(Image Credit: IMAGN) A prisoner looks out of his cell at the Franklin County Jail in downtown Columbus on Friday, February 17, 2017
California – High-security prisons across California have implemented strict restrictions on inmate movement, calls, and visits as officials investigate a recent surge in violent incidents.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) initiated the modified protocols on Saturday, affecting Level IV housing units at nearly a dozen prisons, including California Correctional Institution, California State Prison-Los Angeles County, and California State Prison-Sacramento.
Under these restrictions, meals are delivered directly to housing units, and showers and other movements are conducted in a “controlled manner.” Telephone and tablet calls, as well as visitations, are also restricted. However, inmates retain access to medical care, legal proceedings, and other “critical appointments.”
“It is important to note this modified program is distinct from a lockdown and applies exclusively to Level IV housing units,” stated a CDCR spokesperson.
The CDCR is conducting a “comprehensive investigation into underlying causes of violent incidents at Level IV facilities throughout the state,” according to spokesperson Terri Hardy.
The restrictions come as corrections officials investigate seven homicides within state prisons since the beginning of the year. Three of those deaths occurred on March 7:
Joshua L. Peppers, 39, was attacked at the Los Angeles County institution and died at a medical facility.
Jake T. Kennedy, 32, was found stabbed in his cell at the Sacramento prison and died at a triage and treatment area.
German M. Merino, 37, died after being attacked by two inmates at Kern Valley State Prison.
These incidents, along with a January attack at the Sacramento prison that resulted in the death of Mario Campbell, have prompted the current restrictions.
The CDCR has not provided a timeline for when the investigation will be completed and the restrictions lifted. Last year, there were 32 homicides in California state prisons.
