In response to a notable uptick in violence within California’s high-security prisons, authorities have implemented stringent restrictions on movement, communication, and visitations across several facilities. These measures took effect on Saturday and are in place at numerous maximum-security units, including the California Correctional Institution, California State Prison-Los Angeles County, and California State Prison-Sacramento.
The new protocols demand that meals be distributed directly to inmates’ housing areas. Additionally, movement, whether it be for showers or other purposes, must happen under strict supervision, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The restrictions extend to phone and tablet communications, as well as in-person visitations.
Despite these limitations, inmates will continue to have access to essential medical services, legal engagements, and other crucial appointments, as stated by corrections officials. The CDCR emphasized that this situation is a modified program, not a lockdown, and is specifically applicable to Level IV housing units.
CDCR spokesperson Terri Hardy expressed that a “comprehensive investigation into the underlying causes of violent incidents at Level IV facilities throughout the state” is underway, although further details on the restrictions have not been provided.
The corrections department is probing seven deaths, regarded as homicides, that have occurred since the start of the year. Notably, three of these deaths transpired just before the restrictive measures were announced.
Among the victims was Joshua L. Peppers, aged 39, who was assaulted by another inmate at the Los Angeles County prison on March 7 and passed away later at a medical facility. He had been serving time for second-degree robbery. On the same day, Jake T. Kennedy, 32, was discovered with multiple stab wounds inside his cell at the Sacramento prison. He succumbed to his injuries despite reaching a triage and treatment area, where officials found a makeshift weapon. Kennedy was serving a sentence for carrying a concealed blade and a subsequent prison assault.
Hours later, 37-year-old German M. Merino was fatally attacked by two other inmates at Kern Valley State Prison. He had been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.
Violence in prisons, particularly involving those serving life sentences, is a persistent issue within the state. In January, Mario Campbell, 36, was attacked by two fellow inmates on the main exercise yard at the Sacramento facility. Both attackers were serving life sentences with the possibility of parole, and Campbell died shortly afterward at a medical facility. Officers on the scene uncovered three improvised weapons.
These heightened restrictions will remain in effect until the investigative process concludes. The duration of the investigation is currently unknown.
In the previous year, there were 32 recorded homicides in state correctional facilities, as reported by the California Correctional Health Care Services.
