The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a civil rights investigation into two California state prisons following allegations of systemic sexual abuse of female inmates by correctional officers. Announced on Wednesday, the federal inquiry will examine claims of misconduct at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), which oversees both facilities, faces scrutiny over whether it has adequately protected incarcerated women from abuse.

The DOJ cited substantial evidence supporting the need for the investigation, which follows hundreds of lawsuits filed over the past two years by women incarcerated at the Chowchilla prison, alleging they were sexually assaulted, including cases of rape. The investigation will assess whether these prisons violated the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, a federal statute allowing the DOJ to investigate institutions where there are credible allegations of civil rights abuses.

According to the DOJ, the abuse allegations are extensive, involving a range of behaviors from correctional staff, including officers demanding sexual favors in exchange for contraband or privileges. Even more troubling, some of the accused officers were responsible for handling sexual abuse complaints within the prisons, creating a conflict of interest and a culture of impunity. On Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the necessity of federal intervention, stating, “Staff sexual abuse of women has been reported continuously in media and through public reporting since at least 2016,” stressing that allegations of such abuse have been prevalent for years.

In response to the DOJ announcement, CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber stated, “Sexual assault is a heinous violation of fundamental human dignity that is not tolerated—under any circumstances—within California’s state prison system.” According to state prison officials, recent reforms include the implementation of body-worn cameras for officers and the adoption of other technological measures, such as audio surveillance, to more effectively monitor interactions between inmates and staff.

Further complicating matters, individual correctional officers have faced criminal charges related to the alleged abuses. Gregory Rodriguez, a former officer at the Central California Women’s Facility, is currently awaiting trial on 96 charges, including rape, sexual battery, and sodomy. These charges involve 13 victims, but investigators have indicated that there are potentially more victims that have yet to come forward.

Allegations have also surfaced that certain high-ranking officials of Central California Women's Facility engaged in or condoned inappropriate conduct. Former prison Warden, Mike Palllares, who worked concurrently with Rodriquez, has also been named in multiple lawsuits by female prison staff who accused him of demanding sexual favors after they complained about harassment by other employees. Such claims suggest that the culture of abuse might extend beyond interactions with inmates and could involve a deeper systemic problem within the prison system.

The DOJ's probe is part of a broader trend of increasing federal oversight of state-run correctional facilities. Earlier this year, the federal Bureau of Prisons announced the closure of a women's prison in Northern California, known colloquially as the "rape club," following revelations of widespread sexual abuse by correctional staff.