美国司法部近日发布调查报告，指出加州监狱系统在防止和制止狱警对被监禁妇女的性虐待和骚扰方面存在制度性失效。[1]调查重点针对位于中加州的Chowchilla女性设施和位于Chino的加州女性机构两所监狱，发现狱警定期性虐待囚禁妇女的现象。[1]
司法部记录的具体违规案件包括：至少一名狱警因长达约十年的大规模虐待行为被判处224年监禁；[1]此外，一名中士因在工作中收到儿童性虐待图像被判15年监禁，该中士曾负责调查监狱的不当行为。[1]
司法部助理检察长Harmeet K. Dhillon表示，"加州监狱系统在阻止、检测和追究针对女性囚犯的猖獗性不当行为和侵犯方面存在制度不足"。[1]调查还发现系统缺乏保密的举报渠道，且许多负责调查不当行为的员工本身也被控性虐待。[1]司法部已给予加州监狱系统49天的补救期限，否则可能面临民事诉讼。[1]
The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that California's prison system has systematically failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by correctional officers.[1] The investigation focused on two female facilities—the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino—and documented a pattern of regular sexual abuse of imprisoned women by guards.[1]
The findings reveal severe institutional deficiencies. At least one guard received a 224-year prison sentence for widespread abuse spanning approximately ten years.[1] Additionally, a sergeant responsible for investigating misconduct was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found in possession of child sexual abuse imagery at work.[1] The Justice Department identified critical gaps in the system, including the absence of confidential reporting channels and the involvement of employees accused of sexual abuse in the investigation of misconduct allegations.[1]
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that "the California prison system, with respect to women, has institutional inadequacies in preventing, detecting, and holding accountable rampant sexual misconduct and abuse of female prisoners."[1] The Justice Department has given California's prison system 49 days to implement remedial measures, with the threat of civil litigation if corrections are not made.[1]