California’s high-security prisons have implemented stringent restrictions on movement, communication, and visitation as officials conduct an investigation into an uptick in violence seen this year.
Initiated on Saturday, these measures impact the most secure areas of nearly a dozen correctional facilities, including the California Correctional Institution, California State Prison-Los Angeles County, and California State Prison-Sacramento. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, meals must now be directly delivered to housing units, while showers and other movements are to be conducted in a “controlled manner.”
The protocols also impose limitations on phone and ViaPath tablet communications, as well as visitations. Despite these restrictions, prisoners can still access medical care, legal processes, and other critical appointments, according to corrections officials.
“This modified program, which is not akin to a lockdown, applies solely to Level IV housing units,” the Department stated. Further inquiries on the restrictions met with limited information, as CDCR spokesperson only remarked that a “comprehensive investigation into the underlying causes of violent incidents at Level IV facilities throughout the state” is ongoing.
Corrections officials are examining seven deaths since the year commenced as potential homicides. Three of these deaths occurred shortly before the Corrections Department announced the restrictive measures.
One incident involved Joshua L. Peppers, aged 39, who was assaulted by a fellow inmate at the Los Angeles County facility on March 7, succumbing to his injuries at a medical facility. He had been serving a sentence for second-degree robbery.
On the same day, Jake T. Kennedy, aged 32, was discovered with multiple stab wounds in his cell at the Sacramento prison. He died at a triage and treatment area, with an improvised weapon recovered nearby. Kennedy had been serving a sentence for carrying a concealed bladed weapon and a subsequent prison assault.
Additionally, German M. Merino, aged 37, died within hours of being attacked by two inmates at Kern Valley State Prison. He had been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder. These instances highlight the persistent challenges of prison violence, particularly among inmates serving life sentences with less to lose.
In a separate incident in January, Mario Campbell, aged 36, was assaulted in the main exercise yard at the Sacramento prison by two inmates serving life sentences with parole possibilities. Campbell died at a medical facility about 90 minutes later, and officers discovered three improvised weapons.
The restrictions will remain effective until the investigation is completed, though the timeframe for its conclusion is currently unknown. Last year, state prisons saw 32 homicides, as reported by California Correctional Health Care Services.
