President Trump's DOJ Pressures California Over Constitutional Violations in Women's Prisons
President Trump's Justice Department (DOJ) has identified constitutional violations in several California women's prisons, citing failures to protect female prisoners from sexual abuse and harassment by staff. The DOJ is now demanding that California implement changes to address these issues, which it states violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments. The investigation, initiated under the Biden administration and continued under President Trump, uncovered patterns of staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, and failures in reporting mechanisms. Despite these findings, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) maintains its adherence to a zero-tolerance policy under the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and claims to meet federal standards, even though the DOJ's new investigation found issues beyond PREA compliance. 
