What are some of the worst prisons in the State of California? We have listed the top 5 worst prisons in California based on gang violence and poor living conditions.
Here are the Top 5 worst prisons in California!
1. Pelican Bay State Prison:
Number 1 on our list is the Pelican Bay State Prison. The prison has an extremely bad reputation which over the past few years has improved due to multiple lawsuits filed by former inmates. However, the root cause appears to be still there.
The prison has a capacity of 2,380. Since the prison is a supermax facility, it is famous for housing some of the most notorious American criminals, ultimately leading to their death.
In the early phases of the facility, guards were accused of beating inmates leading to their deaths, having them fight their enemies, not controlling the overuse of drugs, and letting prison gangs flourish who would beat the weak prisoners.
2. San Quentin State Prison:
Located in the north of San Francisco, the prison is one of California’s oldest and was opened during the gold rush era, bringing many criminals along to the State. It was opened in 1852, and the prison is filled with controversies, being 170 years old.
While the prison has been featured in numerous films, videos, podcasts, and TV shows, that still does not mean the conditions in prison are good. Despite offering numerous programs to its inmates, that still does not appear to be enough for their rehabilitation.
The prison is famous where guards treat the inmates brutally, access to basic necessities being denied, and overcrowding has been a major issue, among many others.
3. California Medical Facility:
Located in Vacaville, Solano County, California,
What makes this largest California prison medical facility so worse is that the prison is overcrowded, leading to many accidents and a lack of care for those who need it.
This is also a reason why guards use an excess of force to exhibit dominance. Corruption has also been reported in this facility, leading to medicines and other care equipment not being given to the inmates who require it.
Many former inmates have reported the poor medical care they were given, and considering this is the best medical care a prisoner may get; it only makes matters worse.
4. Kern Valley State Prison:
Located in Delano, California, the prison is a maximum-security facility that has been reported to be extremely overcrowded.
Due to the overcrowding, several tragic incidents occur with guards having little to no control of the prison; gang violence is rampant. The inhuman housing of inmates has caused several to commit suicide while others suffer from health and mental issues.
5. California State Prison, Corcoran
The male-only facility is located in Kings County, California. It is a minimum to the maximum facility, which means it has facilities ranging from open dorms to closed cells.
Not only is the prison overcrowded, but it also houses a controversial Security Housing Unit (SHU) and has been reported to house inmates who the guards want to be there regardless of if they have committed any crime or not.
Conditions in SHU cells are some of the worst ones can imagine and cause serious trauma once you have served there.
