California Correctional Institution
Encyclopedia
California Correctional Institution (CCI) is a state prison located in Cummings Valley, west of the city of Tehachapi
in southern California. It is a supermax
. CCI is sometimes referred to as "Tehachapi prison" or "Tehachapi."
and Double Indemnity. The institution was "run for many years independently from the correctional system for men" but beginning in 1944 was gradually brought under the control of the California Department of Corrections
. After the Kern County earthquake of July 21, 1952, "made the brick dormitories unsafe," the institution was closed and the 417 prisoners were sent to the new California Institution for Women
in Corona
.
The prison was rebuilt and reopened in 1954 as CCI, an all-men's prison. In 1985-1986, maximum and medium security facilities were added to it. The Southern Maximum Security Complex at Tehachapi was "touted as the most advanced in the country," but was also "called a 'white elephant' and a 'Cadillac' because it took so long to build and cost so much."
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
"directed inmate firefighters and staff from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
," including those from CCI, to help fight the October 2007 California wildfires
.
Tehachapi, California
Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...
in southern California. It is a supermax
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
. CCI is sometimes referred to as "Tehachapi prison" or "Tehachapi."
Facilities
CCI has 1650 acres (6.7 km²) including Level I ("Open dormitories with a secure perimeter") housing; Level II ("Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage") housing; Level IV ("Cells, fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security, more staff and armed officers both inside and outside the installation") housing; a Security Housing Unit (SHU, which is "the most secure area within a Level IV prison designed to provide maximum coverage"); and a Reception Center (RC) which "provides short term housing to process, classify and evaluate incoming inmates." As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, CCI had 2,003 staff and an annual budget of $168 million. As of September 2007, it had a design capacity of 2,785 but a total institution population of 5,806, for an occupancy rate of 208.5 percent.History
The original California Institution for Women, the first women’s facility in California, opened on the site of what is now CCI in 1932. It was sometimes referred to as "Tehachapi", as in the 1940s films Maltese FalconThe Maltese Falcon (1941 film)
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 Warner Bros. film based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett and a remake of the 1931 film of the same name...
and Double Indemnity. The institution was "run for many years independently from the correctional system for men" but beginning in 1944 was gradually brought under the control of the California Department of Corrections
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. CDC&R is the second largest law enforcement or police agency in the United States behind the New York City Police Department which employs approximately...
. After the Kern County earthquake of July 21, 1952, "made the brick dormitories unsafe," the institution was closed and the 417 prisoners were sent to the new California Institution for Women
California Institution for Women
California Institution for Women is a female-only state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California.-Facilities:...
in Corona
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
.
The prison was rebuilt and reopened in 1954 as CCI, an all-men's prison. In 1985-1986, maximum and medium security facilities were added to it. The Southern Maximum Security Complex at Tehachapi was "touted as the most advanced in the country," but was also "called a 'white elephant' and a 'Cadillac' because it took so long to build and cost so much."
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
"directed inmate firefighters and staff from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. CDC&R is the second largest law enforcement or police agency in the United States behind the New York City Police Department which employs approximately...
," including those from CCI, to help fight the October 2007 California wildfires
October 2007 California wildfires
The October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
.
Notable inmates
- Art PepperArt PepperArt Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
, 1964-1965. - Lyle MenendezLyle and Erik MenendezJoseph Lyle Menendez and Erik Galen Menendez are brothers who are known for their conviction in a highly publicized trial for the shotgun murders in 1989 of their wealthy parents, entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Mary "Kitty" Menendez , residents of Beverly Hills, California...
was sent to CCI in September 1996 to serve a life term without the possibility of parole; however, as of 2003 he was in Mule Creek State PrisonMule Creek State PrisonMule Creek State Prison is a California State Prison. It was opened in June 1987 and covers located in Ione, California. The current population is 3,769 although it was designed for a capacity of 1,700. The prison has a staff of 1,242 and an annual operating budget of $157 million...
. - Rafael PérezRafael Pérez (police officer)Rafael Antonio "Ray" Pérez , is a former Los Angeles Police Department C.R.A.S.H officer and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart Scandal. He was involved in the coverup of a $722,000 bank robbery, shot and framed Javier Ovando, and stole and resold at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD...
was transferred from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Century Regional Detention Facility in LynwoodLynwood, CaliforniaLynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
to CCI in July 2001; later that month he was released from CCI and paroled.