In 2023, there was a lot of rain and snow in the southern San Joaquin Valley, which caused two prisons, California State Prison, Corcoran, and the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, to be at risk of flooding. However, these prisons didn’t have a solid evacuation plan ready to deal with the potential disaster.
Instead of having a plan in place, the prisons decided to transfer about 8,000 inmates to other state prisons within 11 to 14 days, or even longer. The plan even said that it would take six days to evacuate people who used wheelchairs, and the department buses that were supposed to help move people to safety could take up to a day to arrive.
Although the floods didn’t end up reaching the prisons that year, it showed that California’s prison system, which houses around 90,000 inmates, is not prepared for natural disasters. An audit by the Office of Inspector General found that the prisons are not equipped to deal with emergencies like wildfires, floods, and earthquakes.
The report highlighted several issues with the department’s emergency preparedness, such as problems with transportation, inconsistent risk assessment methods, a lack of mutual aid agreements, slow evacuations, and overcrowding. As of December, the prison system was operating at 120% capacity, housing about 16,000 more inmates than it was designed to hold.
One major problem pointed out in the report is that none of the prisons had a plan to evacuate inmates beyond their gates, focusing instead on moving them within the prison. The report made 18 recommendations to bring the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in line with state regulations on emergency planning.
Carlee Purdum, a sociology professor at the University of Houston, said that the report is a good first step in recognizing the need for more resources to help prisons and corrections agencies plan for disasters. She mentioned how prisons and corrections agencies often get left out of emergency planning discussions and don’t receive enough state-level support.
Advocates have long been raising concerns about California prisons’ ability to handle climate-related hazards due to overcrowding and aging infrastructure. A report by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in 2023 highlighted these issues and called for the state to take action.
James King from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights mentioned that inmates fear being abandoned during emergencies, emphasizing that the impact of such crises would extend beyond just the prison population. Dax Proctor from Californians United for a Responsible Budget suggested that reducing the prison population would be the best solution to address these issues.
During a hearing with lawmakers, officials from the corrections department and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services assured that they would not handle large-scale emergencies alone and would rely on federal, state, and local partners for assistance. However, Senator Laura Richardson expressed doubt about the availability of these partners in unpredictable situations.
Senator Kelly Seyarto downplayed the concerns, suggesting that evacuating entire prisons may not be practical. Despite differing opinions, the corrections department spokesperson emphasized that they follow a national emergency response doctrine and coordinate with other agencies for planning.
King criticized the department for being unprepared for climate hazards and urged them to address the gaps in their emergency response plans. He emphasized the need for improvements and better planning to ensure the safety of inmates and staff during emergencies.
In conclusion, the audit raised significant concerns about California prisons’ readiness for natural disasters, highlighting the need for better planning and coordination to protect the incarcerated population and staff.
