Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility

Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJDCF or RJD) is a U.S. state prison located in unincorporated southern San Diego County, California, near San Diego.[2][3] It is a part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It is a 780-acre (320 ha) facility. It is the only state prison in San Diego County.

Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
LocationSan Diego County, California, U.S.
near Otay Mesa
Coordinates32.5846°N 116.9334°W / 32.5846; -116.9334
StatusOperational
Security classMedium – Maximum
Capacity2,992
Population3,806 (127.2% capacity) (as of April 30, 2020[1])
OpenedJuly 1987
Managed byCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
WardenMarcus Pollard

The prison is situated on a mesa about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Mexico–United States border,[4] in the foothills of Otay Mesa overlooking the Mexican border. The Otay Mesa site is shared with six other properties related to law enforcement:[5]

  • the federal San Diego Correctional Facility privately operated by the Corrections Corporation of America
  • the George Bailey Detention Facility (San Diego County)
  • the East Mesa Reentry Facility (San Diego County)
  • the Facility 8 Detention Facility (San Diego County)
  • the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (San Diego County)
  • and a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement firearms training complex used by the FBI, the Customs Service, and local police forces

Facility

The prison cells were designed to house one person each, however, due to overcrowding, many house two prisoners each.[3] For example, in March 2012, the facility's total population was more than 166.6% of its design capacity.

As of April 30, 2020, RJDCF was incarcerating people at 127.2% of its design capacity, with 3,806 occupants.[1]

In 1989, RJDCF opened a reception center which accepted newly-sentenced inmates from across Southern California. However, in 2012, the institution changed from its previous reception center mission, and completed the conversion of three of its five facilities to sensitive needs yards. Other missions have included housing and providing treatment to inmates with severe mental illnesses, and inmates who have been identified as having medium to high risk medical concerns.[6]

Donovan has five interfaith chapels. Each religion represented at Donovan gets a series of lockers to store materials.[4]

The prison includes a bakery that serves the facility and five other CDCR facilities. Each day, it produces about 9,760 loaves.[7] About 85 prisoners work in the bakery, as of 2010. During that year, the monthly salary of a prisoner working in the bakery was between $90 ($105.52 when adjusted for inflation) and $100 ($117.24 when adjusted for inflation). KPBS said that bakery jobs were "desirable" compared to clerk and custodial jobs, which pay a monthly salary between $24 and $48.[4]

The prison also includes a shoe factory; it manufactures shoes used by prisoners throughout CDCR. It makes both high-top and low-top versions. About 1,000 [7] shoes are produced every day. In 2010, the monthly salary for an employee was between $90 and $100, so the shoe factory positions are prized in Donovan.[4]

The prison formerly housed an eyeglass factory. It built glasses for Medi-Cal patients. About 115 prisoners worked in the factory. It closed in 2009. As of 2010, there are discussions about a possible reopening.[4]

On November 22, 2013, Sirhan Sirhan was transferred to Donovan. Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy. The transfer to Donovan occurred, coincidentally, on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Robert Kennedy's brother, John F. Kennedy.[8]

Operations

Each week, "Level 4" (maximum security) prisoners may have 15 hours of yard time.[4]

Demographics

In 2010, it had about 4,800 prisoners. Between 150 and 200 of the prisoners were Native Americans.[4]

During that year prisoners belonged to 15 religious faiths.[4]

Notable prisoners

Current

Former
  • Antron Singleton – Rapper known as "Big Lurch" convicted of killing and cannibalizing his roommate.
  • John Robert Schrieffer – Physicist and Nobel Prize winner convicted of and sentenced to two years for vehicular manslaughter. At eighty-eight years old, died in a Florida nursing home in July 2019.[18][19]
  • Anerae Brown – Rapper and Crips gang member known as "X-Raided" convicted of gang-related homicide; released on parole in 2018[20]
  • Roy Norris – One of the two "Tool Box Killers"; was later moved to Donovan State Prison. Died of natural causes a week after transferring to the California Medical Facility prison at 72 years old, on February 24, 2020.[21][22]

References
  1. "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight April 30, 2020" (PDF). California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Internal Oversight and Research. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  2. "Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)." California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved on September 24, 2011. "480 Alta Road San Diego, CA 92179"
  3. Cavanagh, Maureen. "Doing Time in Donovan State Prison." KPBS. Monday February 1, 2010. Retrieved on September 24, 2011.
  4. "Life Inside R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility." KPBS. January 29, 2010. Retrieved on September 24, 2011.
  5. "The Center for Land Use Interpretation". Clui.org. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  6. "CDCR – Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)". Cdcr.ca.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  7. https://www.jailguitardoors.org/fullscreen-page/comp-jeiye3ip/239d7644-2fb9-43c0-80d0-091e3b61bd37/4/%3Fi%3D4%26p%3Dvglvp%26s%3Dstyle-jeyvm8vr
  8. Monica Garske, RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan moved to another prison — on anniversary of JFK assassination, NBCNews.com (November 22, 2013). Retrieved on November 23, 2013.
  9. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=B21014
  10. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=K14101
  11. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=B37999
  12. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=BH6458
  13. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=H27508
  14. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=AB1337
  15. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=V80313
  16. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=AC4442
  17. https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Details.aspx?ID=AI4523
  18. The Associated Press (7 November 2005). "Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Gets Two Years in Prison for Deadly Crash". Fox News. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  19. https://apnews.com/ce182adbe46e4bdf89ff172f93fdfd20 Nobel Prize-winning physicist Schrieffer dies in Florida], Associated Press, July 27, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  20. Official X-Raided Facebook page
  21. "'Tool Box Killer' Who Preyed on Teenagers Dies in California". NBC Bay Area. February 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  22. Second Tool Box Killer dies in prison, Mercury News, Sarah Steade February 25, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
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