Grand Jury calls for repair of leaky roofs, roads and new kitchen at CCI

Tehachapi News — Leaky roofs, interior roads and the need for a new Central Kitchen at the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi were identified as problems by the Kern County Jury during a recent visit to the state prison at Tehachapi.

And although the state may need new prisons, the Grand Jury recommends that attention be given to those items as a "priority over newer institutions."

The Grand Jury visited the prison on Sept. 9, 2013; it's report was made public on March 27.

CCI spokesperson Brian Skaggs said the institution has received the report and will respond by the deadline which is within 90 days of receipt.

The Grand Jury visited CCI in 2012 and its report of that visit also noted that roads within CCI "are still in need of repair" and also stated: "as previously recommended by prior Grand Jury reports when funds become available, the surface roads within CCI should be repaired."

That was the only recommendation from that visit and no response from the institution was required. The state prison depends upon funding from the legislature.

Old facility

As noted in the Grand Jury report, CCI -- located on approximately 1650 acres of land in the Cummings Valley near Tehachapi -- is one of the state's oldest prison facilities.

The land was purchased in 1929 for $110,000 with the intent to be used as a female only institution In 1933 the original California Institute for Women, California's first facility specifically for female inmates, opened on the site. In July 1952, the facility suffered extensive earthquake damage. The facility was then closed and 417 inmates were transferred to the new California Institution for Women Frontera in Corona.

The facility was reopened in 1955 as a branch of California Institution for Men, housing male offenders and by the end of one year was filled to capacity. continue reading...