Facing a court challenge and community opposition, California prison officials say they will temporarily shelve plans to convert a women’s prison to a men’s facility.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced conversion plans in December. Because of realignment plans cutting the number of female prisoners, CDCR said it would no longer need Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, one of three state prisons for women.
The Merced Sun Star quotes prison officials saying they will delay the conversion until a court rules on whether an environmental impact study is required. The ruling is expected in September.
Local officials oppose the conversion because they say that it would negatively affect their community, according to the Chowchilla News. The newspaper quoted residents of VSPW as saying a transfer would mean giving up long-established rehabilitation programs. The women mailed numerous letters to the office of Madera County Supervisor David Rogers expressing anxiety over the conversion, the Sacramento Bee reported.
The Bee also reported that VSPW is known for its unique rehabilitative atmosphere and programming culture. The prison offers a variety of self-help programs ranging from substance abuse, violence prevention and conflict resolution to parenting and victim awareness groups. Some women prisoners facilitate the programs they were instrumental in establishing.
State officials say the conversion plan would transfer the nearly 3,000 women currently housed in VSPW to the state’s other two women’s prisons and soon-to-be repurposed Folsom Women’s Facility. Nearby, the Central California Women’s Facility houses about 3,400 women, with a designed capacity of 2,000. The California Institute for Women, located in Southern California, houses 2,000 women, with a designed capacity of 1,200.
