Several prisons across the state, including Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near Otay Mesa, have been placed under a heightened security protocol amid an increase in violence against inmates and corrections officers, officials said Thursday.
Phone access, ViaPath tablet communications and in-person visitation will be suspended during this time, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The move comes on the heels of a San Diego County inmate allegedly attacking an officer at California State Prison in Lancaster earlier this week. The attack is one among many violent incidents and overdose deaths in facilities throughout the state this year, officials said.
The incident occurred Monday when the inmate — who was sent to the north Los Angeles County prison in 2019 — reportedly stabbed the corrections officer multiple times in the back of the head. Other corrections staff then used force and chemical agents to subdue the inmate.
The officer was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive his injuries, officials said. The inmate, serving a nine-year sentence for burglary, was placed under restricted housing pending the results of the investigation.
On Thursday, officials announced that multiple Level III and Level IV prisons throughout the state would be placed on a new security program due to the elevated number of these violent incidents, inmate deaths and contraband.
“During this period, individuals affected by the modified operations will continue to have access to essential services, including medical care, legal proceedings and other critical appointments,” officials said. “Meals will be delivered directly to housing units, and all movement within the facilities, including access to showers, will be conducted in a controlled and secure manner.”
State officials said the new system will remain in effect until a review of the violent incidents is complete.
