Valley State Prison

Facility

VSP is a Level II (medium security) facility which houses Sensitive Needs Yard (SNY) inmates. The housing consists of open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage.

As of July 31, 2022, VSP was incarcerating people at 152.2% of its design capacity, with 3,014 occupants, making it the most over-capacity state prison in California.

History

The prison opened in April 1995. In 1996, the City of Chowchilla was given permission to perform a non-contiguous annexation of VSPW.

Ted Koppel interviewed many staff, including Dr. Anthony DiDomenico, the chief medical officer of VSPW, in October 1999 for series of episodes of Nightline. In the expose, the physician was quoted as saying "I've heard from a particular female parolee, at [CDCR-approved conference] inmates tell me that they would deliberately like to be examined i.e., receive a [pelvic examination ]. It's the only male contact they get."

An October 2000 California state legislative committee hearing on female inmates' medical issues was held at VSPW. At the hearing, approximately 15 inmates "described grave medical problems" at VSPW and Central California Women's Facility; however, the physician representing the California Department of Corrections stated that she felt the female inmates "were getting the best care possible."

Starting in April 2007, VSPW received some inmates from California Rehabilitation Center after closure of the women's wing at that prison. The population at VSPW "swelled by 8 percent"; furthermore, "the court-appointed overseer of prison medical care" stated that VSPW's medical system might "collapse entirely" due to the extra prisoners.

Inmate programs

Budget cuts in 2009 "drastically reduced the number of academic, vocational, and SAP assignments" (p. 3). The rate of recidivism at VSPW is approximately 72%. There are numerous Self-Help programs for inmates ranging from 12-step inmate facilitated groups such as Alcoholic Anonymous, Battered Women, Domestic Violence, and Narcotics Anonymous.

In addition to inmate-facilitated self-help programs, outside volunteer groups also conduct classes and workshops, some of which have been featured in national and international media. Crossroads allow at-risk youth to visit VSPW facilities and hear from volunteer inmates about life in prison. This program was featured in an episode on Arts and Entertainment Television Network called "Beyond Scared Straight". Freedom to Choose is an all volunteer service project of the University of Santa Monica that has been teaching decriminogenic life skills and forgiveness workshops at VSPW twice a year since March 2004, and was featured in a documentary that was awarded Best Documentary at the Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.

Conversion to male institution

The CDCR began converting the prison into a facility for low-risk male inmates in 2012. The conversion was completed in January 2013, with the last female inmates in the facility transferred to the nearby Central California Women's Facility and the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Chino, California. Some inmates nearing the end of their sentence, were also transferred to various county jails.

Notable inmates

Current inmates

• Andrew Luster, convicted rapist.
• Royce Casey, one of the murderers of Elyse Pahler.
• John Ewell, activist and convicted serial killer.
• Edwin Ramos, perpetrator of the Murder of the Bologna family.
• Michael William Magidson, one of the perpetrators of the 2002 Murder of Gwen Araujo.
• Tracy Walker, serial killer

Former inmates

• Charles Andrew Williams, perpetrator of the Santana High School shooting.
• Larissa Schuster, sentenced to life in prison without parole for submerging her husband's body in hydrochloric acid.
• Julia Rodriquez Diaz, first female inmate to receive 15 years parole denial under Proposition 9 (Marsy's Law). Convicted in July 1979 of the murder of seven-year-old boy, Javier Angel. Story told in 2013 in the Deadly Women episode "Heartless Souls" (was moved to California Institution for Women (CIW) in 2014).
• Diane Downs, convicted in the State of Oregon
• Laura Ann Doyle, perpetrator of the murder of Missy Avila
• Marjorie Knoller, involved in the death of Diane Whipple
• Sally McNeil, a female bodybuilder who was convicted for the murder of her husband and Mr. Olympia competitor, Ray McNeil. (paroled)

References

References

1. (January 31, 2023). "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight January 31, 2023".
2. "CDCR - Valley State Prison (VSP)".
3. link. (2011-06-06 ". [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.)
4. "CDCR - Valley State Prison (VSP)".
5. (July 31, 2022). "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight July 31, 2022".
6. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. [http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Visitors/docs/20071015-WEBmapbooklet.pdf California's Correctional Facilities.] {{Webarchive. link. (2007-12-14 Accessed 22 Dec 2007.)
7. City of Chowchilla. [http://www.ci.chowchilla.ca.us/dept.%20forms/Com%20Dev/General%20Plan%20Update/INTRO_PREFACE.pdf General Plan Update, Introduction and Preface.] {{Dead link. (July 2018)
8. Delsohn, Gary. Prison Doctor Loses Post Over TV Comment. He Told Newsman Women Inmates Like Pelvic Exams. ''Sacramento Bee'', October 15, 1999.
9. After the airing of the ''Nightline'' episode, only DiDomenico was reassigned "to a desk job in [[Sacramento, California
10. Davis, Jim. Chowchilla Inmates Criticize Health Care. One Legislator Says the Women's Testimony 'Curdled My Stomach.' ''Fresno Bee'', October 12, 2000.
11. Schultz, E.J. [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/262850.html Female inmates: Jammed behind bars? Chowchilla lockups are at more than double their capacity, provoking health concerns.] {{Webarchive. link. (2007-05-28 ''Sacramento Bee'', July 9, 2007.)
12. Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW). (2011). "Institution Statistics". CDCR, State of California.
13. http://www.maderagrandjury.org/.../2009.../09-10-Final-Valley-State-Prison-Women.pdf {{dead link. (August 2018)
14. "Valley State Prison for Women".
15. "Beyond Scared Straight".
16. Gendreau P., French S.A., and A. Taylor (2002). What works (What doesn’t work) Revised 2002. Invited Submission to the International Community Corrections Association Monograph Series Project.
17. "University Of Santa Monica | Programs in Spiritual Psychology".
18. "The Freedom to Choose Project".
19. "CDCR Announces Plan to Convert Female Facility to House Low-Level Male Inmates".
20. "Valley State Prison continues conversion to men's facility".
21. (2017-09-14). "Valley State Prison for Women News".
22. "Governor denies parole for man convicted in 1995 killing of Arroyo Grande teen".
23. "F14633".
24. (Jul 11, 2011). "KEY Assignment: Javier Angel Murder". KEYT.
25. (Jul 14, 2011). "KEY Assignment: Parole Denied for Julia Diaz". KEYT.
26. Geringer, Joseph. "[http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/famous/downs/5b.html Guilty as Sin] {{Webarchive. link. (2009-03-04 ". ''Diane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love''. Crime Library. Retrieved on November 14, 2010.)
27. Bartholomew, Dana. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20130510005644/http://www.dailynews.com/crime/ci_22164775/last-woman-convicted-missy-avila-murder-released-from Last woman convicted in Missy Avila murder released from prison on Monday]". ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]''. December 10, 2012. Retrieved on June 20, 2013.
28. Egelko, Bob. (2008-09-23). "15 years to life in S.F. dog maul death". SFGate.