Alleged sex assault on female officer by inmate raising alarm on California's prison policies
LOS ANGELES - A female correctional officer was battered and held hostage for hours by a California inmate.
Staff members from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation staff contacted FOX 11 with the disturbing details and to express their safety concerns.
"Women do not feel safe, even male staff do not feel safe," an anonymous staffer said.
Documentation from CDCR reveals that on January 20, 2024, inmate Robert Lawrence Ransom Jr., a convicted killer from Los Angeles, was able to enter a control booth at the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown.
Staffers say Ransom physically and sexually assaulted a female correctional officer.
"He did try to impersonate another staff member, and once an inmate can gain access to a control booth, they’re pretty much in control of the building themselves," a staffer said. "If he was able to overpower her and take her weapon at that point, she’s a hostage, and she’s not able to communicate."
The inmate was reportedly inside the control booth from 9:30 p.m. Saturday until 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
A staffer explains that people on the ground "don’t have visual, they can’t see what’s occurring in the control booth because its elevated, so it’s a dangerous position."
Staff members say they wouldn’t be speaking out if this was an isolated incident.
They tell FOX 11 that correctional officers are no longer safe in California prisons.
"There’s no repercussions anymore for things that are occurring inside the department. Inmates batter staff and attack staff. The consequences are changing," a staffer said.
Hector Bravo Ferrel, a former Correctional Lieutenant, says, "You couldn’t pay me enough money to stick around, the train wreck that is happening and that’s going to happen."
After 16 years as a Lieutenant with the CDCR, Hector Bravo Ferrel quit.
He says he was tired of "The daily assaults on staff members, battery on staff members, attempted murder on staff members."
Ferrel and staffers who called FOX 11 say the new changes in the California prison system are the problem. They say the new California Model is a softer rehabilitative model similar to Norway’s incarceration system, where inmates have a lot of freedom.
"They’re trying to do something here that staff understands can’t be done here because Norway doesn’t have the gang population that we have," a staffer said.
"We have many factions; Bloods, Crips, Norteños, Surreños, Mexican Mafia, Nuestra Familia, Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerrilla Family," Ferrel adds.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued the following statement:
"Officials at the Sierra Conservation Center are working with law enforcement partners to investigate an assault by an incarcerated person that sent one employee to the hospital. The employee has been treated and released. The incarcerated person has been placed in restricted housing while under investigation. The outcome of the investigation will determine potential charges and referral to the Tuolumne County District Attorney. The Office of the Inspector General was also notified of the incident. Due to the ongoing nature of the situation, we are unable to provide further details at this time. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our staff. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this sensitive time.
The California Model is an effort to improve conditions and outcomes in prisons and strengthen staff safety and wellbeing. It is first and foremost anchored in public safety. It’s unfortunate to hear some may be misinforming the public on this effort, especially as we are working diligently to investigate this incident."
"The only people that know what’s happening in prison are the officers and staff members that work inside and the inmates," Ferrel said. "They can control the narrative."