California State Prison, Corcoran

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California State Prison, Corcoran (COR) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Corcoran, in Kings County, California. It is also known as Corcoran State Prison, CSP-C, CSP-COR, CSP-Corcoran, and Corcoran I. The facility is just north of the newer California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran (Corcoran II).<ref name=CDCRWeb>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Office of the Governor, State of California. Jerry Brown Announces Appointments 08/24/07 Template:Webarchive.</ref><ref name=City>City of Corcoran, California. About Corcoran Template:Webarchive. Accessed 11 Dec 2007.</ref>

Facilities

As of Fiscal Year 2002/2003, COR had a total of 1,703 staff and an annual institutional budget of US$115 million.<ref name=CDCRWeb/> As of April 30, 2020, COR was incarcerating people at 119.4% of its design capacity, with 3,719 occupants.<ref name="april2020pop">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Individual cells, fenced perimeters and armed coverage
  • Level IV housing: Cells, fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security, more staff and armed officers both inside and outside the installation
  • Security Housing Units, "the most secure area[s] within a Level IV prison designed to provide maximum coverage".
  • The Protective Housing Unit & Death Row (California State Prison, Corcoran (COR) does not house death row inmates) which holds up to 47 prisoners who require "extraordinary protection from other prisoners". The unit houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing. The Protective Housing Unit has been described as "strikingly calm" because inmates "don't want to be moved somewhere less guarded".<ref name=Curtis>Curtis, Kim. Even in prison Jackson would be 'star'. Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA), June 13, 2005.</ref> One violent incident occurred in March 1999 when three inmates attacked inmate Juan Corona, inflicting minor injuries, and smashed Charles Manson's guitar. Three other Protective Housing Unit inmates suffered minor injuries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Acute care hospital
  • Prison Industry Authority

History

Built on what was once Tulare Lake, the facility opened in 1988.<ref>Broder, John M. Spun and Unspun Tales of a California Cotton King Template:Webarchive. The New York Times, January 8, 2004.</ref><ref>Good, Bob. First Inmates Arrive at Corcoran Prison. Fresno Bee, February 23, 1988.</ref> The prison hospital was dedicated in October 1993.<ref>Diaz, Sam. Corcoran Prison Opens Hospital Doors. It's Like Most Facilities, Except for the Armed Guards, Security Cameras and Grill Gates. The Fresno Bee, October 28, 1993.</ref>

In March 1993, at Corcoran, prisoner Wayne Jerome Robertson raped Eddie Dillard, a prisoner about half his size, after the latter was reassigned to his cell. Robertson, who had the nickname "Booty Bandit", testified in 1999 that prison guards set up the attack.<ref>Arax, Mark. "Corcoran Inmate Tells Jury Guards Set Up Rape." Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1999. Retrieved on February 2, 2016.</ref> Dillard testified in the same trial.<ref>Arax, Mark. "Tearful Victim Testifies on Prison Rape." Los Angeles Times. October 20, 1999. Retrieved on February 24, 2016.</ref> After Robertson was assigned to general population at Pelican Bay State Prison, California state senator Tom Hayden stated "It is almost certain that he would be targeted for death."<ref>Podger, Pamela J. "Corcoran Rapist Marked for Death at Pelican Bay, Tom Hayden Says / Inmate allegedly was told to attack by prison guards." San Francisco Chronicle. Tuesday August 20, 1998. Retrieved on February 24, 2016.</ref>

In August 1996, the Los Angeles Times stated that COR was "the most troubled of the 32 state prisons".<ref name=Arax>Arax, Mark. Tales of Brutality Behind Bars; Five officers claim staging of "gladiator days," other abuses at Corcoran State Prison. FBI is investigating facility, which has most killings of inmates in U.S. Los Angeles Times, August 21, 1996.</ref> At the time, COR officers had shot and killed more inmates "than any prison in the country" in COR's eight years of existence. Seven inmates had been killed, and 50 others seriously wounded. Based on interviews and documents, Arax concluded that many shootings of prisoners were "not justified" and that in some cases "the wrong inmate was killed by mistake".<ref name=Arax/> Furthermore, the article alleged that "officers ... and their supervisors staged fights between inmates" during "gladiator days".<ref name=Arax/> In November 1996, CBS Evening News broadcast "video footage of an inmate fatally shot by guards" at COR in 1994; this death "spawned a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of alleged inmate abuses by guards".<ref>Podger, Pamela J. Video of Fatal Prison Shooting at Corcoran Stirs Controversy. The Fresno Bee, November 20, 1996.</ref>

A March 1997 episode of the CBS News 60 Minutes discussed the 1994 death, "the alleged cover-up and the alarming number of shootings at the prison".<ref>"60 Minutes" Spotlights Corcoran. "Deadliest Prison" Segment Will Lead Off Sunday's Broadcast. Fresno Bee, March 29, 1997.</ref> The California Department of Corrections issued the results of its own investigation in November 1997, which found "isolated incidents of staff misconduct" but no "Template:-'widespread staff conspiracy' to abuse prisoners".<ref>Holding, Reynolds. State Corrections Dept. Clears Itself in Probe of Corcoran Prison. The San Francisco Chronicle, November 27, 1997.</ref>

A film titled Maximum Security University, which used prison surveillance tapes showing four 1989–1993 fights "end[ing] when a guard fatally shoots a combatant", was released in February 1998.<ref>A Film Aims to Expose Prison Deaths. Private Investigator Hopes Corcoran Footage Stirs Debate, Reform. Fresno Bee, February 16, 1998.</ref> That month, eight California correctional officers and supervisors were indicted "on federal criminal civil rights charges in connection with inmate fights that occurred at Corcoran State Prison in 1994".<ref name=Federal>United States Department of Justice. Eight Officers Indicted for Civil Rights Violations at Corcoran State Prison in California. February 26, 1998.</ref> After a trial, the eight men were "acquitted of all charges" in June 2000.<ref>Bier, Jerry, et al. All 8 Corcoran Guards Acquitted. Applause Rocks the Courtroom After the Verdicts. Fresno Bee, June 10, 2000.</ref>

As of 1999 California had paid out several large prison brutality settlements for incidents at Corcoran, including $2.2 million to inmate Vincent Tulumis, paralyzed for life in a May 1993 shooting, and $825,000 for the killing of Preston Tate in April 1994.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Subsequently, COR has been featured in at least two episodes of MSNBC's Lockup series: "Inside Corcoran" (first aired as early as 2003)<ref>Primetime mailing list. New Year's Day Programming on America's Newschannel MSNBC. The Mail Archive, January 1, 2003.</ref> and "Return to Corcoran" (first aired in 2005).<ref>Template:Usurped (discussion thread).</ref>

In July 2013, many inmates at COR participated in a state-wide hunger strike protesting the use of solitary confinement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Billy Michael Sell, an inmate in COR who had been participating in the hunger strike, committed suicide by hanging himself while in a Security Housing Unit (SHU).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had been protesting from July 8 to July 21. Sell's death caused significant controversy, as inmate advocates reported that fellow prisoners had heard Sell asking for medical attention for several days before his eventual suicide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His suicide triggered reviews of the circumstances behind his death at the local, state, and federal level; with Amnesty International calling for an independent inquiry into his death, one without ties to the government.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable inmates (current and former)

Current

  • Isauro Aguirre — convicted and sentenced to death for torturing and killing 8-year old Gabriel Fernandez.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Joseph James DeAngelo — serial killer/rapist; received multiple sentences of life without parole in 2020 for 13 murders committed between 1975 and 1986. In protective custody.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Scott Dyleski — sentenced to 25 years to life for a murder committed at age 16.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Dana Ewell — a convicted triple murderer, he ordered the murders of his family in 1992. Serving three life sentences and has exhausted his appeals. In protective custody.<ref>Swinton, Nate. Appealing to God. The Santa Clara, May 23, 2002.</ref>
  • Phillip Garrido — who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard in 1991. He is serving 431 years to life.
  • Michael Jace — former actor serving 40 years to life for the 2014 murder of his wife.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Brandon Pettit — convicted of murdering his parents and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • David Turpin — sentenced to 25 years to life for holding captive and torturing 12 of his 13 children.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Horace Van Vaultz — serial killer.<ref>Inmate Locator, inmate BU7697</ref>
  • George Wayne Smith — Convicted of masterminding the May 9th, 1980 Norco Shootout in which Smith and four accomplices robbed a bank in Norco, California and engaged in a 25-mile (40 Km) pursuit with Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, killing one Deputy and wounding eight others. Two of Smith’s accomplices were killed; whereas Smith and two others were sentenced to life without parole.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Former

  • Rodney Alcala — the "Dating Game killer." He was sentenced to death in 1980, 1986, and 2010. On July 24, 2021, Alcala died from natural causes at a hospital.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Juan Corona — murdered twenty-five people in 1971. He was transferred to COR from the Correctional Training Facility in 1992. On March 4, 2019, Corona died from natural causes.<ref name=Curtis/><ref>Juan Corona denied parole for 2nd time. San Diego Union, June 24, 1987.</ref><ref name=Grossi>Grossi, Mark. Corcoran Prison Home to Who's-Who of Killers. The List of Infamous Murderers at the State Facility has Grown This Week to Include Sirhan Sirhan and Juan Corona. The Fresno Bee, June 5, 1992.</ref>
  • John Albert Gardner III — convicted of murdering Amber Dubois (2009) and Chelsea King (2010). Later moved to Mule Creek State Prison.
  • Charles Manson — leader of the Manson family. Manson was transferred from San Quentin State Prison to COR in March 1989.<ref>Lopez, Pablo. Charles Manson Transferred to Corcoran Prison. Fresno Bee, March 16, 1989.</ref> On November 19, 2017, Manson died at a Bakersfield hospital, one week after he was taken there for an unspecified illness.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Gerald Parker- Serial killer known as the Bludgeon Killer. Spent time there for parole violation also admitted to several killings.
  • Yenok Ordoyan — Armenian surgeon who was convicted of welfare fraud. He earned the moniker the "King of Welfare", and was released in 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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See also

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References

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Template:State prisons in California

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