesn’t just happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In the beginning, I was like, all right — I clearly got to get therapy,” she said. “I need to get my mental health in check. Clearly something is wrong with me if I just woke up and found out I killed people. This doesn’t just happen.”\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/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097393\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman co-facilitates Responsibly Driven, a self-help curriculum specifically designed to help DUI offenders analyze their flawed decision-making patterns and learn to overcome them. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097393\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman co-facilitates Responsibly Driven, a self-help curriculum specifically designed to help DUI offenders analyze their flawed decision-making patterns and learn to overcome them. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While awaiting trial in Orange County Jail, Coleman met with surviving relatives of Andrade and Saldan-Mejia. It’s rare for criminal offenders to get such an opportunity — even rarer before being convicted. But her defense attorney, judge, prosecutor and the lawyer representing the victims’ family helped facilitate the face-to-face sit-down. Coleman listened to their pain, felt their loss and did her best to answer questions through her own tears.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While awaiting trial in Orange County Jail, Coleman met with surviving relatives of Andrade and Saldan-Mejia. It’s rare for criminal offenders to get such an opportunity — even rarer before being convicted. But her defense attorney, judge, prosecutor and the lawyer representing the victims’ family helped facilitate the face-to-face sit-down. Coleman listened to their pain, felt their loss and did her best to answer questions through her own tears.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As a daughter, and as an only daughter, I knew that feeling that my parents were my everything,” she said. “And I just couldn’t even, like, stand the fact that I had taken away the two most important people in a child’s life.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As a daughter, and as an only daughter, I knew that feeling that my parents were my everything,” she said. “And I just couldn’t even, like, stand the fact that I had taken away the two most important people in a child’s life.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Soon after that 2022 meeting, Coleman pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and accepted a 21 years-to-life prison sentence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For me, it definitely started with that day,” she said. “Like, any bit of denial that I was stuck in was gone. Any bit of selfishness that I still had — and caring about myself and what was going to happen to me — didn’t seem to matter as much anymore.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“For me, it definitely started with that day,” she said. “Like, any bit of denial that I was stuck in was gone. Any bit of selfishness that I still had — and caring about myself and what was going to happen to me — didn’t seem to matter as much anymore.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But it definitely at the same time brought a sense of hope versus just like all of this devastating hopelessness.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Roberts represented the family of Coleman’s victims and remembers her from that private meeting in 2022. He also interviewed her during depositions for a civil wrongful death lawsuit. “I did get to know Grace a little bit, and I know she’s got a story too,” said Roberts. “She had a bit of a broken situation, even though she seemed like a young lady of privilege.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jeff Roberts represented the family of Coleman’s victims and remembers her from that private meeting in 2022. He also interviewed her during depositions for a civil wrongful death lawsuit. “I did get to know Grace a little bit, and I know she’s got a story too,” said Roberts. “She had a bit of a broken situation, even though she seemed like a young lady of privilege.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roberts would like to see Coleman emerge from prison ready to continue sharing her story and help others avoid drunken driving and substance abuse. He was surprised to learn her sentence does not carry a definitive and clear release date.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roberts would like to see Coleman emerge from prison ready to continue sharing her story and help others avoid drunken driving and substance abuse. He was surprised to learn her sentence does not carry a definitive and clear release date.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Grace needed to serve a good length of time,” said Roberts. “But I don’t think she needed to serve a life sentence, because quite frankly — that she killed two people and left three people orphaned \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a life sentence. Emotionally, she won’t forget about that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Grace needed to serve a good length of time,” said Roberts. “But I don’t think she needed to serve a life sentence, because quite frankly — that she killed two people and left three people orphaned \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a life sentence. Emotionally, she won’t forget about that.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman’s dark reality began in a hospital bed after the crash. She woke up groggy, confused, in pain and sedated. Her left arm was in a sling. Her right wrist was handcuffed to the bed’s metal safety railing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman’s dark reality began in a hospital bed after the crash. She woke up groggy, confused, in pain and sedated. Her left arm was in a sling. Her right wrist was handcuffed to the bed’s metal safety railing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A nurse knew few details, but told her the horrible news while a police officer watched in silence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I didn’t know what happened, who I killed, how I even got into my car that night,” said Coleman. “Because the last thing I remembered, I was nowhere near my car — so I had a lot of questions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I didn’t know what happened, who I killed, how I even got into my car that night,” said Coleman. “Because the last thing I remembered, I was nowhere near my car — so I had a lot of questions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a few days, they moved her to a medical unit inside the jail. Everywhere was under COVID lockdown at the time. Visits were nonexistent. Communication was sparse. It took weeks for Coleman to piece together all the facts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After a few days, they moved her to a medical unit inside the jail. Everywhere was under COVID lockdown at the time. Visits were nonexistent. Communication was sparse. It took weeks for Coleman to piece together all the facts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman’s boyfriend had driven her home moments before the crash. A day fueled by alcohol, drugs and the tense dynamics of a toxic relationship should have ended when he left her wobbling toward her front door, keys in hand. But in a blackout state, she went to her Range Rover and took off.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman’s boyfriend had driven her home moments before the crash. A day fueled by alcohol, drugs and the tense dynamics of a toxic relationship should have ended when he left her wobbling toward her front door, keys in hand. But in a blackout state, she went to her Range Rover and took off.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Right away in jail, she started seeing a private mental health specialist who was allowed in the jail despite the pandemic lockdowns. Coleman said she’d always believed in the value of therapy, but this was the first time she dove in and embraced the help.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Right away in jail, she started seeing a private mental health specialist who was allowed in the jail despite the pandemic lockdowns. Coleman said she’d always believed in the value of therapy, but this was the first time she dove in and embraced the help.\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/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman inside her room in the Latham unit at California Institution for Women. Positive affirmations and photos with childhood friends keep her eyes on the hope of parole.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097396\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman inside her room in the Latham unit at California Institution for Women. Positive affirmations and photos with childhood friends keep her eyes on the hope of parole.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I talk about it like an identity crisis because you’re stripping yourself, stripping away layers of yourself and going through such a huge transition in your life,” said Coleman.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weekly therapy sessions and clarity from her newfound sobriety helped Coleman analyze the root causes of her substance abuse. She realized how a fundamental lack of self-worth contributed to codependency issues and people-pleasing belief systems. For years, she’d been the girl who always said yes to everything — always \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to say yes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weekly therapy sessions and clarity from her newfound sobriety helped Coleman analyze the root causes of her substance abuse. She realized how a fundamental lack of self-worth contributed to codependency issues and people-pleasing belief systems. For years, she’d been the girl who always said yes to everything — always \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to say yes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The crime would have never happened without deep levels of alcoholism, and then, bringing it back to the reasons why I drank or how I even ended up in these alcoholic states,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The crime would have never happened without deep levels of alcoholism, and then, bringing it back to the reasons why I drank or how I even ended up in these alcoholic states,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a 22-year-old white girl from Laguna Beach, Coleman feared how other people in jail would react to her privilege and affluence. The story of her crime stayed on the local television news. Everyone knew her face. To survive socially, she needed to connect and empathize with those around her. She needed to walk with both humility and self-assurance.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a 22-year-old white girl from Laguna Beach, Coleman feared how other people in jail would react to her privilege and affluence. The story of her crime stayed on the local television news. Everyone knew her face. To survive socially, she needed to connect and empathize with those around her. She needed to walk with both humility and self-assurance.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097399\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photograph of Coleman and her best friend hangs in her locker. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She turned to her faith in God to quell the crippling anxiety and stress — the same demons she’d once fiercely self-medicated against with alcohol, weed and Xanax. The jail offered hardly any rehabilitative programming, but Coleman did whatever she could think of to stay motivated and productive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She turned to her faith in God to quell the crippling anxiety and stress — the same demons she’d once fiercely self-medicated against with alcohol, weed and Xanax. The jail offered hardly any rehabilitative programming, but Coleman did whatever she could think of to stay motivated and productive. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was no way that I was going to be able to move forward without creating some sort of spiritual foundation in order for me to even have a reason worth living,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She organized nondenominational worship groups and recovery groups with other women in the jail. She also began writing down and collecting positive affirmations. She found community through cooking and sharing meals. She exercised fervently and looked for spaces in the small cramped housing to meditate and do yoga.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She organized nondenominational worship groups and recovery groups with other women in the jail. She also began writing down and collecting positive affirmations. She found community through cooking and sharing meals. She exercised fervently and looked for spaces in the small cramped housing to meditate and do yoga.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When high school and college friends visited her, they were startled with how healthy and well she looked. Their last images of her before jail were of her using and being high all the time. They liked seeing the bright, clear-headed person they’d always known she could be.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When high school and college friends visited her, they were startled with how healthy and well she looked. Their last images of her before jail were of her using and being high all the time. They liked seeing the bright, clear-headed person they’d always known she could be.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That party girl version of me was something that I had to let go of,” she said. “I struggled with that for sure because I felt it was like a part of who I was — being fun and being social. But I realized I could be all of those things without needing to be like, you know, that horrible blacked out friend.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That party girl version of me was something that I had to let go of,” she said. “I struggled with that for sure because I felt it was like a part of who I was — being fun and being social. But I realized I could be all of those things without needing to be like, you know, that horrible blacked out friend.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome to life in prison\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The plea deal represented Coleman’s desire to move forward. Although naive to the prison system, she learned during her 18 months in jail how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could offer her better opportunities for self-help programming and education.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The plea deal represented Coleman’s desire to move forward. Although naive to the prison system, she learned during her 18 months in jail how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could offer her better opportunities for self-help programming and education.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As soon as Coleman arrived at her first prison in the fall of 2022, other DUI offenders welcomed her into support groups. She listened to stories similar to hers. She realized she did not need to deal with the trauma of her remorse, guilt and shame alone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As soon as Coleman arrived at her first prison in the fall of 2022, other DUI offenders welcomed her into support groups. She listened to stories similar to hers. She realized she did not need to deal with the trauma of her remorse, guilt and shame alone.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also found healing and catharsis through sharing her experience with others. She became heavily involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous community. She discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2019/11/18/ccwf-program-targets-distracted-and-drunk-driving/\">FADD — Felons Against Distracted and Drunk Driving\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She also found healing and catharsis through sharing her experience with others. She became heavily involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous community. She discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2019/11/18/ccwf-program-targets-distracted-and-drunk-driving/\">FADD — Felons Against Distracted and Drunk Driving\u003c/a>.\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/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman stays busy but finds solace in quiet moments. She wonders how to manage and cope with the indefinite years of incarceration still ahead. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097401\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman stays busy but finds solace in quiet moments. She wonders how to manage and cope with the indefinite years of incarceration still ahead. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And relying on the prison healthcare system at Central California Women’s Facility meant a barrage of randomly assigned psychiatrists and psychologists with different styles of treatment, different strategies and different agendas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Within prison culture, seeking and receiving mental health care left Coleman vulnerable to stigmatization and judgment from her peers. Participating in therapy or being on prescribed medication can be perceived as signs of weakness. People worry about how the parole board might react to psychiatric diagnoses.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I come from the generation who very much believe in mental health and therapy as a positive thing and, like, a healthy thing,” said Coleman. “So coming into the prison system and there being this whole stigma, but also fear of it, was very different to me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She found herself at a crossroads as she adapted to the rigors of long-term incarceration. Many offenders her age might choose to continue with the same lifestyle that brought them to prison. They fight. They act out. They indulge in contraband and substance abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman chose a different crowd. Her focus on self-help and rehabilitation put her in circles with women two to three times her age who’d been in the system for decades.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Everybody’s older than me,” she said. “I’m always the youngest by like 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She saw how parole hearings do not equate to a guarantee of release. All around her, she observed the effects of aging in prison. It made her question her own future.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I look at older women in here and especially like older women who do the same things I do,” she said. “Because one day, they could be me or I could be them. Having a life sentence, I know that my way home isn’t promised.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because steadfast sobriety is so central to her recovery and rehabilitative mindset, Coleman believed that antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication could be a step backward. She declined psychiatrists’ offers of prescriptions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Exercise, yoga and support groups continued to be her go-tos for finding stability. Her faith in a higher power kept her grounded.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In October 2023, Coleman transferred to the lower-security facility of California Institute for Women in Chino. It offers a more relaxed atmosphere and better rehabilitative opportunities.\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/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most rehabilitative self-help programs in prison rely on support from outside volunteers. But California Institution for Women’s Responsibly Driven cohort is solely organized and facilitated from within the incarcerated community.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097404\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most rehabilitative self-help programs in prison rely on support from outside volunteers. But California Institution for Women’s Responsibly Driven cohort is solely organized and facilitated from within the incarcerated community.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She began leading yoga classes and found programs that fit her needs and personality. At home in AA meetings, she quickly became a lead facilitator. She joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Responsibly-Driven-Impaired-Prevention-Curriculum/dp/0999766228\">Responsibly Driven\u003c/a>, a group with a specialized curriculum aimed at unraveling the decision-making processes behind substance abuse. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sabrina Limon befriended Coleman when she first arrived. They bonded over their mutual commitment to sobriety and working the 12 steps of AA.\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/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and others share their experiences and learn to take accountability for their actions. Groups like Responsibly Driven and Alcoholics Anonymous allow them a safe space to open up and be vulnerable.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097407\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and others share their experiences and learn to take accountability for their actions. Groups like Responsibly Driven and Alcoholics Anonymous allow them a safe space to open up and be vulnerable.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could see her anxiety just all over her face and body language,” said Limon. “It just looked like she was searching to find, like, ‘What am I supposed to be doing? Where do I go?’ And you could really, really see that anxiety on her.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You could see her anxiety just all over her face and body language,” said Limon. “It just looked like she was searching to find, like, ‘What am I supposed to be doing? Where do I go?’ And you could really, really see that anxiety on her.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Incarcerated since 2016, the 46-year-old Limon experienced bouts of anxiety and struggled with depression herself but remained leery of seeking mental health services. “There’s a lot of rumors on the yard that, you know, the parole board’s gonna look down on that. There’s like this fear.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Institute for Women started an onsite guidance center to make mental health resources more accessible. Individuals can participate in self-help groups led by psychologists or get one-on-one therapy sessions without being classified as patients.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Institute for Women started an onsite guidance center to make mental health resources more accessible. Individuals can participate in self-help groups led by psychologists or get one-on-one therapy sessions without being classified as patients.\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/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yoga and spirituality help Coleman stay positive while serving her time. She gathers with other women before leading a yoga class. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097410\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yoga and spirituality help Coleman stay positive while serving her time. She gathers with other women before leading a yoga class. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The open-door policy made it easy for Coleman to talk to someone and pursue the right kind of treatment. She soon decided to sign up for patient care. She also became more confident that her sobriety shouldn’t prevent her from taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications while under psychiatric supervision.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The open-door policy made it easy for Coleman to talk to someone and pursue the right kind of treatment. She soon decided to sign up for patient care. She also became more confident that her sobriety shouldn’t prevent her from taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications while under psychiatric supervision.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Anxiety is a part of, like, my daily life,” said Coleman. “It’s something that I ignored for a very long time, and why I turned to alcoholism and smoking weed in the first place, so I think acknowledging my anxiety today is really important.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Anxiety is a part of, like, my daily life,” said Coleman. “It’s something that I ignored for a very long time, and why I turned to alcoholism and smoking weed in the first place, so I think acknowledging my anxiety today is really important.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Limon noticed the difference therapy made in Coleman’s life and appreciated her willingness to talk about it honestly. It inspired her to seek her own treatment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen such a change in Grace as far as her anxiety goes and really working on her mental health one-on-one with a therapist,” said Limon. “I decided I’m gonna go check it out for myself. And sure enough, thanks to Grace, now I have a therapist. It’s wonderful. It’s helping me so much.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen such a change in Grace as far as her anxiety goes and really working on her mental health one-on-one with a therapist,” said Limon. “I decided I’m gonna go check it out for myself. And sure enough, thanks to Grace, now I have a therapist. It’s wonderful. It’s helping me so much.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman qualifies as a youth offender because she committed her crime at age 22. Under current law, that means she can go before \u003ca href=\"http://dcr.ca.gov/bph/\">California’s Board of Parole Hearings\u003c/a> in 2033.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman qualifies as a youth offender because she committed her crime at age 22. Under current law, that means she can go before \u003ca href=\"http://dcr.ca.gov/bph/\">California’s Board of Parole Hearings\u003c/a> in 2033.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her first chance at freedom will depend on what she does and the choices she makes between now and then. The parole board will look to see who she has become.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her first chance at freedom will depend on what she does and the choices she makes between now and then. The parole board will look to see who she has become.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Rehabilitation isn’t presented to us on a silver platter or silver bunk beds,” said Coleman. “It’s something that we actively work for.”\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/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman with Rocky, one of six rescue dogs she and her peers train as service animals in California Institution for Women’s Puppy Program. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\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/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097412\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman with Rocky, one of six rescue dogs she and her peers train as service animals in California Institution for Women’s Puppy Program. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman runs laps out on the facility’s main rec yard to clear her head, even on days when the Southern California heat of Chino exceeds 90 degrees. But it’s her yoga mat that she says will always be her best safe space.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman runs laps out on the facility’s main rec yard to clear her head, even on days when the Southern California heat of Chino exceeds 90 degrees. But it’s her yoga mat that she says will always be her best safe space.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One way or another, illicit drugs find their way into the general population of most prisons. Substance abuse and drug trafficking remain obstacles a person focused on rehabilitation must continually stay clear of and navigate around. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One way or another, illicit drugs find their way into the general population of most prisons. Substance abuse and drug trafficking remain obstacles a person focused on rehabilitation must continually stay clear of and navigate around. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman lives in a housing unit where residents choose to abide by a code of integrity. In the unit, participants of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caninesupportteams.org/prison-pup-program\">Puppy Program\u003c/a> care for and train rescue animals to become service dogs. They are required to maintain a disciplinary-free record and consent to drug testing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman lives in a housing unit where residents choose to abide by a code of integrity. In the unit, participants of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caninesupportteams.org/prison-pup-program\">Puppy Program\u003c/a> care for and train rescue animals to become service dogs. They are required to maintain a disciplinary-free record and consent to drug testing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of people who want to start doing better and who want to be in, like, a better living environment to stay sober,” she said. “They come over here so that they feel like they have a positive support system to get out of the mix.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of people who want to start doing better and who want to be in, like, a better living environment to stay sober,” she said. “They come over here so that they feel like they have a positive support system to get out of the mix.”\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/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and Rocky walk together down a hallway where each door opens to a two-person cell. Unless her security level goes up, Coleman will remain at CIW until she earns parole. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Coleman fills her days with meaningful work and interacts with volunteer organizations from the outside. She contributes to \u003ca href=\"https://csw.ucla.edu/research/feminist-anti-carceral-studies/uc-sentencing-project/\">University of California’s Sentencing Project\u003c/a> as a storytelling participant. \u003ca href=\"https://www.poeticjustice.org/\">Poetic Justice\u003c/a> gives her a creative outlet to express her trauma and healing through poetry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereevolution.org/\">ReEvolution\u003c/a> brings formerly incarcerated mentors and advocates inside the prison to discuss restorative justice and circles of harm — harm experienced and harm caused. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Coleman fills her days with meaningful work and interacts with volunteer organizations from the outside. She contributes to \u003ca href=\"https://csw.ucla.edu/research/feminist-anti-carceral-studies/uc-sentencing-project/\">University of California’s Sentencing Project\u003c/a> as a storytelling participant. \u003ca href=\"https://www.poeticjustice.org/\">Poetic Justice\u003c/a> gives her a creative outlet to express her trauma and healing through poetry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereevolution.org/\">ReEvolution\u003c/a> brings formerly incarcerated mentors and advocates inside the prison to discuss restorative justice and circles of harm — harm experienced and harm caused. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barbara Van Sickle, ReEvolution’s executive director, goes into the prison regularly and has spent lots of time with Coleman in group settings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barbara Van Sickle, ReEvolution’s executive director, goes into the prison regularly and has spent lots of time with Coleman in group settings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen her get to a place where she’s living in responsibility, accountability, and remorse, and not feeling that she can move forward,” said Van Sickle. “But I believe she’s working through that with a lot of introspection and is beginning to find her value again.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen her get to a place where she’s living in responsibility, accountability, and remorse, and not feeling that she can move forward,” said Van Sickle. “But I believe she’s working through that with a lot of introspection and is beginning to find her value again.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters & CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters & CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported with support from the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/08/california-prisons-rehabilitation-after-dui/\">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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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/08/california-prisons-rehabilitation-after-dui/\">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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"excerpt": "Grace Coleman caused a terrible crime and realized she needed help to rebuild herself. She’s finding it in a California prison.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-kqed-v2-dropcap-paragraph dropcap-paragraph\">\u003cspan class=\"dropcap\">G\u003c/span>race Coleman thinks about her crime a lot — like all the time, every day. Killing two people while driving drunk forced her to start seeing herself through an unfiltered lens of accountability. Since the day after that terrible night in late 2020, she has moved forward through her incarceration and shaped a path into recovery, rehabilitation and mental wellness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not even just as simple as, oh, I wake up in prison every day and that in itself is a reminder of the harm that I’ve caused,” she said. “It’s the way that I choose to live my life. It’s being in AA. It’s being a part of these DUI programs. Sharing my story in those spaces, that’s what keeps me sober.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her story is not pretty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Dec. 8, 2020, Coleman sped through a red light and smashed into a car carrying a family of five. Gabriela Andrade and Henry Saldana-Mejia died. Strapped in the backseat, their three young daughters were injured but lived.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/12/california-roadway-deaths-inaction/\">DUI homicides\u003c/a> leave surviving victims and communities looking for answers. Without direct intent to harm, the offender can be left struggling to reconcile what they did with who they are.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some grasp for ways to change for the better. They start searching within themselves for the underlying causes of their behavior.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than \u003ca href=\"https://www.ots.ca.gov/grants/alcohol-impaired-driving/\">1,300\u003c/a> alcohol-related driving deaths occur each year in California, but it’s hard to say just how many people are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/license-to-kill/\">actually prosecuted and convicted\u003c/a> for causing these DUI fatalities. Murder statutes do not differentiate whether a homicide charge is attributed to drunk driving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman faces an era of incarceration where the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/whats-next-california-prisons/\">concept of rehabilitation\u003c/a> continues to evolve. Gov. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/san-quentin-rehabilitation-center/\">Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> has emphasized prison \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/the-california-model/\">reforms\u003c/a> that aim to prepare people for parole and reentry back into society. Decades of mass incarceration and tough-on-crime policies have slowly given way to trauma-informed programming and better second chance opportunities for those willing to wrestle with the \u003cem>why\u003c/em> of what they did. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s an arduous journey of self-reflection that many offenders are not prepared to face early on. Some take years or even decades. Some never reach that point. But Coleman did not hesitate to start working on herself right away.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the beginning, I was like, all right — I clearly got to get therapy,” she said. “I need to get my mental health in check. Clearly something is wrong with me if I just woke up and found out I killed people. This doesn’t just happen.”\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/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097393\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman co-facilitates Responsibly Driven, a self-help curriculum specifically designed to help DUI offenders analyze their flawed decision-making patterns and learn to overcome them. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>While awaiting trial in Orange County Jail, Coleman met with surviving relatives of Andrade and Saldan-Mejia. It’s rare for criminal offenders to get such an opportunity — even rarer before being convicted. But her defense attorney, judge, prosecutor and the lawyer representing the victims’ family helped facilitate the face-to-face sit-down. Coleman listened to their pain, felt their loss and did her best to answer questions through her own tears.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a daughter, and as an only daughter, I knew that feeling that my parents were my everything,” she said. “And I just couldn’t even, like, stand the fact that I had taken away the two most important people in a child’s life.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Soon after that 2022 meeting, Coleman pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and accepted a 21 years-to-life prison sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For me, it definitely started with that day,” she said. “Like, any bit of denial that I was stuck in was gone. Any bit of selfishness that I still had — and caring about myself and what was going to happen to me — didn’t seem to matter as much anymore.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it definitely at the same time brought a sense of hope versus just like all of this devastating hopelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Roberts represented the family of Coleman’s victims and remembers her from that private meeting in 2022. He also interviewed her during depositions for a civil wrongful death lawsuit. “I did get to know Grace a little bit, and I know she’s got a story too,” said Roberts. “She had a bit of a broken situation, even though she seemed like a young lady of privilege.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roberts would like to see Coleman emerge from prison ready to continue sharing her story and help others avoid drunken driving and substance abuse. He was surprised to learn her sentence does not carry a definitive and clear release date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Grace needed to serve a good length of time,” said Roberts. “But I don’t think she needed to serve a life sentence, because quite frankly — that she killed two people and left three people orphaned \u003cem>is\u003c/em> a life sentence. Emotionally, she won’t forget about that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health while under arrest\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman’s dark reality began in a hospital bed after the crash. She woke up groggy, confused, in pain and sedated. Her left arm was in a sling. Her right wrist was handcuffed to the bed’s metal safety railing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A nurse knew few details, but told her the horrible news while a police officer watched in silence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I didn’t know what happened, who I killed, how I even got into my car that night,” said Coleman. “Because the last thing I remembered, I was nowhere near my car — so I had a lot of questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a few days, they moved her to a medical unit inside the jail. Everywhere was under COVID lockdown at the time. Visits were nonexistent. Communication was sparse. It took weeks for Coleman to piece together all the facts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman’s boyfriend had driven her home moments before the crash. A day fueled by alcohol, drugs and the tense dynamics of a toxic relationship should have ended when he left her wobbling toward her front door, keys in hand. But in a blackout state, she went to her Range Rover and took off.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Right away in jail, she started seeing a private mental health specialist who was allowed in the jail despite the pandemic lockdowns. Coleman said she’d always believed in the value of therapy, but this was the first time she dove in and embraced the help.\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/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman inside her room in the Latham unit at California Institution for Women. Positive affirmations and photos with childhood friends keep her eyes on the hope of parole. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“I talk about it like an identity crisis because you’re stripping yourself, stripping away layers of yourself and going through such a huge transition in your life,” said Coleman.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weekly therapy sessions and clarity from her newfound sobriety helped Coleman analyze the root causes of her substance abuse. She realized how a fundamental lack of self-worth contributed to codependency issues and people-pleasing belief systems. For years, she’d been the girl who always said yes to everything — always \u003cem>wanted\u003c/em> to say yes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The crime would have never happened without deep levels of alcoholism, and then, bringing it back to the reasons why I drank or how I even ended up in these alcoholic states,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a 22-year-old white girl from Laguna Beach, Coleman feared how other people in jail would react to her privilege and affluence. The story of her crime stayed on the local television news. Everyone knew her face. To survive socially, she needed to connect and empathize with those around her. She needed to walk with both humility and self-assurance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1023\" data-id=\"12097399\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097399\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM3-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photograph of Coleman and her best friend hangs in her locker. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1023\" data-id=\"12097398\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097398\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4.jpg 682w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM4-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman practices yoga and meditation in the backyard of Latham unit, where she’s currently housed. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She turned to her faith in God to quell the crippling anxiety and stress — the same demons she’d once fiercely self-medicated against with alcohol, weed and Xanax. The jail offered hardly any rehabilitative programming, but Coleman did whatever she could think of to stay motivated and productive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was no way that I was going to be able to move forward without creating some sort of spiritual foundation in order for me to even have a reason worth living,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She organized nondenominational worship groups and recovery groups with other women in the jail. She also began writing down and collecting positive affirmations. She found community through cooking and sharing meals. She exercised fervently and looked for spaces in the small cramped housing to meditate and do yoga.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When high school and college friends visited her, they were startled with how healthy and well she looked. Their last images of her before jail were of her using and being high all the time. They liked seeing the bright, clear-headed person they’d always known she could be.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That party girl version of me was something that I had to let go of,” she said. “I struggled with that for sure because I felt it was like a part of who I was — being fun and being social. But I realized I could be all of those things without needing to be like, you know, that horrible blacked out friend.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome to life in prison\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The plea deal represented Coleman’s desire to move forward. Although naive to the prison system, she learned during her 18 months in jail how the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could offer her better opportunities for self-help programming and education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As soon as Coleman arrived at her first prison in the fall of 2022, other DUI offenders welcomed her into support groups. She listened to stories similar to hers. She realized she did not need to deal with the trauma of her remorse, guilt and shame alone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also found healing and catharsis through sharing her experience with others. She became heavily involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous community. She discovered \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2019/11/18/ccwf-program-targets-distracted-and-drunk-driving/\">FADD — Felons Against Distracted and Drunk Driving\u003c/a>.\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/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman stays busy but finds solace in quiet moments. She wonders how to manage and cope with the indefinite years of incarceration still ahead. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The road through mental health therapy, however, became more difficult with the transition into prison. Coleman maintained some phone sessions with her private therapist, but it was never the same as their in-person conversations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And relying on the prison healthcare system at Central California Women’s Facility meant a barrage of randomly assigned psychiatrists and psychologists with different styles of treatment, different strategies and different agendas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Within prison culture, seeking and receiving mental health care left Coleman vulnerable to stigmatization and judgment from her peers. Participating in therapy or being on prescribed medication can be perceived as signs of weakness. People worry about how the parole board might react to psychiatric diagnoses.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I come from the generation who very much believe in mental health and therapy as a positive thing and, like, a healthy thing,” said Coleman. “So coming into the prison system and there being this whole stigma, but also fear of it, was very different to me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She found herself at a crossroads as she adapted to the rigors of long-term incarceration. Many offenders her age might choose to continue with the same lifestyle that brought them to prison. They fight. They act out. They indulge in contraband and substance abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman chose a different crowd. Her focus on self-help and rehabilitation put her in circles with women two to three times her age who’d been in the system for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Everybody’s older than me,” she said. “I’m always the youngest by like 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She saw how parole hearings do not equate to a guarantee of release. All around her, she observed the effects of aging in prison. It made her question her own future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I look at older women in here and especially like older women who do the same things I do,” she said. “Because one day, they could be me or I could be them. Having a life sentence, I know that my way home isn’t promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mental health decisions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because steadfast sobriety is so central to her recovery and rehabilitative mindset, Coleman believed that antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication could be a step backward. She declined psychiatrists’ offers of prescriptions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exercise, yoga and support groups continued to be her go-tos for finding stability. Her faith in a higher power kept her grounded.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In October 2023, Coleman transferred to the lower-security facility of California Institute for Women in Chino. It offers a more relaxed atmosphere and better rehabilitative opportunities.\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/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM6-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Most rehabilitative self-help programs in prison rely on support from outside volunteers. But California Institution for Women’s Responsibly Driven cohort is solely organized and facilitated from within the incarcerated community. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>She began leading yoga classes and found programs that fit her needs and personality. At home in AA meetings, she quickly became a lead facilitator. She joined \u003ca href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Responsibly-Driven-Impaired-Prevention-Curriculum/dp/0999766228\">Responsibly Driven\u003c/a>, a group with a specialized curriculum aimed at unraveling the decision-making processes behind substance abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She applied herself to a vocational job assignment in audio-video production training and joined the prison’s newsletter team. Her community leaders brought her onto the Inmate Advisory Council.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there was still a lot of turmoil inside her head.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sabrina Limon befriended Coleman when she first arrived. They bonded over their mutual commitment to sobriety and working the 12 steps of AA.\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/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097407\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and others share their experiences and learn to take accountability for their actions. Groups like Responsibly Driven and Alcoholics Anonymous allow them a safe space to open up and be vulnerable. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could see her anxiety just all over her face and body language,” said Limon. “It just looked like she was searching to find, like, ‘What am I supposed to be doing? Where do I go?’ And you could really, really see that anxiety on her.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Incarcerated since 2016, the 46-year-old Limon experienced bouts of anxiety and struggled with depression herself but remained leery of seeking mental health services. “There’s a lot of rumors on the yard that, you know, the parole board’s gonna look down on that. There’s like this fear.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Institute for Women started an onsite guidance center to make mental health resources more accessible. Individuals can participate in self-help groups led by psychologists or get one-on-one therapy sessions without being classified as patients.\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/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097410\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM8-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Yoga and spirituality help Coleman stay positive while serving her time. She gathers with other women before leading a yoga class. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The open-door policy made it easy for Coleman to talk to someone and pursue the right kind of treatment. She soon decided to sign up for patient care. She also became more confident that her sobriety shouldn’t prevent her from taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications while under psychiatric supervision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Anxiety is a part of, like, my daily life,” said Coleman. “It’s something that I ignored for a very long time, and why I turned to alcoholism and smoking weed in the first place, so I think acknowledging my anxiety today is really important.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Limon noticed the difference therapy made in Coleman’s life and appreciated her willingness to talk about it honestly. It inspired her to seek her own treatment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen such a change in Grace as far as her anxiety goes and really working on her mental health one-on-one with a therapist,” said Limon. “I decided I’m gonna go check it out for myself. And sure enough, thanks to Grace, now I have a therapist. It’s wonderful. It’s helping me so much.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rehabilitation and parole\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman qualifies as a youth offender because she committed her crime at age 22. Under current law, that means she can go before \u003ca href=\"http://dcr.ca.gov/bph/\">California’s Board of Parole Hearings\u003c/a> in 2033.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her first chance at freedom will depend on what she does and the choices she makes between now and then. The parole board will look to see who she has become.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Rehabilitation isn’t presented to us on a silver platter or silver bunk beds,” said Coleman. “It’s something that we actively work for.”\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/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman with Rocky, one of six rescue dogs she and her peers train as service animals in California Institution for Women’s Puppy Program. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman runs laps out on the facility’s main rec yard to clear her head, even on days when the Southern California heat of Chino exceeds 90 degrees. But it’s her yoga mat that she says will always be her best safe space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One way or another, illicit drugs find their way into the general population of most prisons. Substance abuse and drug trafficking remain obstacles a person focused on rehabilitation must continually stay clear of and navigate around. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman lives in a housing unit where residents choose to abide by a code of integrity. In the unit, participants of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.caninesupportteams.org/prison-pup-program\">Puppy Program\u003c/a> care for and train rescue animals to become service dogs. They are required to maintain a disciplinary-free record and consent to drug testing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You see a lot of people who want to start doing better and who want to be in, like, a better living environment to stay sober,” she said. “They come over here so that they feel like they have a positive support system to get out of the mix.”\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/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12097414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CM10-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coleman and Rocky walk together down a hallway where each door opens to a two-person cell. Unless her security level goes up, Coleman will remain at CIW until she earns parole. (Brian L. Frank for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Coleman fills her days with meaningful work and interacts with volunteer organizations from the outside. She contributes to \u003ca href=\"https://csw.ucla.edu/research/feminist-anti-carceral-studies/uc-sentencing-project/\">University of California’s Sentencing Project\u003c/a> as a storytelling participant. \u003ca href=\"https://www.poeticjustice.org/\">Poetic Justice\u003c/a> gives her a creative outlet to express her trauma and healing through poetry. \u003ca href=\"https://www.thereevolution.org/\">ReEvolution\u003c/a> brings formerly incarcerated mentors and advocates inside the prison to discuss restorative justice and circles of harm — harm experienced and harm caused. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Barbara Van Sickle, ReEvolution’s executive director, goes into the prison regularly and has spent lots of time with Coleman in group settings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen her get to a place where she’s living in responsibility, accountability, and remorse, and not feeling that she can move forward,” said Van Sickle. “But I believe she’s working through that with a lot of introspection and is beginning to find her value again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters & CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported with support from the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/08/california-prisons-rehabilitation-after-dui/\">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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"slug": "santa-clara-county-leaders-commit-1-billion-to-revamp-jails",
"title": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails",
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"headTitle": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011618/santa-clara-county-among-first-in-california-to-enroll-incarcerated-people-in-medi-cal-before-release\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> leaders approved a broad plan to spend roughly $1 billion over several years to revamp significantly outdated jail facilities described as “awful” by county officials, and bring them into compliance with longstanding court orders to improve safety and conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \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/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg speaks during an event celebrating the opening of Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San José for people leaving jail with mental health needs. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The punishment of incarceration itself, while it has debatable value, is the deprivation of liberty,” Ellenberg said, and “should not be the exposure to unsafe, deteriorating or inhumane conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lack of proper facilities, including layouts that make it harder for staff to supervise people, and the lack of access to adequate mental health and medical facilities have contributed to devastating outcomes like jail deaths and assaults, which led to costly lawsuits and two federal consent decrees mandating improvements with court oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report 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/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Santa Clara County supervisors approved a $1 billion plan to revamp two jail facilities over the next several years. ",
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"title": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails | KQED",
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"headline": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011618/santa-clara-county-among-first-in-california-to-enroll-incarcerated-people-in-medi-cal-before-release\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> leaders approved a broad plan to spend roughly $1 billion over several years to revamp significantly outdated jail facilities described as “awful” by county officials, and bring them into compliance with longstanding court orders to improve safety and conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \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/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg speaks during an event celebrating the opening of Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San José for people leaving jail with mental health needs. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The punishment of incarceration itself, while it has debatable value, is the deprivation of liberty,” Ellenberg said, and “should not be the exposure to unsafe, deteriorating or inhumane conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lack of proper facilities, including layouts that make it harder for staff to supervise people, and the lack of access to adequate mental health and medical facilities have contributed to devastating outcomes like jail deaths and assaults, which led to costly lawsuits and two federal consent decrees mandating improvements with court oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report 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/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "us-doj-finds-unbroken-pattern-of-sexual-abuse-by-california-prison-staff",
"title": "US DOJ Finds ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse by California Prison Staff",
"publishDate": 1786730359,
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"headTitle": "US DOJ Finds ‘Unbroken Pattern’ of Sexual Abuse by California Prison Staff | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079668/i-thought-i-was-going-to-die-video-shows-mass-force-at-california-womens-prison\">California prison officials\u003c/a> have failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by staff for years, the U.S. Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-california-womens-prisons-violate-constitution-failing-protect\">said\u003c/a> in a new report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department reviewed 350 allegations of sexual misconduct, interviewed prisoners and looked at body-worn camera footage. \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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">report\u003c/a> released Thursday, investigators said they found an “unbroken pattern” of staff sexual assault dating back over 20 years at California’s two women’s prisons. The department concluded that prison officials knew women faced a substantial risk of sexual abuse but failed to adequately protect them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Investigators pointed to gaps in surveillance camera coverage, a lack of confidential reporting options, inadequate investigations and failures to hold staff accountable — systemic problems the DOJ said amount to “deliberate indifference” and violate incarcerated women’s constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of this should be surprising to CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation], none of it should be surprising to the Legislature,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy organization Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition. Survivors have spent years speaking out at “hearings, in town halls, in reports,” she said, trying to get officials to address sexual abuse by prison staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State prison officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault by staff, and that they have taken steps to improve reporting options and expand the use of cameras. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young said those reforms have not fixed the underlying problems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Young said in an interview with KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the prison in Chowchilla, federal investigators found blind spots around its Plant Operations area and in prison kitchens. Women at both prisons told investigators that kitchen storage rooms without cameras are known as “sugar rooms,” because sugar is stored there and because sexual activity can occur there without detection. Investigators also found abandoned buildings where abuse had occurred.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers lead an incarcerated woman through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Things like that were extremely concerning,” Young said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report also found correctional officers failed to properly use body-worn cameras, at times turning them off in violation of prison policy. The report pointed out that only correctional officers are required to wear body cameras, despite confirmed cases of sexual misconduct by other staff, including a cook, mental health counselor and work-program staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report details several cases where the state confirmed allegations of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022075/former-guard-california-womens-prison-found-guilty-59-counts-sexual-abuse\">accused of sexually abusing\u003c/a> dozens of women at CCWF over a decade. California’s corrections department substantiated allegations that he engaged in sexual acts with 21 incarcerated women. Federal investigators said they became aware of more than 65 alleged victims of Rodriguez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some women reported that Rodriguez assaulted them in a parole hearing room that did not have cameras. In 2023, the Madera County district attorney charged Rodriguez with 97 criminal counts involving 13 women. He was convicted last year on 64 counts and sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the California Institution for Women, the report points to cases dating back more than a decade, including correctional officers who were convicted or disciplined for sexually abusing incarcerated women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hundreds of allegations reviewed by federal investigators likely capture only a portion of the abuse, according to Mota. While she said reporting increased in recent years as more survivors began speaking out, many cases still go unreported for fear of retaliation.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090742\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026, the largest women’s correctional facility in the state. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report underscored those fears, finding that the system meant to allow incarcerated women to report sexual assault was not truly confidential. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Written grievances, known as 602s, are scanned into an online system accessible to staff at the prisons. In one case, CDCR found that an officer improperly accessed the files of 11 incarcerated women. Nine had accused him of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women described officers issuing disciplinary violations, searching their cells, taking their property and restricting privileges after complaints were made. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some women said they waited until they were released, transferred to another prison or retained an attorney before reporting alleged abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The federal report also concluded that an August 2024 mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12004368/like-a-war-zone-prison-officers-used-unprecedented-force-in-august-attack-incarcerated-women-say\">use-of-force incident\u003c/a> at CCWF was retaliation for women reporting staff sexual abuse. Young said DOJ investigators spent significant time interviewing women and reviewing files related to the incident, which resulted in injuries ranging from seizures to blindness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million settlement \u003c/a>in April with 13 women injured during the incident. Its investigators imposed termination, retraining and other corrective actions after concluding that 41 employees violated department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators found cases in which potential DNA evidence wasn’t tested, accused staff or witnesses weren’t interviewed, and investigations stretched on for months or even years. In one case, the investigation took so long that CDCR missed its one-year deadline to discipline the officer. \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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090737\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And the state’s Office of the Inspector General of prisons found that 86% of CDCR disciplinary and criminal investigations reviewed during the first half of 2025 were either “inadequate” or “needs improvement,” according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Young said investigators found that, even when women made credible allegations of sexual abuse, investigations could stall for over a year and sometimes ended without substantiation of the allegations, even when parts of their accounts were corroborated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a written statement, CDCR said it takes “every allegation seriously” and “remains dedicated to ensuring accountability, strengthening protections, and maintaining institutions that ensure the personal safety of all individuals.” The department also cited audits under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which found both prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department is requiring California to better protect prisoners from staff sexual abuse by expanding camera coverage, requiring broader use of body-worn cameras, establishing confidential reporting options independent of the agency, and strengthening investigations and protections against retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The state must confront the persistent failure of its own employees to prevent and address sexual abuse at these facilities and the systemic breakdowns that have permitted these conditions to persist,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said in a statement. “This report should serve as a turning point.”\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An officer speaks with an incarcerated woman in a wheelchair at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026, the largest women’s correctional facility in the state. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said in a statement the agency looks forward to working with the DOJ “regarding their recommendations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ also called for penalties, including possible termination, for staff who improperly share information about grievances, and meaningful consequences for staff found to have retaliated against people who report sexual abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department said the U.S. attorney general could sue the state in 49 days if California fails to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Antoinette Yancey, who is incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility, said she hopes the federal findings lead to real accountability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some of us are in here for far less than what has been done to us, doing life sentences and decades’ worth of time, while we’re also being preyed upon,” Yancey said. “And it’s just not fair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This reporting was possible in part by funding from the Poynter Institute.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">report\u003c/a> released Thursday, investigators said they found an “unbroken pattern” of staff sexual assault dating back over 20 years at California’s two women’s prisons. The department concluded that prison officials knew women faced a substantial risk of sexual abuse but failed to adequately protect them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Investigators pointed to gaps in surveillance camera coverage, a lack of confidential reporting options, inadequate investigations and failures to hold staff accountable — systemic problems the DOJ said amount to “deliberate indifference” and violate incarcerated women’s constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Investigators pointed to gaps in surveillance camera coverage, a lack of confidential reporting options, inadequate investigations and failures to hold staff accountable — systemic problems the DOJ said amount to “deliberate indifference” and violate incarcerated women’s constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“None of this should be surprising to CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation], none of it should be surprising to the Legislature,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy organization Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition. Survivors have spent years speaking out at “hearings, in town halls, in reports,” she said, trying to get officials to address sexual abuse by prison staff.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“None of this should be surprising to CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation], none of it should be surprising to the Legislature,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy organization Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition. Survivors have spent years speaking out at “hearings, in town halls, in reports,” she said, trying to get officials to address sexual abuse by prison staff.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State prison officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault by staff, and that they have taken steps to improve reporting options and expand the use of cameras. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young said those reforms have not fixed the underlying problems. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State prison officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault by staff, and that they have taken steps to improve reporting options and expand the use of cameras. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young said those reforms have not fixed the underlying problems. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Young said in an interview with KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Young said in an interview with KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the prison in Chowchilla, federal investigators found blind spots around its Plant Operations area and in prison kitchens. Women at both prisons told investigators that kitchen storage rooms without cameras are known as “sugar rooms,” because sugar is stored there and because sexual activity can occur there without detection. Investigators also found abandoned buildings where abuse had occurred.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the prison in Chowchilla, federal investigators found blind spots around its Plant Operations area and in prison kitchens. Women at both prisons told investigators that kitchen storage rooms without cameras are known as “sugar rooms,” because sugar is stored there and because sexual activity can occur there without detection. Investigators also found abandoned buildings where abuse had occurred.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090738\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers lead an incarcerated woman through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Things like that were extremely concerning,” Young said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report also found correctional officers failed to properly use body-worn cameras, at times turning them off in violation of prison policy. The report pointed out that only correctional officers are required to wear body cameras, despite confirmed cases of sexual misconduct by other staff, including a cook, mental health counselor and work-program staff.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report also found correctional officers failed to properly use body-worn cameras, at times turning them off in violation of prison policy. The report pointed out that only correctional officers are required to wear body cameras, despite confirmed cases of sexual misconduct by other staff, including a cook, mental health counselor and work-program staff.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report details several cases where the state confirmed allegations of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022075/former-guard-california-womens-prison-found-guilty-59-counts-sexual-abuse\">accused of sexually abusing\u003c/a> dozens of women at CCWF over a decade. California’s corrections department substantiated allegations that he engaged in sexual acts with 21 incarcerated women. Federal investigators said they became aware of more than 65 alleged victims of Rodriguez.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022075/former-guard-california-womens-prison-found-guilty-59-counts-sexual-abuse\">accused of sexually abusing\u003c/a> dozens of women at CCWF over a decade. California’s corrections department substantiated allegations that he engaged in sexual acts with 21 incarcerated women. Federal investigators said they became aware of more than 65 alleged victims of Rodriguez.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some women reported that Rodriguez assaulted them in a parole hearing room that did not have cameras. In 2023, the Madera County district attorney charged Rodriguez with 97 criminal counts involving 13 women. He was convicted last year on 64 counts and sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some women reported that Rodriguez assaulted them in a parole hearing room that did not have cameras. In 2023, the Madera County district attorney charged Rodriguez with 97 criminal counts involving 13 women. He was convicted last year on 64 counts and sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the California Institution for Women, the report points to cases dating back more than a decade, including correctional officers who were convicted or disciplined for sexually abusing incarcerated women.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The hundreds of allegations reviewed by federal investigators likely capture only a portion of the abuse, according to Mota. While she said reporting increased in recent years as more survivors began speaking out, many cases still go unreported for fear of retaliation.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090742\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-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\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026, the largest women’s correctional facility in the state.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report underscored those fears, finding that the system meant to allow incarcerated women to report sexual assault was not truly confidential. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Written grievances, known as 602s, are scanned into an online system accessible to staff at the prisons. In one case, CDCR found that an officer improperly accessed the files of 11 incarcerated women. Nine had accused him of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Written grievances, known as 602s, are scanned into an online system accessible to staff at the prisons. In one case, CDCR found that an officer improperly accessed the files of 11 incarcerated women. Nine had accused him of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Women described officers issuing disciplinary violations, searching their cells, taking their property and restricting privileges after complaints were made. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some women said they waited until they were released, transferred to another prison or retained an attorney before reporting alleged abuse. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The federal report also concluded that an August 2024 mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12004368/like-a-war-zone-prison-officers-used-unprecedented-force-in-august-attack-incarcerated-women-say\">use-of-force incident\u003c/a> at CCWF was retaliation for women reporting staff sexual abuse. Young said DOJ investigators spent significant time interviewing women and reviewing files related to the incident, which resulted in injuries ranging from seizures to blindness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million settlement \u003c/a>in April with 13 women injured during the incident. Its investigators imposed termination, retraining and other corrective actions after concluding that 41 employees violated department policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>CDCR reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million settlement \u003c/a>in April with 13 women injured during the incident. Its investigators imposed termination, retraining and other corrective actions after concluding that 41 employees violated department policy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal investigators found cases in which potential DNA evidence wasn’t tested, accused staff or witnesses weren’t interviewed, and investigations stretched on for months or even years. In one case, the investigation took so long that CDCR missed its one-year deadline to discipline the officer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal investigators found cases in which potential DNA evidence wasn’t tested, accused staff or witnesses weren’t interviewed, and investigations stretched on for months or even years. In one case, the investigation took so long that CDCR missed its one-year deadline to discipline the officer. \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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090737\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-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\">A Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And the state’s Office of the Inspector General of prisons found that 86% of CDCR disciplinary and criminal investigations reviewed during the first half of 2025 were either “inadequate” or “needs improvement,” according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Young said investigators found that, even when women made credible allegations of sexual abuse, investigations could stall for over a year and sometimes ended without substantiation of the allegations, even when parts of their accounts were corroborated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a written statement, CDCR said it takes “every allegation seriously” and “remains dedicated to ensuring accountability, strengthening protections, and maintaining institutions that ensure the personal safety of all individuals.” The department also cited audits under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which found both prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Justice Department is requiring California to better protect prisoners from staff sexual abuse by expanding camera coverage, requiring broader use of body-worn cameras, establishing confidential reporting options independent of the agency, and strengthening investigations and protections against retaliation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The state must confront the persistent failure of its own employees to prevent and address sexual abuse at these facilities and the systemic breakdowns that have permitted these conditions to persist,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said in a statement. “This report should serve as a turning point.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CDCR said in a statement the agency looks forward to working with the DOJ “regarding their recommendations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DOJ also called for penalties, including possible termination, for staff who improperly share information about grievances, and meaningful consequences for staff found to have retaliated against people who report sexual abuse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The department said the U.S. attorney general could sue the state in 49 days if California fails to act.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Antoinette Yancey, who is incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility, said she hopes the federal findings lead to real accountability.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some of us are in here for far less than what has been done to us, doing life sentences and decades’ worth of time, while we’re also being preyed upon,” Yancey said. “And it’s just not fair.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some of us are in here for far less than what has been done to us, doing life sentences and decades’ worth of time, while we’re also being preyed upon,” Yancey said. “And it’s just not fair.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This reporting was possible in part by funding from the Poynter Institute.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A two-year federal investigation found decades of staff sexual abuse against incarcerated women at the state’s correctional facilities.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079668/i-thought-i-was-going-to-die-video-shows-mass-force-at-california-womens-prison\">California prison officials\u003c/a> have failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by staff for years, the U.S. Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-california-womens-prisons-violate-constitution-failing-protect\">said\u003c/a> in a new report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-correctional-staff-sexual-abuse-two\">began\u003c/a> investigating the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino nearly two years ago after hundreds of incarcerated women \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12003230/feds-investigate-california-prisons-where-women-say-culture-of-impunity-surrounded-abuse\">filed legal claims\u003c/a> alleging sexual exploitation by staff and an officer was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2022/12/28/cdcr-refers-internal-investigation-into-former-correctional-officer-to-district-attorney-for-charges-of-sexual-misconduct-of-incarcerated-women/\">arrested\u003c/a> for sexually abusing at least 22 women. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department reviewed 350 allegations of sexual misconduct, interviewed prisoners and looked at body-worn camera footage. \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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-31-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1457771/dl\">report\u003c/a> released Thursday, investigators said they found an “unbroken pattern” of staff sexual assault dating back over 20 years at California’s two women’s prisons. The department concluded that prison officials knew women faced a substantial risk of sexual abuse but failed to adequately protect them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Investigators pointed to gaps in surveillance camera coverage, a lack of confidential reporting options, inadequate investigations and failures to hold staff accountable — systemic problems the DOJ said amount to “deliberate indifference” and violate incarcerated women’s constitutional rights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“None of this should be surprising to CDCR [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation], none of it should be surprising to the Legislature,” said Amika Mota, executive director of the prison advocacy organization Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition. Survivors have spent years speaking out at “hearings, in town halls, in reports,” she said, trying to get officials to address sexual abuse by prison staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State prison officials say they have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault by staff, and that they have taken steps to improve reporting options and expand the use of cameras. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Young said those reforms have not fixed the underlying problems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Women were not being protected,” Young said in an interview with KQED. “It was the cycle that’s continuing to happen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the prison in Chowchilla, federal investigators found blind spots around its Plant Operations area and in prison kitchens. Women at both prisons told investigators that kitchen storage rooms without cameras are known as “sugar rooms,” because sugar is stored there and because sexual activity can occur there without detection. Investigators also found abandoned buildings where abuse had occurred.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-23-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers lead an incarcerated woman through a Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Things like that were extremely concerning,” Young said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report also found correctional officers failed to properly use body-worn cameras, at times turning them off in violation of prison policy. The report pointed out that only correctional officers are required to wear body cameras, despite confirmed cases of sexual misconduct by other staff, including a cook, mental health counselor and work-program staff.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report details several cases where the state confirmed allegations of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022075/former-guard-california-womens-prison-found-guilty-59-counts-sexual-abuse\">accused of sexually abusing\u003c/a> dozens of women at CCWF over a decade. California’s corrections department substantiated allegations that he engaged in sexual acts with 21 incarcerated women. Federal investigators said they became aware of more than 65 alleged victims of Rodriguez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some women reported that Rodriguez assaulted them in a parole hearing room that did not have cameras. In 2023, the Madera County district attorney charged Rodriguez with 97 criminal counts involving 13 women. He was convicted last year on 64 counts and sentenced to 224 years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the California Institution for Women, the report points to cases dating back more than a decade, including correctional officers who were convicted or disciplined for sexually abusing incarcerated women.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The hundreds of allegations reviewed by federal investigators likely capture only a portion of the abuse, according to Mota. While she said reporting increased in recent years as more survivors began speaking out, many cases still go unreported for fear of retaliation.\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090742\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-73-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Officers escort an incarcerated woman through a yard at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026, the largest women’s correctional facility in the state. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report underscored those fears, finding that the system meant to allow incarcerated women to report sexual assault was not truly confidential. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Written grievances, known as 602s, are scanned into an online system accessible to staff at the prisons. In one case, CDCR found that an officer improperly accessed the files of 11 incarcerated women. Nine had accused him of sexual misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Women described officers issuing disciplinary violations, searching their cells, taking their property and restricting privileges after complaints were made. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some women said they waited until they were released, transferred to another prison or retained an attorney before reporting alleged abuse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The federal report also concluded that an August 2024 mass \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12004368/like-a-war-zone-prison-officers-used-unprecedented-force-in-august-attack-incarcerated-women-say\">use-of-force incident\u003c/a> at CCWF was retaliation for women reporting staff sexual abuse. Young said DOJ investigators spent significant time interviewing women and reviewing files related to the incident, which resulted in injuries ranging from seizures to blindness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR reached a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12077737/california-agrees-to-1-9m-settlement-in-prison-use-of-force-case\">$1.9 million settlement \u003c/a>in April with 13 women injured during the incident. Its investigators imposed termination, retraining and other corrective actions after concluding that 41 employees violated department policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal investigators found cases in which potential DNA evidence wasn’t tested, accused staff or witnesses weren’t interviewed, and investigations stretched on for months or even years. In one case, the investigation took so long that CDCR missed its one-year deadline to discipline the officer. \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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090737\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Receiving and Release (R&R) yard at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026. The prison is the largest women’s correctional facility in California, and the R&R yard is used to process incarcerated people entering and leaving the facility. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And the state’s Office of the Inspector General of prisons found that 86% of CDCR disciplinary and criminal investigations reviewed during the first half of 2025 were either “inadequate” or “needs improvement,” according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Young said investigators found that, even when women made credible allegations of sexual abuse, investigations could stall for over a year and sometimes ended without substantiation of the allegations, even when parts of their accounts were corroborated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a written statement, CDCR said it takes “every allegation seriously” and “remains dedicated to ensuring accountability, strengthening protections, and maintaining institutions that ensure the personal safety of all individuals.” The department also cited audits under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, which found both prisons met all 45 standards evaluated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Justice Department is requiring California to better protect prisoners from staff sexual abuse by expanding camera coverage, requiring broader use of body-worn cameras, establishing confidential reporting options independent of the agency, and strengthening investigations and protections against retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The state must confront the persistent failure of its own employees to prevent and address sexual abuse at these facilities and the systemic breakdowns that have permitted these conditions to persist,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said in a statement. “This report should serve as a turning point.”\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/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090741\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260630-CCWFTOUR-60-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An officer speaks with an incarcerated woman in a wheelchair at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on June 30, 2026, the largest women’s correctional facility in the state. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CDCR said in a statement the agency looks forward to working with the DOJ “regarding their recommendations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DOJ also called for penalties, including possible termination, for staff who improperly share information about grievances, and meaningful consequences for staff found to have retaliated against people who report sexual abuse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department said the U.S. attorney general could sue the state in 49 days if California fails to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Antoinette Yancey, who is incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility, said she hopes the federal findings lead to real accountability.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Some of us are in here for far less than what has been done to us, doing life sentences and decades’ worth of time, while we’re also being preyed upon,” Yancey said. “And it’s just not fair.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This reporting was possible in part by funding from the Poynter Institute.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Two former correctional officers at a now-shuttered \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12047086/just-a-few-of-the-many-east-bay-prison-abuse-victims-speak-out-after-more-charges\">East Bay women’s prison\u003c/a> pleaded guilty to federal sexual misconduct charges on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are the eighth and ninth employees to be convicted of related crimes at the scandal-plagued \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin\u003c/a>, dubbed the “Rape Club” for the prevalence of abuse, cover-up and retaliation by employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former FCI Dublin employees Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad told the court that in 2022, they committed acts of abuse alleged by federal prosecutors earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are among ten former officials — including the former warden — who have been charged with related crimes. Nine have been convicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, 34, who said he worked as a health technician and paramedic, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse and one count of supplying a false statement to federal agents. Shortly after leaving Dublin in August of 2022, he said he told federal officials that he had no sexual conduct with the victim in the complaint and had never given her contraband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11987297 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a prison for women, in Dublin, on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wilson admitted to flirting with a woman incarcerated at FCI Dublin and watching her family visits. With his encouragement, he said, she transferred from one wing of the prison to the other, the lower security “camp,” where he said there would be less oversight and “they could have a little fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He told the court that in March 2022, when she transferred, he provided her with a cell phone, which he used to communicate with her, and which she used to send him naked photos of herself. Over the next six months, he would bring her into a medical room in the prison, where he touched and kissed her, and where, on multiple occasions, she performed oral sex on him, Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On another occasion, he said, he penetrated her with his fingers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Thursday, Wilson pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived his right to a grand jury indictment.[aside postID=news_12047086 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250530-DublinEmployees-62-BL_qed.jpg']Gacad, 33, a correctional officer, also previously pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual abuse against a woman at the prison during 2022. He changed his plea to guilty on Thursday afternoon as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He told the court that beginning in February 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit notes and emails with a woman incarcerated at FCI Dublin and, on multiple occasions, kissed her and touched her buttocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judge Yvonne Rogers, who has presided over nine of the ten criminal FCI Dublin cases, will sentence Wilson and Gacad in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the culture of abuse at Dublin came to light in 2021, more than 100 women have come forward, including multiple who claim Wilson assaulted them, though their allegations were not included in the complaint filed against him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">class action suit\u003c/a> settled with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons awarded those women a total of $116 million, and a second such suit set special protections for the roughly 300 women formerly incarcerated at Dublin who remained in custody at other facilities after it closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A courtroom sketch of former FCI Dublin correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith, right, watching as a witness cries while giving testimony against him on March 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With Wilson and Gacad’s convictions, the fate of just one former FCI Dublin official accused of abuse remains outstanding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith, who was indicted on charges alleging he assaulted at least five women between 2017 and 2021, will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041857/after-mistrial-in-fci-dublin-abuse-case-new-charges-leave-out-one-of-the-accusers\">begin a new trial in September\u003c/a> after his first ended in a mistrial this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the jury in that case appeared swayed by his attorneys’ argument that he was falsely accused amid the scandal in an effort for the women to receive early release and other incentives, like legal status in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith’s new trial, which will be based on a new superseding indictment that excludes the allegation of one of the five women he was originally tried for abusing, is currently set to begin September 17.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Two former correctional officers at a now-shuttered \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/12047086/just-a-few-of-the-many-east-bay-prison-abuse-victims-speak-out-after-more-charges\">East Bay women’s prison\u003c/a> pleaded guilty to federal sexual misconduct charges on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are the eighth and ninth employees to be convicted of related crimes at the scandal-plagued \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin\u003c/a>, dubbed the “Rape Club” for the prevalence of abuse, cover-up and retaliation by employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former FCI Dublin employees Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad told the court that in 2022, they committed acts of abuse alleged by federal prosecutors earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are among ten former officials — including the former warden — who have been charged with related crimes. Nine have been convicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson, 34, who said he worked as a health technician and paramedic, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse and one count of supplying a false statement to federal agents. Shortly after leaving Dublin in August of 2022, he said he told federal officials that he had no sexual conduct with the victim in the complaint and had never given her contraband.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11987297 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a prison for women, in Dublin, on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wilson admitted to flirting with a woman incarcerated at FCI Dublin and watching her family visits. With his encouragement, he said, she transferred from one wing of the prison to the other, the lower security “camp,” where he said there would be less oversight and “they could have a little fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He told the court that in March 2022, when she transferred, he provided her with a cell phone, which he used to communicate with her, and which she used to send him naked photos of herself. Over the next six months, he would bring her into a medical room in the prison, where he touched and kissed her, and where, on multiple occasions, she performed oral sex on him, Wilson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On another occasion, he said, he penetrated her with his fingers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier Thursday, Wilson pleaded not guilty to the charges and waived his right to a grand jury indictment.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Gacad, 33, a correctional officer, also previously pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual abuse against a woman at the prison during 2022. He changed his plea to guilty on Thursday afternoon as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He told the court that beginning in February 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit notes and emails with a woman incarcerated at FCI Dublin and, on multiple occasions, kissed her and touched her buttocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Judge Yvonne Rogers, who has presided over nine of the ten criminal FCI Dublin cases, will sentence Wilson and Gacad in November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the culture of abuse at Dublin came to light in 2021, more than 100 women have come forward, including multiple who claim Wilson assaulted them, though their allegations were not included in the complaint filed against him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">class action suit\u003c/a> settled with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons awarded those women a total of $116 million, and a second such suit set special protections for the roughly 300 women formerly incarcerated at Dublin who remained in custody at other facilities after it closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250318-FCI-DUBLIN-VB-1B-KQED-1920x1080.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A courtroom sketch of former FCI Dublin correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith, right, watching as a witness cries while giving testimony against him on March 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>With Wilson and Gacad’s convictions, the fate of just one former FCI Dublin official accused of abuse remains outstanding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith, who was indicted on charges alleging he assaulted at least five women between 2017 and 2021, will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12041857/after-mistrial-in-fci-dublin-abuse-case-new-charges-leave-out-one-of-the-accusers\">begin a new trial in September\u003c/a> after his first ended in a mistrial this spring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members of the jury in that case appeared swayed by his attorneys’ argument that he was falsely accused amid the scandal in an effort for the women to receive early release and other incentives, like legal status in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith’s new trial, which will be based on a new superseding indictment that excludes the allegation of one of the five women he was originally tried for abusing, is currently set to begin September 17.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-mateo-county-da-will-fight-parole-for-man-convicted-in-1989-mountain-view-cold-case",
"title": "San Mateo County DA Will Fight Parole for Man Convicted in 1989 Mountain View Cold Case",
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"headTitle": "San Mateo County DA Will Fight Parole for Man Convicted in 1989 Mountain View Cold Case | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Prosecutors and family members of Kathleen Noble said Monday that they will fight parole suitability for the man convicted of her 1989 murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-mateo-county\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told KQED that Mark Hensley, 55, still constitutes a risk to public safety 23 years after his conviction. Hensley was found suitable for parole on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The case went unsolved for 10 years until Noble’s family asked the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to reopen it, said Wagstaffe, who has a framed photo of Noble in his office — a gift from her family, for obtaining a guilty verdict in 2002.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noble’s bludgeoned body was found in her car in East Palo Alto on March 5, 1989, more than a week after the 23-year-old was reported missing by her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suspicion fell strongly on Hensley, Noble’s 19-year-old co-worker and roommate. In his interview with East Palo Alto police, he kept changing his story about whether Noble had come home to their shared apartment on the night she went missing, Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But soon after, the investigation went cold, as a huge volume of other cases strained the “barebones staff” of East Palo Alto police, Wagstaffe said. In a flood of 18 other murders in the small city that year, Noble’s case drifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12045700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12045700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department squad car is seen in Redwood City, California, on Dec. 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, 10 years after the murder, San Mateo County Sheriff Don Horsley received a letter from Noble’s parents asking for the case to be reopened, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwcpulse.com/blogs/from-the-crime-files/2022/06/16/blog-slow-justice-for-kathleen-noble/\">Redwood City Pulse\u003c/a> reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was such a poignant letter,” Horsley told the true crime television show \u003ca href=\"https://www.oxygen.com/murdered-by-morning/crime-news/kathleen-noble-mark-hensley-killer-cold-case\">\u003cem>Murdered by Morning\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, “that I thought we should reinvestigate it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Significant pieces of evidence from the 1989 investigation into Noble’s death were missing — including police reports, witness interviews and a polygraph taken by Noble’s boyfriend, with whom she reportedly quarreled shortly before her death, \u003ca href=\"https://www.mv-voice.com/crime/2025/08/04/man-convicted-of-1989-mountain-view-murder-found-suitable-for-parole/\">Bay City News\u003c/a> reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It appeared clear to investigators, however, from blood in and around the apartment, that Noble was killed there. With no forced entry and Hensley holding the only other key to the apartment, he became a prime suspect.[aside postID=news_12050640 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250801-BERKELEY-OSHA-DEATH-MD-05-KQED.jpg']“It was a thorough reexamination,” Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hensley, who had moved to Virginia but was originally from Los Altos Hills, was arrested on Dec. 20, 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argued that Hensley made romantic overtures to Noble, which were rejected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He made an effort one night to get romantic with her, to get physical with her. She declined it and he beat her to death,” Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Wagstaffe, the jurors were most impressed by the testimony of Dana Margulies, Hensley’s ex-fiancée in Virginia. She told the court that Hensley choked her “almost to unconsciousness” when she broke up with him, several years after Noble’s death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her graphic testimony, plus circumstantial evidence, clinched a guilty verdict of first-degree murder and a sentence of 25 years to life. Hensley \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwcpulse.com/blogs/from-the-crime-files/2022/06/16/blog-slow-justice-for-kathleen-noble/\">successfully appealed\u003c/a> and changed the conviction to second-degree murder, with a sentence of 15 years to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hensley appeared to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/10/29/murderer-deemed-not-suitable-for-parole/\">admit responsibility\u003c/a> for Noble’s death in 2016, when he told a parole board that he hit his roommate with a champagne bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Thursday parole hearing was attended by Noble’s sister and two brothers, all of whom strongly opposed his release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Noble, Kathleen’s twin brother, who did not attend the hearing, said the news was both a “painful shock” but something the family also expected, after attending multiple parole hearings over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a cold case,” he told KQED. “He had 10 years of freedom. That time should be added onto his sentence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wagstaffe said the parole board considered the Youthful Offender Law and the Elder Parole Law, which allows for early parole consideration for people 50 or older who have served 20 or more years of their sentence. The board also noted that Hensley had not had any recent rule violations at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center state prison, ultimately finding him suitable for release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2019 showed that people 55 and older make up about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2021/11/201912_DataPoints.pdf\">16% of California’s incarcerated population\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On average, it costs California a little more than \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/policyareas/cj/6_cj_inmatecost\">$106,000 per year\u003c/a> to keep someone in prison, according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. While the agency doesn’t track expenses by age group, the nonpartisan office \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/handouts/crimjust/2010/Elderly_Inmates_05_11_10.pdf\">reported\u003c/a> that in other states, it can cost two to three times more to incarcerate an older person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su Kim, senior policy manager for parole justice nonprofit UnCommon Law, said elderly parole has been successful “in releasing elderly people who do not pose a danger and reducing exorbitant incarceration costs, all without any trade-off in public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim cited \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2024/11/FY-2018-19-BPH-Supplemental-Recidivism-Report.pdf\">a CDCR report\u003c/a> that showed an elderly parole recidivism rate of just 2.4%, and less than 1% for crimes against a person — 20 times lower than the overall CDCR recidivism rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If parole consideration is concerned primarily with public safety,” Kim said, “then advanced age absolutely needs to be taken into consideration given the indisputable evidence that people age out of crime and violence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a murder conviction, Hensley’s case must now go through an administrative review and then must be approved or reversed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Noble and Wagstaffe both said they would write letters to Newsom to encourage him to reverse the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The effort, however, “doesn’t bring Kathleen back,” Noble said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The gruesome death of Kathleen Noble was unsolved for 10 years before prosecutors charged Mark Hensley, Noble’s roommate and a former Santa Clara County resident.",
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"title": "San Mateo County DA Will Fight Parole for Man Convicted in 1989 Mountain View Cold Case | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Prosecutors and family members of Kathleen Noble said Monday that they will fight parole suitability for the man convicted of her 1989 murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-mateo-county\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told KQED that Mark Hensley, 55, still constitutes a risk to public safety 23 years after his conviction. Hensley was found suitable for parole on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The case went unsolved for 10 years until Noble’s family asked the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office to reopen it, said Wagstaffe, who has a framed photo of Noble in his office — a gift from her family, for obtaining a guilty verdict in 2002.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Noble’s bludgeoned body was found in her car in East Palo Alto on March 5, 1989, more than a week after the 23-year-old was reported missing by her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suspicion fell strongly on Hensley, Noble’s 19-year-old co-worker and roommate. In his interview with East Palo Alto police, he kept changing his story about whether Noble had come home to their shared apartment on the night she went missing, Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But soon after, the investigation went cold, as a huge volume of other cases strained the “barebones staff” of East Palo Alto police, Wagstaffe said. In a flood of 18 other murders in the small city that year, Noble’s case drifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12045700\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12045700\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20231211-San-Mateo-Sheriff-021-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department squad car is seen in Redwood City, California, on Dec. 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Then, 10 years after the murder, San Mateo County Sheriff Don Horsley received a letter from Noble’s parents asking for the case to be reopened, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwcpulse.com/blogs/from-the-crime-files/2022/06/16/blog-slow-justice-for-kathleen-noble/\">Redwood City Pulse\u003c/a> reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was such a poignant letter,” Horsley told the true crime television show \u003ca href=\"https://www.oxygen.com/murdered-by-morning/crime-news/kathleen-noble-mark-hensley-killer-cold-case\">\u003cem>Murdered by Morning\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, “that I thought we should reinvestigate it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Significant pieces of evidence from the 1989 investigation into Noble’s death were missing — including police reports, witness interviews and a polygraph taken by Noble’s boyfriend, with whom she reportedly quarreled shortly before her death, \u003ca href=\"https://www.mv-voice.com/crime/2025/08/04/man-convicted-of-1989-mountain-view-murder-found-suitable-for-parole/\">Bay City News\u003c/a> reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It appeared clear to investigators, however, from blood in and around the apartment, that Noble was killed there. With no forced entry and Hensley holding the only other key to the apartment, he became a prime suspect.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It was a thorough reexamination,” Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hensley, who had moved to Virginia but was originally from Los Altos Hills, was arrested on Dec. 20, 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argued that Hensley made romantic overtures to Noble, which were rejected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He made an effort one night to get romantic with her, to get physical with her. She declined it and he beat her to death,” Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Wagstaffe, the jurors were most impressed by the testimony of Dana Margulies, Hensley’s ex-fiancée in Virginia. She told the court that Hensley choked her “almost to unconsciousness” when she broke up with him, several years after Noble’s death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her graphic testimony, plus circumstantial evidence, clinched a guilty verdict of first-degree murder and a sentence of 25 years to life. Hensley \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwcpulse.com/blogs/from-the-crime-files/2022/06/16/blog-slow-justice-for-kathleen-noble/\">successfully appealed\u003c/a> and changed the conviction to second-degree murder, with a sentence of 15 years to life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hensley appeared to \u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/10/29/murderer-deemed-not-suitable-for-parole/\">admit responsibility\u003c/a> for Noble’s death in 2016, when he told a parole board that he hit his roommate with a champagne bottle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Thursday parole hearing was attended by Noble’s sister and two brothers, all of whom strongly opposed his release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Noble, Kathleen’s twin brother, who did not attend the hearing, said the news was both a “painful shock” but something the family also expected, after attending multiple parole hearings over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a cold case,” he told KQED. “He had 10 years of freedom. That time should be added onto his sentence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wagstaffe said the parole board considered the Youthful Offender Law and the Elder Parole Law, which allows for early parole consideration for people 50 or older who have served 20 or more years of their sentence. The board also noted that Hensley had not had any recent rule violations at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center state prison, ultimately finding him suitable for release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2019 showed that people 55 and older make up about \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2021/11/201912_DataPoints.pdf\">16% of California’s incarcerated population\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On average, it costs California a little more than \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/policyareas/cj/6_cj_inmatecost\">$106,000 per year\u003c/a> to keep someone in prison, according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. While the agency doesn’t track expenses by age group, the nonpartisan office \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/handouts/crimjust/2010/Elderly_Inmates_05_11_10.pdf\">reported\u003c/a> that in other states, it can cost two to three times more to incarcerate an older person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su Kim, senior policy manager for parole justice nonprofit UnCommon Law, said elderly parole has been successful “in releasing elderly people who do not pose a danger and reducing exorbitant incarceration costs, all without any trade-off in public safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kim cited \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2024/11/FY-2018-19-BPH-Supplemental-Recidivism-Report.pdf\">a CDCR report\u003c/a> that showed an elderly parole recidivism rate of just 2.4%, and less than 1% for crimes against a person — 20 times lower than the overall CDCR recidivism rate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If parole consideration is concerned primarily with public safety,” Kim said, “then advanced age absolutely needs to be taken into consideration given the indisputable evidence that people age out of crime and violence.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a murder conviction, Hensley’s case must now go through an administrative review and then must be approved or reversed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Wagstaffe said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Noble and Wagstaffe both said they would write letters to Newsom to encourage him to reverse the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The effort, however, “doesn’t bring Kathleen back,” Noble said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hunger-strike-begins-as-california-prisons-hand-down-biggest-restrictions-since-covid",
"title": "Hunger Strike Begins as California Prisons Hand Down Biggest Restrictions Since COVID",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\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>Nearly two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/prisons/\">state prisons\u003c/a> last week imposed sweeping restrictions on their incarcerated population — including shutting off all outside communication. Now, hundreds of prisoners are reported to be on a hunger strike to protest the system’s largest restrictions since the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The corrections department “significantly limited” the daily activities and movement of roughly 34,000 incarcerated people on June 12 in response to a recent uptick in violence, overdoses and contraband, according to its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the restrictions, incarcerated people are forced to remain primarily in their cell or dormitory. All in-person visitation, programming, phone access and tablet communications has been suspended. Medical care and other essential services will continue, the department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department did not say when the restrictions will end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legal experts and advocates called the department’s move drastic and said the approach is solitary confinement in all but name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very lonely space to be in,” said Warren Hands, supervising parole success advocate at UnCommon Law, a nonprofit. “Addiction is real. Mental health issues are real. And they are exacerbated by these lockdowns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=forum_2010101905589 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2024/05/The-Strike-horizontal-1020x574.png']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrections Secretary Jeff Macomber said in a written statement that the department has an obligation to ensure public safety for staff, incarcerated individuals and the communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We recognize the concerns of the incarcerated and their families and how this impacts participation in rehabilitation programs and visiting,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department published a press release late Tuesday that listed a number of armed assaults on staff members, armed battery on incarcerated people, and several riots in the weeks leading up to the restrictions, but did not attribute those incidents to specific prisons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families of incarcerated people say the restrictions are cruel and collective punishment. Angel Torrez said it feels unbearable to have no contact with his father, who is incarcerated at Folsom State Prison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wonder if he’s safe and sound,” said Torrez. The department “is playing propaganda warfare. They are professionals of abstract, obtuse, and vague statements that are generated to keep families in the dark.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At prisons across the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/us/wisconsin-prison-lockdown.html\">lockdowns have become increasingly common\u003c/a> due to staffing shortages. In California, the corrections department has imposed broad restrictions on incarcerated people twice in the span of three months.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prisons report ‘surge in violence’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The last restrictions on March 8 were placed on nearly a dozen prisons due to a “surge in violence against staff and incarcerated people.” They ended on April 11. During that time, at least three incarcerated people were killed and one officer reportedly was attacked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the department has come under fire for its approach to managing violent incidents and contraband. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article266991716.html\">It was criticized by\u003c/a> a Sacramento County Superior Court Judge in 2022 for creating violence when it merged incarcerated people from the general population with those who were previously protected, such as informants, bypassing established procedures in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following year, an oversight agency found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.oig.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CDCR-Controlled-Substances-Contraband-Interdiction-Efforts-Audit.pdf\">drugs continued to get inside California prisons\u003c/a> during the pandemic when public health protocols prohibited visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an open secret that staff are the primary vector of contraband into the prison,” said Sharon Dolovich, a law professor at UCLA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said a lockdown may be a useful tool if it’s done in a limited way, but the department’s blanket policy appears to be hard to defend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a blunt instrument when they should be using a scalpel,” she said. “The question is the relationship between the ill that they are trying to wrestle with and the strategy that they are adopting to try to address it. I remain unconvinced that a lockdown of this scale is necessary to address this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hunger strike in Salinas\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One day after the corrections department implemented the restrictions, incarcerated people at Salinas Valley State Prison formally declared a hunger strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This action arises in response to persistent and unlawful practices by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the use of indiscriminate lockdowns, deprivation of rehabilitative and constitutional rights, and collective punishment of the incarcerated population,” they wrote in a letter provided to CalMatters. “This protest is not rooted in defiance but in our firm demand that (the corrections department) adhere to its obligations under the U.S. Constitution, California Penal Code, and Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrections spokesperson Terri Hardy said the department has procedures to monitor and evaluate hunger strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooke Terpstra, a member of the anti-prison group Oakland Abolition & Solidarity, estimated that upwards of 500 people are participating in the strike. He suspects incarcerated people at other prisons with restrictions will join.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All hunger strikes are notable, but this is a major occurrence,” he said. “(The department’s) unified collective punishment has produced a unified collective response. It’s inspiring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/06/prisons-hunger-strike/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\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>Nearly two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/prisons/\">state prisons\u003c/a> last week imposed sweeping restrictions on their incarcerated population — including shutting off all outside communication. Now, hundreds of prisoners are reported to be on a hunger strike to protest the system’s largest restrictions since the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The corrections department “significantly limited” the daily activities and movement of roughly 34,000 incarcerated people on June 12 in response to a recent uptick in violence, overdoses and contraband, according to its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the restrictions, incarcerated people are forced to remain primarily in their cell or dormitory. All in-person visitation, programming, phone access and tablet communications has been suspended. Medical care and other essential services will continue, the department said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department did not say when the restrictions will end.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legal experts and advocates called the department’s move drastic and said the approach is solitary confinement in all but name.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a very lonely space to be in,” said Warren Hands, supervising parole success advocate at UnCommon Law, a nonprofit. “Addiction is real. Mental health issues are real. And they are exacerbated by these lockdowns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrections Secretary Jeff Macomber said in a written statement that the department has an obligation to ensure public safety for staff, incarcerated individuals and the communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We recognize the concerns of the incarcerated and their families and how this impacts participation in rehabilitation programs and visiting,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department published a press release late Tuesday that listed a number of armed assaults on staff members, armed battery on incarcerated people, and several riots in the weeks leading up to the restrictions, but did not attribute those incidents to specific prisons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families of incarcerated people say the restrictions are cruel and collective punishment. Angel Torrez said it feels unbearable to have no contact with his father, who is incarcerated at Folsom State Prison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wonder if he’s safe and sound,” said Torrez. The department “is playing propaganda warfare. They are professionals of abstract, obtuse, and vague statements that are generated to keep families in the dark.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At prisons across the country, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/us/wisconsin-prison-lockdown.html\">lockdowns have become increasingly common\u003c/a> due to staffing shortages. In California, the corrections department has imposed broad restrictions on incarcerated people twice in the span of three months.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prisons report ‘surge in violence’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The last restrictions on March 8 were placed on nearly a dozen prisons due to a “surge in violence against staff and incarcerated people.” They ended on April 11. During that time, at least three incarcerated people were killed and one officer reportedly was attacked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the department has come under fire for its approach to managing violent incidents and contraband. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article266991716.html\">It was criticized by\u003c/a> a Sacramento County Superior Court Judge in 2022 for creating violence when it merged incarcerated people from the general population with those who were previously protected, such as informants, bypassing established procedures in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following year, an oversight agency found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.oig.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CDCR-Controlled-Substances-Contraband-Interdiction-Efforts-Audit.pdf\">drugs continued to get inside California prisons\u003c/a> during the pandemic when public health protocols prohibited visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an open secret that staff are the primary vector of contraband into the prison,” said Sharon Dolovich, a law professor at UCLA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said a lockdown may be a useful tool if it’s done in a limited way, but the department’s blanket policy appears to be hard to defend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a blunt instrument when they should be using a scalpel,” she said. “The question is the relationship between the ill that they are trying to wrestle with and the strategy that they are adopting to try to address it. I remain unconvinced that a lockdown of this scale is necessary to address this problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hunger strike in Salinas\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>One day after the corrections department implemented the restrictions, incarcerated people at Salinas Valley State Prison formally declared a hunger strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This action arises in response to persistent and unlawful practices by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the use of indiscriminate lockdowns, deprivation of rehabilitative and constitutional rights, and collective punishment of the incarcerated population,” they wrote in a letter provided to CalMatters. “This protest is not rooted in defiance but in our firm demand that (the corrections department) adhere to its obligations under the U.S. Constitution, California Penal Code, and Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrections spokesperson Terri Hardy said the department has procedures to monitor and evaluate hunger strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooke Terpstra, a member of the anti-prison group Oakland Abolition & Solidarity, estimated that upwards of 500 people are participating in the strike. He suspects incarcerated people at other prisons with restrictions will join.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All hunger strikes are notable, but this is a major occurrence,” he said. “(The department’s) unified collective punishment has produced a unified collective response. It’s inspiring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cayla Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/06/prisons-hunger-strike/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003c/b>This week marks 33 years since four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. That verdict exploded into days of rioting and unrest across the city. It also ignited a national conversation about police brutality, as well as race and inequality in the criminal justice system.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038204\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12038204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uncuffed producers (L-R) Anthony Gomez, Jeremy Strain, Matthew Sheppard, Ryan Pagan, Vincent O’Bannon, William Harris and André Davis inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Uncuffed)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week we’re featuring an episode from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed/2025-02-27/season-4-ep-3-where-were-you-in-92\">Uncuffed\u003c/a>, a podcast made by incarcerated people in California prisons in collaboration with KALW. We hear from Uncuffed’s host Greg Eskridge and others who’ve been incarcerated about how the riots had a lasting impact on their lives. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Greg Eskridge’s story mentions abuse and violence, so please take care when listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545?mt=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cb>\u003c/b>This week marks 33 years since four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles. That verdict exploded into days of rioting and unrest across the city. It also ignited a national conversation about police brutality, as well as race and inequality in the criminal justice system.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038204\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12038204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/SQ-2024-Cohort-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Uncuffed producers (L-R) Anthony Gomez, Jeremy Strain, Matthew Sheppard, Ryan Pagan, Vincent O’Bannon, William Harris and André Davis inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. \u003ccite>(Photo Courtesy: Uncuffed)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This week we’re featuring an episode from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed/2025-02-27/season-4-ep-3-where-were-you-in-92\">Uncuffed\u003c/a>, a podcast made by incarcerated people in California prisons in collaboration with KALW. We hear from Uncuffed’s host Greg Eskridge and others who’ve been incarcerated about how the riots had a lasting impact on their lives. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Greg Eskridge’s story mentions abuse and violence, so please take care when listening. \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031367/for-years-abuse-plagued-an-east-bay-prison-dubbed-the-rape-club-one-trial-remains\">final criminal trial\u003c/a> against a former official at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">FCI Dublin\u003c/a> began Monday, prosecutors described a culture of abuse, retaliation and cover-up that they said allowed him to sexually abuse women incarcerated at the now-shuttered East Bay prison for six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983422/another-former-fci-dublin-officer-facing-criminal-charges-is-scheduled-for-trial\">Darrell Wayne Smith\u003c/a> — whose case stemmed from a larger investigation into the prison known by former workers and incarcerated women as\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904298/ap-investigation-dublin-womens-prison-fostered-culture-of-abuse\"> the “rape club”\u003c/a> — threatened, bribed and held power over the heads of five women he is accused of sexually abusing while working as a correctional officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Defendant Darrell Smith liked power, and he abused that power,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sailaja Paidipaty said during her opening statement. “He abused his power when he fondled [one victim’s] breasts. He abused his power when he pinned her against a wall and shoved his fingers into her anus. … He used his power for many years to sexually abuse many women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith is one of eight former correctional officers and high-ranking officials who were criminally charged in the sprawling probe into FCI Dublin. The other seven, including the prison’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934639/ex-warden-of-dublin-womens-prison-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-inmates\">former warden\u003c/a>, have all been sentenced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known as “Dirty Dick Smith” in court documents, he faces six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights by bestowing cruel and unusual punishment. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"FCI Dublin Women's Prison in Dublin on Aug. 16, 2023.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, a women’s prison in the East Bay, on Aug. 16, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Women who were formerly incarcerated at FCI Dublin plan to testify that Smith made sexual comments toward them, forced them to lift up their tops in front of him, penetrated them with his fingers as they slept, and even forced them to have sex with him, Paidipaty said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of Smith’s abuse happened in the housing units on that property,” where he was often the only guard, she told the jury. “This is where the women lived, where they slept at night, where they showered, where they did their laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For these units, Smith had ultimate control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His defense said that the picture of Smith’s time as a correctional officer would be incomplete, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12031367 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240408-FCIDublin-016-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You will not see DNA evidence, you will not see any other forensic evidence, physical evidence of a sexual assault,” attorney Joanna Sheridan said in opening statements. “You will not see any surveillance video of Mr. Smith touching an inmate. You might want to pause and think about that, considering that this is a prison, a highly secured facility.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sheridan foreshadowed a strategy of attempting to discredit witness testimony — “These are women who … were there because they committed felony offenses,” she said — and pushed back against the prosecution’s depiction of the power hierarchy of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Inmates figure out how to get what they want,” she told jurors. “They learn how to manipulate the system. They learn how to manipulate staff and [Bureau of Prison] management to benefit their interests.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2021, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">more than 100 women\u003c/a> have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by officials at FCI Dublin. Last year, the Federal Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the damage done at the facility with a $116 million settlement split among 103 women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11987297\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a prison for women, in Dublin on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sixty-three civil suits have been filed against the prison and its officials since 2021, and FCI Dublin was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">abruptly closed last April\u003c/a>, a month after an FBI raid and just weeks after a judge appointed the first-ever special master to the Bureau of Prisons to oversee changes at Dublin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special master Wendy Still’s report on the institution, unsealed in August, said that women could not easily obtain forms used to lodge complaints and that to “obtain any of the forms necessary to file a remedy at any level, the [woman] had to request the form from staff and justify the need for the form which had a chilling effect” and made women “fearful of retaliation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reporting an officer in prison is risky,” Paidipaty said during her opening statement for the prosecution. “You can face retaliation, and in fact, you’ll hear from some women about the consequences that they’ve faced when they tried to speak up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that in the coming days of the trial, more than a dozen women will likely take the stand to testify about the abuse they faced from Smith or to corroborate the reports of those who were harmed around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Within the walls of that prison, those women felt powerless,” she said. “Smith did what he wanted, and when he wanted, for years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Darrell Wayne Smith is the final former FCI Dublin official to face trial after a sprawling abuse investigation into the now-shuttered federal prison.",
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"title": "East Bay Prison Sex Abuse Trial Opens With Account of Guard’s ‘Ultimate Control’ | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031367/for-years-abuse-plagued-an-east-bay-prison-dubbed-the-rape-club-one-trial-remains\">final criminal trial\u003c/a> against a former official at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">FCI Dublin\u003c/a> began Monday, prosecutors described a culture of abuse, retaliation and cover-up that they said allowed him to sexually abuse women incarcerated at the now-shuttered East Bay prison for six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983422/another-former-fci-dublin-officer-facing-criminal-charges-is-scheduled-for-trial\">Darrell Wayne Smith\u003c/a> — whose case stemmed from a larger investigation into the prison known by former workers and incarcerated women as\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904298/ap-investigation-dublin-womens-prison-fostered-culture-of-abuse\"> the “rape club”\u003c/a> — threatened, bribed and held power over the heads of five women he is accused of sexually abusing while working as a correctional officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Defendant Darrell Smith liked power, and he abused that power,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sailaja Paidipaty said during her opening statement. “He abused his power when he fondled [one victim’s] breasts. He abused his power when he pinned her against a wall and shoved his fingers into her anus. … He used his power for many years to sexually abuse many women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith is one of eight former correctional officers and high-ranking officials who were criminally charged in the sprawling probe into FCI Dublin. The other seven, including the prison’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934639/ex-warden-of-dublin-womens-prison-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-inmates\">former warden\u003c/a>, have all been sentenced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known as “Dirty Dick Smith” in court documents, he faces six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights by bestowing cruel and unusual punishment. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11972312\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11972312\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"FCI Dublin Women's Prison in Dublin on Aug. 16, 2023.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/01/240111-FCI-DUBLIN-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, a women’s prison in the East Bay, on Aug. 16, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Women who were formerly incarcerated at FCI Dublin plan to testify that Smith made sexual comments toward them, forced them to lift up their tops in front of him, penetrated them with his fingers as they slept, and even forced them to have sex with him, Paidipaty said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of Smith’s abuse happened in the housing units on that property,” where he was often the only guard, she told the jury. “This is where the women lived, where they slept at night, where they showered, where they did their laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For these units, Smith had ultimate control.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His defense said that the picture of Smith’s time as a correctional officer would be incomplete, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You will not see DNA evidence, you will not see any other forensic evidence, physical evidence of a sexual assault,” attorney Joanna Sheridan said in opening statements. “You will not see any surveillance video of Mr. Smith touching an inmate. You might want to pause and think about that, considering that this is a prison, a highly secured facility.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sheridan foreshadowed a strategy of attempting to discredit witness testimony — “These are women who … were there because they committed felony offenses,” she said — and pushed back against the prosecution’s depiction of the power hierarchy of the prison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Inmates figure out how to get what they want,” she told jurors. “They learn how to manipulate the system. They learn how to manipulate staff and [Bureau of Prison] management to benefit their interests.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2021, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">more than 100 women\u003c/a> have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by officials at FCI Dublin. Last year, the Federal Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the damage done at the facility with a $116 million settlement split among 103 women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11987297\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11987297\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/240408-FCIDublin-008-BL_qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, a prison for women, in Dublin on April 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sixty-three civil suits have been filed against the prison and its officials since 2021, and FCI Dublin was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">abruptly closed last April\u003c/a>, a month after an FBI raid and just weeks after a judge appointed the first-ever special master to the Bureau of Prisons to oversee changes at Dublin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Special master Wendy Still’s report on the institution, unsealed in August, said that women could not easily obtain forms used to lodge complaints and that to “obtain any of the forms necessary to file a remedy at any level, the [woman] had to request the form from staff and justify the need for the form which had a chilling effect” and made women “fearful of retaliation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Reporting an officer in prison is risky,” Paidipaty said during her opening statement for the prosecution. “You can face retaliation, and in fact, you’ll hear from some women about the consequences that they’ve faced when they tried to speak up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said that in the coming days of the trial, more than a dozen women will likely take the stand to testify about the abuse they faced from Smith or to corroborate the reports of those who were harmed around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Within the walls of that prison, those women felt powerless,” she said. “Smith did what he wanted, and when he wanted, for years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">Sara Hossaini\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "for-years-abuse-plagued-an-east-bay-prison-dubbed-the-rape-club-one-trial-remains",
"title": "For Years, Abuse Plagued an East Bay Prison Dubbed the ‘Rape Club.’ One Trial Remains",
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"headTitle": "For Years, Abuse Plagued an East Bay Prison Dubbed the ‘Rape Club.’ One Trial Remains | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>While she was incarcerated at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">FCI Dublin\u003c/a>, one woman says in court documents, her father died. Her mail from her husband was withheld, her calls to him were cut off, and she fell into a depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a correctional officer at the East Bay federal prison seemed to offer her a lifeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983422/another-former-fci-dublin-officer-facing-criminal-charges-is-scheduled-for-trial\">Darrell Wayne Smith\u003c/a> told her that if she met him in the prison’s laundry room, he would give her a cellphone so she could have a video visit with her children, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when she arrived, she said, he put his hands on her breasts and buttocks. According to court documents, she alleges that when she asked about calling her kids, Smith “told her she had to cooperate with him first.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith had blocked her communication, she said, and would come to her cell, force her to walk around and spank her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between September 2020 and January 2021, the woman said, Smith got her alone and subjected her to unwanted sexual acts — first by promising contact with her family, and later by threatening trouble if she didn’t comply or by grabbing her physically. She alleges that he made her “model” lingerie, penetrated her with his fingers and ordered her to have sex with him.[aside postID=news_11983422 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240408-FCIDublin-002-BL_qut-1020x680.jpg']After Smith had assaulted her multiple times, the woman told him that she wanted “what was going on between them” to stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Smith responded that she had no choice, and it would not stop until he wanted it to stop,” according to court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the eight former FCI Dublin officers charged in a sprawling investigation into the prison’s widespread culture of abuse, retaliation and cover-ups, Smith is the last whose fate is uncertain. His trial on 15 counts of abuse and deprivation of civil rights is set to begin Monday in federal court in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">More than 100 women\u003c/a> have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by correctional officers and high-ranking officials at the low-security women’s prison, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">shuttered last April\u003c/a> after the yearslong investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This trial is something a lot of women have been looking forward to … and are going to be paying attention to and hoping for a just outcome in,” said Jae Oh, who represented three women who made claims against Smith in civil cases, including the one who said she was isolated and abused by him in 2020 and 2021. KQED does not identify victims of sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This “will be sort of the last bookend step in this very long process where we’ve been repeatedly trying to get the truth and accountability for everything that these women have gone through,” Oh told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known as “Dirty Dick Clark,” Smith, 55, faces six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights by bestowing cruel and unusual punishment. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence.[aside postID=news_12018828 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/09/240408-FCIDublin-009-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']“The defendant’s alleged actions are some of the most disturbing charges we’ve seen for a former federal corrections officer,” Michael Nordwall, executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement when Smith’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11997595/former-east-bay-prison-officer-charged-with-more-sex-crimes-against-women-in-his-custody\">indictment was expanded to add new charges\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith is accused of digitally penetrating five women as far back as 2016, some on multiple occasions, and forcing one to have intercourse with him while one of the other victims “stood outside to serve as a lookout.” He often bribed them to get them alone and threatened retaliation if they didn’t comply, according to court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That fear of retaliation loomed over many women who were “very scared about participating in this process” by filing complaints against FCI Dublin officers, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some who did were sent to the solitary housing unit, she said, where they lost contact with their families, recreation time and credit for good behavior that could have shortened their time in prison. Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">told KQED she lost visitation privileges\u003c/a>, phone and commissary access, and was barred from speaking with lawyers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some women who are still incarcerated after being transferred to other facilities have not come forward with their stories of abuse at FCI Dublin because of the power imbalance they face, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Correctional officers “know where the security cameras are; they know who the women will talk to; they get access to their emails, their phone calls, their mails,” she told KQED. “That great power differential and the fact that these women are reliant on the officers day in and day out for food, for recreation time, for mail, for phone calls to family — I think they just feel powerless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the sentences against the seven other FCI Dublin officers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934639/ex-warden-of-dublin-womens-prison-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-inmates\">former warden Ray Garcia\u003c/a>, have shown the power of women coming forward, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Validating their stories and their concerns has been very meaningful because time and time again with the other criminal cases up until now, we’ve seen that there is power in the victims’ voices when they speak up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The years of staff violence at FCI Dublin, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904298/ap-investigation-dublin-womens-prison-fostered-culture-of-abuse\">dubbed the “rape club”\u003c/a> by workers and women incarcerated there, was first reported in a 2021 Associated Press investigation. The prison is facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11978712/infamous-east-bay-womens-prison-hit-with-12-additional-sexual-assault-lawsuits\">more than 60 lawsuits\u003c/a> alleging sexual assault and retaliation by prison officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Bureau of Prisons also faces a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987292/trial-for-class-action-lawsuit-over-troubled-womens-prison-slated-for-june-2025\">class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> brought on behalf of women who were formerly incarcerated at FCI Dublin, including some who were transferred to other federal facilities after its closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is unconscionable that any correctional agency could allow incarcerated individuals under their control and responsibility to be subject to the conditions that existed at FCI-Dublin for such an extended period of time without correction,” read a report by court-appointed special master Wendy Still, who was tasked with overseeing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982014/judge-chooses-top-pick-for-special-master-to-oversee-womens-prison-following-rampant-abuse\">changes at the site\u003c/a> — the first time such an appointment was made in the history of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still’s report, unsealed by a judge in August, also says she worried about “the mistreatment, neglect and abuse” that women suffered at Dublin being repeated after they were transferred, “as many of the conditions that existed at this facility appear to be longstanding and systemic in nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The federal trial of former FCI Dublin officer Darrell Wayne Smith is set to begin in Oakland. Seven others have been sentenced after a sprawling sexual abuse investigation.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>While she was incarcerated at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fci-dublin\">FCI Dublin\u003c/a>, one woman says in court documents, her father died. Her mail from her husband was withheld, her calls to him were cut off, and she fell into a depression.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a correctional officer at the East Bay federal prison seemed to offer her a lifeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983422/another-former-fci-dublin-officer-facing-criminal-charges-is-scheduled-for-trial\">Darrell Wayne Smith\u003c/a> told her that if she met him in the prison’s laundry room, he would give her a cellphone so she could have a video visit with her children, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when she arrived, she said, he put his hands on her breasts and buttocks. According to court documents, she alleges that when she asked about calling her kids, Smith “told her she had to cooperate with him first.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith had blocked her communication, she said, and would come to her cell, force her to walk around and spank her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between September 2020 and January 2021, the woman said, Smith got her alone and subjected her to unwanted sexual acts — first by promising contact with her family, and later by threatening trouble if she didn’t comply or by grabbing her physically. She alleges that he made her “model” lingerie, penetrated her with his fingers and ordered her to have sex with him.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After Smith had assaulted her multiple times, the woman told him that she wanted “what was going on between them” to stop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Smith responded that she had no choice, and it would not stop until he wanted it to stop,” according to court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the eight former FCI Dublin officers charged in a sprawling investigation into the prison’s widespread culture of abuse, retaliation and cover-ups, Smith is the last whose fate is uncertain. His trial on 15 counts of abuse and deprivation of civil rights is set to begin Monday in federal court in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">More than 100 women\u003c/a> have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by correctional officers and high-ranking officials at the low-security women’s prison, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982973/feds-abruptly-close-east-bay-womens-prison-following-sexual-abuse-scandals\">shuttered last April\u003c/a> after the yearslong investigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This trial is something a lot of women have been looking forward to … and are going to be paying attention to and hoping for a just outcome in,” said Jae Oh, who represented three women who made claims against Smith in civil cases, including the one who said she was isolated and abused by him in 2020 and 2021. KQED does not identify victims of sexual violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This “will be sort of the last bookend step in this very long process where we’ve been repeatedly trying to get the truth and accountability for everything that these women have gone through,” Oh told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Known as “Dirty Dick Clark,” Smith, 55, faces six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights by bestowing cruel and unusual punishment. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The defendant’s alleged actions are some of the most disturbing charges we’ve seen for a former federal corrections officer,” Michael Nordwall, executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement when Smith’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11997595/former-east-bay-prison-officer-charged-with-more-sex-crimes-against-women-in-his-custody\">indictment was expanded to add new charges\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Smith is accused of digitally penetrating five women as far back as 2016, some on multiple occasions, and forcing one to have intercourse with him while one of the other victims “stood outside to serve as a lookout.” He often bribed them to get them alone and threatened retaliation if they didn’t comply, according to court documents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That fear of retaliation loomed over many women who were “very scared about participating in this process” by filing complaints against FCI Dublin officers, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some who did were sent to the solitary housing unit, she said, where they lost contact with their families, recreation time and credit for good behavior that could have shortened their time in prison. Another \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12018828/prison-sex-abuse-survivor-speaks-on-fci-dublins-cultural-rot-after-record-settlement\">told KQED she lost visitation privileges\u003c/a>, phone and commissary access, and was barred from speaking with lawyers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some women who are still incarcerated after being transferred to other facilities have not come forward with their stories of abuse at FCI Dublin because of the power imbalance they face, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Correctional officers “know where the security cameras are; they know who the women will talk to; they get access to their emails, their phone calls, their mails,” she told KQED. “That great power differential and the fact that these women are reliant on the officers day in and day out for food, for recreation time, for mail, for phone calls to family — I think they just feel powerless.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the sentences against the seven other FCI Dublin officers, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11934639/ex-warden-of-dublin-womens-prison-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-inmates\">former warden Ray Garcia\u003c/a>, have shown the power of women coming forward, Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Validating their stories and their concerns has been very meaningful because time and time again with the other criminal cases up until now, we’ve seen that there is power in the victims’ voices when they speak up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The years of staff violence at FCI Dublin, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11904298/ap-investigation-dublin-womens-prison-fostered-culture-of-abuse\">dubbed the “rape club”\u003c/a> by workers and women incarcerated there, was first reported in a 2021 Associated Press investigation. The prison is facing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11978712/infamous-east-bay-womens-prison-hit-with-12-additional-sexual-assault-lawsuits\">more than 60 lawsuits\u003c/a> alleging sexual assault and retaliation by prison officials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Bureau of Prisons also faces a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11987292/trial-for-class-action-lawsuit-over-troubled-womens-prison-slated-for-june-2025\">class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> brought on behalf of women who were formerly incarcerated at FCI Dublin, including some who were transferred to other federal facilities after its closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is unconscionable that any correctional agency could allow incarcerated individuals under their control and responsibility to be subject to the conditions that existed at FCI-Dublin for such an extended period of time without correction,” read a report by court-appointed special master Wendy Still, who was tasked with overseeing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982014/judge-chooses-top-pick-for-special-master-to-oversee-womens-prison-following-rampant-abuse\">changes at the site\u003c/a> — the first time such an appointment was made in the history of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still’s report, unsealed by a judge in August, also says she worried about “the mistreatment, neglect and abuse” that women suffered at Dublin being repeated after they were transferred, “as many of the conditions that existed at this facility appear to be longstanding and systemic in nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "californias-reliance-on-incarcerated-firefighters-sparks-debate-over-low-pay-and-dangerous-work",
"title": "California's Reliance on Incarcerated Firefighters Sparks Debate Over Low Pay and Dangerous Work",
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"content": "\u003cp>About 800 incarcerated firefighters are working with emergency responders to battle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/wildfire\">Los Angeles wildfires\u003c/a> as part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Fire Camp Program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 2,000 incarcerated people regularly take part in the program, which trains incarcerees to work with the California Department of Forestry to respond to fire-related emergencies like the deadly fires that have burned more than 9,000 structures this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to CDCR, 783 Fire Camp firefighters have been cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread. Participants in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/\">firefighting program\u003c/a> are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day. On days when the firefighters are participating in an active emergency, the rate goes up by $1.[aside postID=news_12021019 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/CAWildfireSoCal4AP-1020x680.jpg']California has relied on incarcerated firefighters to combat wildfires \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-californias-inmate-firefighter-program-180980662/\">since the mid-1900s\u003c/a>, especially during World War II when many professional firefighters and fire crew members were serving in the war. The state has received criticism in the past for taking advantage of cheap, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013392/californians-voted-against-outlawing-slavery-why-is-prop-6-failing\">incarcerated labor\u003c/a>. Proposition 6, which would have banned the use of forced prison labor, failed in November, with 53.8% of voters opposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t turn and say the prison system is providing this labor that we need because there are so many wildfires, and so it must remain that way,” Lindsey Feldman, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Memphis, said. “Instead, we should be asking why are there so many fires and why have we as a society all agreed that prison labor is the effective way to stop it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CDCR’s firefighting program, in particular, has come under scrutiny due to the dangers associated with wildfires, which can quickly change direction. Incarcerated firefighters are more likely to get injured on the job compared to their professional counterparts, according to a report released by \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/5457637/inmate-firefighters-injuries-death/\">\u003cem>Time\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feldman, who specializes in identity, labor and incarceration, said the use of incarcerated labor in California and in other states will always be exploitative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391.jpg\" alt=\"Firefighters work through dirt and dust as they frantically dig a containment line to hold off a fire.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-800x573.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-1020x730.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-160x115.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inmate firefighters dig a containment line as they battle the Palisades Fire on Jan. 10, 2025 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There is no justification for the pay being as little as it is for the work that is being performed,” Feldman said. “There’s no question that this is risky work — dangerous — and people in prison tend to be more at risk of workplace injury than non-incarcerated people just because oversight in general is less than it is out of prison.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants in CDCR’s program must meet certain security requirements before going through an extensive training program. The firefighters are stationed across 35 minimum-security facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never knew anything about wildland fires until I actually went to Fire Camp, and I grew to love it,” said Royal Ramey, cofounder and chief executive officer of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people find work as firefighters.[aside label=\"Related Stories\" postID=\"news_12017770,news_12021125,science_1965575\"]“It was a lot of camaraderie and we did gain the knowledge, skills and abilities to do it, but we didn’t know how we could move forward in terms of pursuing a career in it. It was definitely difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ramey was 20 when he was sentenced to six years at the California Correctional Institution. Ramey decided to volunteer with the Fire Camp, a decision that changed his life, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said serving as a firefighter gave him and others a sense of purpose, as well as the skills that California needs in order to combat climate change-related disasters such as wildfires. But it is difficult for formerly incarcerated firefighters to find jobs in forestry and fire management because of their convictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While California officials have recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837644/newsom-signs-law-paving-way-for-former-inmates-to-become-professional-firefighters\">reforms\u003c/a> expanding opportunities for former inmates, Ramey noted that barriers to employment persist, a struggle which inspired his nonprofit. He argued that Fire Camp could be part of the solution, and said that many people who went through fire training are equipped to help in emergencies once their sentences are finished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can contribute to the labor shortage we have here, and why not give them the opportunity to become wildland firefighters to support the state and to be able to get a family and a career,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>About 800 incarcerated firefighters are working with emergency responders to battle the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/wildfire\">Los Angeles wildfires\u003c/a> as part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Fire Camp Program.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 2,000 incarcerated people regularly take part in the program, which trains incarcerees to work with the California Department of Forestry to respond to fire-related emergencies like the deadly fires that have burned more than 9,000 structures this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to CDCR, 783 Fire Camp firefighters have been cutting fire lines and removing fuel from behind structures to slow fire spread. Participants in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/\">firefighting program\u003c/a> are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day. On days when the firefighters are participating in an active emergency, the rate goes up by $1.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>California has relied on incarcerated firefighters to combat wildfires \u003ca href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-californias-inmate-firefighter-program-180980662/\">since the mid-1900s\u003c/a>, especially during World War II when many professional firefighters and fire crew members were serving in the war. The state has received criticism in the past for taking advantage of cheap, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013392/californians-voted-against-outlawing-slavery-why-is-prop-6-failing\">incarcerated labor\u003c/a>. Proposition 6, which would have banned the use of forced prison labor, failed in November, with 53.8% of voters opposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can’t turn and say the prison system is providing this labor that we need because there are so many wildfires, and so it must remain that way,” Lindsey Feldman, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Memphis, said. “Instead, we should be asking why are there so many fires and why have we as a society all agreed that prison labor is the effective way to stop it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CDCR’s firefighting program, in particular, has come under scrutiny due to the dangers associated with wildfires, which can quickly change direction. Incarcerated firefighters are more likely to get injured on the job compared to their professional counterparts, according to a report released by \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/5457637/inmate-firefighters-injuries-death/\">\u003cem>Time\u003c/em>\u003c/a> in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Feldman, who specializes in identity, labor and incarceration, said the use of incarcerated labor in California and in other states will always be exploitative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12021733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1024px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12021733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391.jpg\" alt=\"Firefighters work through dirt and dust as they frantically dig a containment line to hold off a fire.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-800x573.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-1020x730.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/GettyImages-2193449391-160x115.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inmate firefighters dig a containment line as they battle the Palisades Fire on Jan. 10, 2025 in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There is no justification for the pay being as little as it is for the work that is being performed,” Feldman said. “There’s no question that this is risky work — dangerous — and people in prison tend to be more at risk of workplace injury than non-incarcerated people just because oversight in general is less than it is out of prison.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Participants in CDCR’s program must meet certain security requirements before going through an extensive training program. The firefighters are stationed across 35 minimum-security facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never knew anything about wildland fires until I actually went to Fire Camp, and I grew to love it,” said Royal Ramey, cofounder and chief executive officer of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people find work as firefighters.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It was a lot of camaraderie and we did gain the knowledge, skills and abilities to do it, but we didn’t know how we could move forward in terms of pursuing a career in it. It was definitely difficult.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ramey was 20 when he was sentenced to six years at the California Correctional Institution. Ramey decided to volunteer with the Fire Camp, a decision that changed his life, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said serving as a firefighter gave him and others a sense of purpose, as well as the skills that California needs in order to combat climate change-related disasters such as wildfires. But it is difficult for formerly incarcerated firefighters to find jobs in forestry and fire management because of their convictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While California officials have recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11837644/newsom-signs-law-paving-way-for-former-inmates-to-become-professional-firefighters\">reforms\u003c/a> expanding opportunities for former inmates, Ramey noted that barriers to employment persist, a struggle which inspired his nonprofit. He argued that Fire Camp could be part of the solution, and said that many people who went through fire training are equipped to help in emergencies once their sentences are finished.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can contribute to the labor shortage we have here, and why not give them the opportunity to become wildland firefighters to support the state and to be able to get a family and a career,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"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. ",
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"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.",
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"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>",
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"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?",
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"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.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"radiolab": {
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
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"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"order": 16
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
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"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
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