Public Safety · Chowchilla, CA
DOJ Finds Pattern of Sexual Abuse, Retaliation at Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla
A KQED investigation and a U.S. Department of Justice report document an "unbroken pattern" of sexual abuse and retaliation against incarcerated women at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla (Madera County), one of the largest women's prisons in the world with over 2,000 residents. On Aug. 2, 2024, correctional officers removed 159 women from a housing unit, confined them for more than four hours without food, water, or medication, and deployed pepper spray and chemical blast grenades, resulting in injuries including stroke, blindness, and seizures. Former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez was convicted on 64 counts of sexual abuse and sentenced to 224 years; CDCR investigated 95 employees over the Aug. 2 incident and disciplined 34, firing three for excessive force and dishonesty. Warden Anissa De La Cruz was demoted and transferred following the DOJ findings, while sexual misconduct complaints at the facility rose approximately 1,800% from 2022 to 2023.