Chino and Chowchilla Women’s Prisoner Abuse Claims

When people are sentenced to prison after being convicted of crimes in California, they expect to do their time while looking forward to a day when they can put it behind them. Unfortunately, a pervasive culture of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse at two major California prisons for women, including the Central California Women’s Facility (Chowchilla) and the California Institution for Women (Chino), has festered for years, leaving the victims to face underserved, far-reaching consequences long after they’ve served their time.

Following numerous complaints and a US Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation, these horrific acts have come to light. Former inmates who have been the victims of sexual assault and harassment at these two prisons are now filing civil sexual abuse lawsuits to hold the perpetrators and the state accountable. If you were the victim of sexual assault or abuse at Chowchilla or Chino, you might be entitled to compensation through a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. At the Law Offices of Steven M. Sweat, our compassionate and skilled injury attorneys are prepared to fight for you and help you hold those responsible for your abuse accountable.

What Are Chino and Chowchilla Prisons?

The Central California Women’s Facility is known as Chowchilla because of its location in Chowchilla, California. Similarly, the California Institute for Women is called Chino after its location in Chino, California. These are two of the largest state-run prisons for women in the state. Chowchilla was built in 1990 and is the largest women’s prison in the state, with 2,500 women housed on 640 acres. Chino, which was built in 1952 and designed to hold 1,400 women on a campus of 150 acres, routinely houses as many as 2,100 inmates, leading to persistent overcrowding.

Chino is known for some of the infamous inmates it has housed, including female members of the Manson family. It has secured housing and open dormitories to which women are assigned based on their classification level. Persistent overcrowding and poor supervision have created an environment in which the female inmates are vulnerable to sexual abuse by guards.

Chowchilla houses female inmates at all classification levels, from minimum to maximum security. It is also where the state’s sole female death row exists. Because of its design and size, correctional officers can easily prey on vulnerable inmates. Incidents involving sexual abuse were reported as early as when the prison was opened in 1990 and have continued to occur.

Sexual Abuse of Inmates at Chino Women’s Prison

Investigative reports by the Guardian and other news outlets in 2023 into the sexual abuse of incarcerated women in California prisons found that female inmates were regularly victimized by guards and staff working in the facilities. The journalists investigated sexual abuse perpetrated against women at both the Chino and Chowchilla Women’s Prison facilities.

The reports came amidst the news of extensive sexual assaults at FCI Dublin, a federal prison for women with widespread incidents of guard-on-inmate sexual assaults. That prison was closed by the federal government in 2024, and the US government agreed to settle more than 100 lawsuits filed by women for the treatment they received for $116 million.

Journalists found that these issues were also rampant at both CCFW (Chowchilla) and CIW (Chino). Women incarcerated at Chino were reportedly subjected to regular sexual assaults and abuse by guards and other prison staff. Following the investigative reports, many women who had suffered similar abuse while incarcerated at Chino and Chowchilla came forward to report what happened to them.

Allegations of Abuse by Correctional Officers and Staff at Chino

At Chino, women reported that guards and correctional officers threatened and intimidated the incarcerated women to keep them silent about the abuse they suffered and witnessed. This pattern of intimidation allowed the rampant sexual abuse to continue. The victims have alleged that they suffered rape, sexual harassment, and other coerced sexual acts perpetrated by correctional officers and staff in the facility. In addition, many women also reported sexual abuse perpetrated by Dr. Scott Lee, CIW’s only gynecologist at the women’s prison, who worked there from 2016 to 2023.
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Allegations of Abuse by Dr. Scott Lee

Gynecologist Dr. Scott Lee reportedly victimized female inmates at Chino for years, and the California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHS) and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) failed to do anything to stop his ongoing abuse despite numerous complaints filed by inmates.

Numerous women reported that Dr. Lee abused women during their gynecological exams and retaliated against women who complained by withholding care. Some of the allegations against Dr. Lee include the following:

• Completing excessive, unnecessary anal and vaginal examinations
• Performing invasive gynecological exams while using forcible restraints as the women asked him to stop
• Not allowing female inmates to have privacy
• Humiliating women under his care
• Making sexually suggestive and inappropriate comments
• Not providing trauma-informed care even though many of the women were sexual abuse survivors

Even though numerous women complained about Dr. Lee’s actions, their complaints were ignored. Despite the allegations against Dr. Lee, executives and wardens allowed him to continue practicing on incarcerated women housed at Chino. Because of this, many incarcerated women at Chino avoided gynecological exams and treatment to prevent themselves from being Dr. Lee’s sexual abuse victims.

Sexual Abuse of Women at Chowchilla

Female inmates at CCWF (Chowchilla) were sexually abused ever since the institution first opened in 1990, with little intervention to stop it. Once investigative reports were published about systemic sexual abuse in both Chowchilla and Chino in 2023, many survivors began to speak out.

The victims made numerous allegations about the abuse they suffered and the threats and intimidation correctional officers used to silence them. Women alleged that they were violently raped and assaulted. When they complained, their complaints were ignored and buried. Correctional officers threatened violence when women tried to speak up to intimidate them.

Abuse by Correctional Officer Gregory Rodriguez

Gregory Rodriguez was a correctional officer employed at the Chowchilla women’s prison for 27 years. In 2023, the Guardian’s investigative report found that the prison had received a complaint of sexual abuse by Mr. Rodriguez in 2014. Instead of doing anything about the woman’s complaint, the prison officials placed her in solitary confinement and allowed Mr. Rodriguez to continue his employment.

Rodriguez reportedly isolated his victims in areas without cameras. He would offer them gum or candy in exchange for sexual favors and threatened to make their lives difficult if they wouldn’t give in to his sexual demands. Rodriguez was finally arrested and charged, and in 2025, he was convicted of 60 felony sexual abuse counts, most of which were charged for rapes that happened in 2021 to 2022 in the parole board hearing room area, which didn’t have cameras. Mr. Rodriguez was sentenced to the maximum allowed under the law, which was 224 years in prison. Female inmates who testified against him reported that he threatened them with solitary confinement, a loss of privileges, or other forms of punishment if they wouldn’t give in to his demands. Women also testified that when they did report him, they faced retaliation.

While Rodriguez’s crimes are particularly egregious, he was not the only perpetrator at Chowchilla. Other correctional officers and staff engaged in sexual abuse against female inmates for years, and prison administrators failed to protect inmates from being victimized. Survivors have also reported that other officers engaged in similar actions. With Rodriguez’s conviction, the state will have a more difficult time trying to deny the victims’ claims or the CDCR’s and prison officials’ ongoing negligence.

Civil Rights Investigation by the US Department of Justice

The US Department of Justice announced it was initiating a civil rights investigation into rampant sexual abuse of female inmates by correctional staff at both CCFW and CIW in September 2024. The DOJ stated that it was initiating the civil rights investigation because of the hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits former inmates at CIW and Chowchilla had filed in 2023 and 2024, ongoing reports of correctional staff at both prisons offering privileges and contraband in exchange for sexual activities, and a report by advocacy groups filed with the California Legislature in March 2024 that detailed the prisons’ pervasive culture of sexual abuse.

Sexual Abuse Lawsuits for Prison Abuse

Hundreds of women have filed sexual abuse lawsuits for their victimization while housed in Chino and Chowchilla Women’s Prisons in California. In these cases, several parties might be potentially liable, including:

• The perpetrator or perpetrators who committed the sexual abuse
• The prison that failed to take action to prevent abuse or to address complaints
• The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for its negligence in failing to prevent sexual abuse
• The California Correctional Health Services for its negligence in failing to act on complaints and allowing Dr. Lee to continue working
• The state as the staff member’s or officer’s employer through vicarious liability

Civil lawsuits against state actors, including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, might need to undergo specific steps before you can file a lawsuit. It’s important to consult with the experienced civil sexual abuse attorneys at the law firm of Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, to learn about your rights and the required procedures. Our experienced team can review your case and help you understand your next steps.

Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuits vs. Criminal Cases

Many sexual abuse survivors confuse civil sexual abuse lawsuits with criminal prosecution, but there are some key differences to understand. A civil sexual abuse lawsuit is filed in civil court rather than in criminal court and has a lower burden of proof.

In criminal court, the prosecutor must prove the legal elements of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt before they can secure a conviction. This is a much more difficult standard than what’s required in civil sexual abuse cases. In civil lawsuits, the plaintiff must prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence, which means that it is more likely than not to have occurred as the plaintiff has claimed.

It’s easier for civil sexual abuse plaintiffs to win their cases than it is for prosecutors to secure convictions. The lower burden of proof also means that it’s possible for you to pursue a civil sexual abuse lawsuit and win even if the perpetrator who abused you never faces a criminal case or is found not guilty of the same conduct in criminal court.

Filing a civil sexual abuse lawsuit against everyone responsible for the harm you suffered while incarcerated in the Chowchilla or Chino women’s prisons might allow you to hold them accountable for their actions and recover compensation for all of the losses you suffered.

Grounds to File a Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

If you were a victim of sexual abuse while housed in Chino or Chowchilla women’s prisons, you might have a valid claim under the following circumstances:

• A correctional officer, doctor, nurse, counselor, or another staff member sexually abused you while you were incarcerated
• You were abused at a women’s prison within the eligible time period

You can still file a lawsuit even if your abuser wasn’t convicted of a crime or is no longer alive.

Statute of Limitations for Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuits in California

Every state, including California, has laws called statutes of limitation that set deadlines for filing legal claims. Once the deadline expires, you can’t file a lawsuit or recover compensation through the court process.

The general statute of limitations for injury claims in California is two years under Cal. Code. Civ. Proc. § 335.1. However, the state recognizes that this deadline can prevent sexual abuse survivors from achieving justice. Many victims don’t feel safe about coming forward for years following their abuse. As a result, the state has enacted two laws to protect the rights of sexual abuse survivors, including the Child Victims Act and the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act.

The Child Victims Act was passed in 2019 and extends the statute of limitations for plaintiffs who were sexually abused as minors. They can now file lawsuits against those responsible until they turn 40.

For adult women who were sexually abused at Chino or Chowchilla while incarcerated, the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act offers greater protection than the general statute of limitations. This law, which was effective in 2023, allows adult victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits against institutions that enabled or concealed their abuse. Under this law, you can file a lawsuit within 10 years of when your abuse occurred. If your abuse happened after Jan. 1, 2009, you also can file a lawsuit until December 2026. The attorneys at the law firm of Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, can help determine which statute of limitations applies to your claim and help you ensure you meet the deadline.

Damages in a Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Filing a civil sexual abuse lawsuit can allow you to recover financial compensation for your losses, called damages. Compensatory damages are monetary amounts designed to compensate you for your out-of-pocket and non-economic losses and can include:

• Past and future medical expenses related to physical injuries caused by your abuse
• Past and future mental health expenses to treat psychological injuries
• Past and future income losses
• Physical pain and suffering you experienced
• Psychological harm and trauma
• Reduction in your ability to enjoy life
• Other losses

How Much is a Chowchilla or Chino Sex Abuse Lawsuit Worth?

An attorney can’t provide you with a guaranteed recovery amount. How much you might recover depends on the circumstances of your case. However, women who were sexually abused while incarcerated at Chowchilla or Chino women’s prisons might be entitled to substantial compensation. Since these lawsuits don’t involve isolated situations and instead involve systemic misconduct by both the perpetrators and the institutions that ignored the issue and silenced survivors, potential settlement amounts could be significant.

Given that the culture of abuse was pervasive, documented, and occurred over many years, juries are likely to want to protect the vulnerable women who were victimized while incarcerated. This can drive up potential settlement amounts because the defendants and their attorneys might be concerned that a jury could award even more if they fail to make a fair settlement offer. Plaintiffs who were victimized by guards and other staff who were left in place despite ongoing complaints could see settlements ranging from six to seven figures. While these projections are general, our attorneys believe that these claims will realize substantial payouts.

Some factors that could increase the value of a sexual abuse lawsuit for incidents that occurred in Chowchilla or Chino include the following:

• Nature/severity of the abuse – Violent acts that involved rape, physical restraints, or forced oral sex will likely receive higher compensation than single, isolated incidents of coerced sexual acts. Those that involve repeated contact or manipulation will also likely receive higher compensation than isolated incidents. Incarcerated women aren’t able to consent to sexual activity with correctional officers because of the unequal power dynamic.
• Impact on the victim – Sexual abuse survivors who have suffered long-term physical, psychological, or emotional harm might receive higher settlement offers. This can include diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideations, depression, anxiety disorder, or dissociative disorders. Some survivors are unable to engage in intimate relationships because of their abuse, and many have suffered from substance use disorders as a result of the harm they suffered.
• Institutional negligence – Showing that the state and prison facility failed to protect you despite ongoing reports about a correctional officer’s or other staff member’s misconduct can lead to a higher settlement amount. This can be especially true if you suffered retaliation or had your complaints covered up or ignored. It can also lead to a higher settlement if the prison allowed an abuser to remain in their job despite repeated complaints against them.
• The attorney you choose – It’s important to choose an attorney who has experience in representing sexual abuse victims. Your attorney should have experience filing complex sexual abuse lawsuits against institutions that engaged in systemic negligence by failing to prevent abuse from occurring or stopping it when discovered. Your attorney should understand what’s involved in complex discovery and have extensive knowledge of California’s personal injury and civil sexual abuse laws. Our attorneys know how to uncover hidden reports and evidence to help you maximize the value of your claim.

Why Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Involving Chino or Chowchilla Are Important

Chino and Chowchilla sexual abuse lawsuits are important because they go beyond the individual perpetrators who committed abuse against female inmates and also go after the system that allowed it to happen. When you file a lawsuit for the abuse you suffered while incarcerated, you can hold the prison system accountable for allowing it to happen to both you and many other victims. This can help you get answers about why these incidents occurred and aid in reforming the system to prevent others from becoming victims in the future.

Through a lawsuit, you can achieve justice by holding all of the parties involved accountable for what happened to you. If successful, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will face pressure to change the way it allows its prisons to operate and take steps to prevent others from becoming victims.

Get Help From Our Compassionate Attorneys

If you were the victim of sexual abuse while you were incarcerated at CCFW or CIW, you might be entitled to substantial financial compensation for the injuries and harm you suffered. The experienced sexual abuse attorneys at the law firm of Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, offer confidential, free consultations. We can review what happened in your case and help you understand your next steps. Contact us today to schedule your consultation by calling us at 866-966-5240.