Former state correctional officer 'shamefully hid behind his badge'; Allegedly assaulted at least 22 female inmates
SACRAMENTO — A former correctional officer at the biggest women's prison in California has been accused of engaging in sexual misconduct against at least 22 inmates, state prison officials said Wednesday.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said it has shared the results of an internal investigation into Gregory Rodriguez, a former officer at the Central California Women's Facility, with the Madera County District Attorney's Office.
"Rodriguez shamefully hid behind his badge and used it to victimize a vulnerable population," CCWF Warden Mike Pallares said. "That is one of the most abhorrent acts one can commit in a peace officer position and once my investigative team uncovered his wrongdoing, I referred it to the Madera County District Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution. We look forward to him being held accountable to the furthest extent of the law."
Charges have not yet been filed against Rodriguez, said Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for the corrections department.
Misconduct at the hands of prison officials "shatters the trust of the public," Jeff Macomber, the correction's department's secretary, said in a news release.
"We are continuing this investigation to ensure we are rooting out any employee who does not obey the law and to seek out other victims," Macomber said.
The investigation began in July after officials discovered possible sexual misconduct by Rodriguez against inmates at the Central California Women's Facility, the department said. The prison is in Chowchilla, a California city about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Rodriguez began his career with CDCR as a cadet at the Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Center on July 22, 1995. He graduated on September 19, 1995 and reported to Calipatria State Prison as a correctional officer on September 22, 1995.
On November 11, 1997, Rodriguez transferred to California State Prison, Corcoran (COR) as a correctional officer and transferred to CCWF as a correctional officer on September 20, 2010.
Rodriguez retired from state service effective Aug. 25, 2022 after being approached by internal affairs investigators.
It's the latest allegation of abuse by prison officials at facilities in California. An Associated Press investigation found that a high-ranking federal Bureau of Prisons official, who formerly worked at a women's prison in the San Francisco Bay Area, was repeatedly promoted after allegations that he assaulted inmates. Another investigation found a pattern of sexual abuse by correctional officers at the women's facility.
The state corrections department's news release does not specify the type of conduct that Rodriguez allegedly engaged in. But the state's allegations against Rodriguez come after lawyer Robert Chalfant filed two federal civil rights lawsuits in early December alleging Rodriguez raped two inmates, who are known in the suits as Jane Doe and Jane Roe.
Federal court records did not list an attorney for Rodriguez, and attempts by The Associated Press to reach him through phone numbers found in public records were unsuccessful. The lawsuits were first reported by The Sacramento Bee.
The district attorney's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. But Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno told the Sacramento Bee that her office received the results of the state's internal investigation last week. She said her office is still reviewing the information.