The Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif. Associated Press/Photo by Rich Pedroncelli (file)

Nowhere to run | WORLD

submited by

Style Pass

2021-05-23 18:00:12

The Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, Calif. Associated Press/Photo by Rich Pedroncelli (file)

The Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla is the nation’s largest female-only prison, stretching 640 acres across flat farmland and housing 2,640 inmates of all security levels. One inmate described cramped cells with eight women per room, bunk beds 4 feet apart, a shared restroom, and an uncovered shower.

The Chowchilla facility now houses 11 male inmates, including men convicted of rape and murder, said Lauren Adams, legal director for Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF).

More men will likely transfer to CCWF in coming months. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has received 255 requests from male inmates wishing to transfer to female prisons since a state law took effect on Jan. 1 permitting inmates who identify as transgender, intersex, and nonbinary to choose between male or female prisons, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Only six female inmates have requested transfers to male prisons.

Amie Ichikawa, a former CCWF inmate and founder and president of Woman II Woman, said California’s law has created a toxic environment where female inmates who experienced trauma are unable to heal. “Prison is already difficult,” she said. “Now they have to shower, use the toilet, and share 6 feet of personal space with violent men.”