California State Prison, Sacramento
Encyclopedia
California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Folsom
, in Sacramento County, California
. The facility is also referenced as Sacramento State Prison, CSP-Sacramento, CSP-SAC, and occasionally, New Folsom or New Folsom Prison which was its official name prior to October 1992.
Because the facility is adjacent to Folsom State Prison
(FSP), both SAC and FSP share the mailing address: Represa, CA 95671. Represa (translated as "dam
" from the Spanish language
) is the name given to the State Prison post office because its adjacency to Folsom Dam
.
SAC's 1200 acres (485.6 ha) facilities include:
The prison has "three similar but separate self-contained facilities... each eight housing blocks and a recreation yard." The housing blocks "are partitioned into three separate, self-contained sections forming a 180 degree half circle." The "180" design is considered the "most secure prison design" because it "gives control-booth officers a straight-on look at prisoners." In contrast, the "270" design "with portions of the house reaching back behind the blind side of the booth" is considered less secure.
Erik Menendez was sent to SAC with a sentence of "life in prison without parole" in September 1996. He was married there in June 1999.
A major fight involving about 150 inmates occurred at the prison in September 1996, with 13 inmates injured and 17 shots fired by officers (one of which struck and killed an inmate). Local officials opposed a 2001 law and two 2005 bills that may eventually have led to a transfer of death row
operations from San Quentin State Prison
to SAC.
On May 20, 2011, a large-scale riot broke out at the prison.
Prison spokesman Sgt. Tony Quinn said the incident started just after 10 a.m. when two inmates began fighting with each other. The fight then took over the yard with approximately 150 inmates getting involved. At least two inmates were stabbed multiple times and were taken to an outside hospital for treatment,the severity of their wounds was not immediately available.
Folsom, California
Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Folsom is most commonly known for its famous Folsom Prison. The population was 72,203 at the 2010 census....
, in Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
. The facility is also referenced as Sacramento State Prison, CSP-Sacramento, CSP-SAC, and occasionally, New Folsom or New Folsom Prison which was its official name prior to October 1992.
Because the facility is adjacent to Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
(FSP), both SAC and FSP share the mailing address: Represa, CA 95671. Represa (translated as "dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
" from the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) is the name given to the State Prison post office because its adjacency to Folsom Dam
Folsom Dam
Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River in Northern California, about northeast of Sacramento. Folsom Dam is high concrete and long, flanked by earthen wing dams...
.
Facilities
As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, SAC had a total of 1,585 staff and an annual operating budget of $187 million. As of September 2007, it had a design capacity of 1,788 but a total institution population of 3,260, for an occupancy rate of 182.3 percent.SAC's 1200 acres (485.6 ha) facilities include:
- Level I housing – Open dormitories without a secure perimeter
- Level IV housing – Cells, fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security, more staff and armed officers both inside and outside the installation
- Psychiatric Services Unit.
The prison has "three similar but separate self-contained facilities... each eight housing blocks and a recreation yard." The housing blocks "are partitioned into three separate, self-contained sections forming a 180 degree half circle." The "180" design is considered the "most secure prison design" because it "gives control-booth officers a straight-on look at prisoners." In contrast, the "270" design "with portions of the house reaching back behind the blind side of the booth" is considered less secure.
History
When they were built, the maximum-security buildings of what is now SAC were considered an "addition" to FSP. The first FSP inmates were transferred to the addition on October 1, 1986. In 1986, the prison was administered by the Folsom warden and was called New Folsom. In October 1992, its name was changed to CSP-Sacramento, and was administered as a separate prison with its own warden."Erik Menendez was sent to SAC with a sentence of "life in prison without parole" in September 1996. He was married there in June 1999.
A major fight involving about 150 inmates occurred at the prison in September 1996, with 13 inmates injured and 17 shots fired by officers (one of which struck and killed an inmate). Local officials opposed a 2001 law and two 2005 bills that may eventually have led to a transfer of death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
operations from San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
to SAC.
On May 20, 2011, a large-scale riot broke out at the prison.
Prison spokesman Sgt. Tony Quinn said the incident started just after 10 a.m. when two inmates began fighting with each other. The fight then took over the yard with approximately 150 inmates getting involved. At least two inmates were stabbed multiple times and were taken to an outside hospital for treatment,the severity of their wounds was not immediately available.