Chowchilla Women’s Prison Could Be Converted Into a Men’s Prison

Chowchilla - It's not a done deal yet, but Madera County officials believe as early as October, the Valley State Prison for Women could be transitioned into a prison for men.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says a final decision on the transition to a men's prison has not been made yet.  Potentially, 4,000 men could be moving into the facility that currently houses about 3,500 low level female inmates.

CDCR says the female inmates currently at the prison would be released through attrition, or those with 2 years left to serve would be monitored with electronic ankle bracelets. The conversion is a rumor that's inching closer to reality.

State lawmakers just passed a bill that gives the state Department of Corrections the legal go-ahead, without considering any public input.  Local leaders call the legislation, sneaky.

"I would call it a bureaucratic dictatorship, moving forward without the input of locals...a total disregard for the community itself," said David Rogers, Madera County Supervisor.
Rogers says Chowchilla is not ready for the influx of male prisoners and their families who would move into town.  He wants the state to pay for extra resources like police and prosecutors.

"The crime rate, the drug trafficking, the gang activity, all of those things are very real," said Rogers.
Chowchilla is a small town of about 11,000 people. Many are not in favor of the switch. In fact, they're worried that their police department can't handle the crime.

"Scared of the crimes and the people. Because they have done some deadly crimes that are in there," said Chowchilla resident, Ernestine Sullivan.

"My daughter lives here, my granddaughter, I guess that would be a concern if they're not going to step up here. Because they've really pulled back. You used to see 4 or 5 cars running around, now you might see 2 if you're lucky," said Chowchilla resident Linda Van Houwelingen.
Chowchilla only has 14 sworn officers, and that includes the police chief.  Local leaders, along with residents, are left to wonder if they'll get any help from the state.
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state to reduce its prison population over the next two years.