California Correctional Institution (CCI) is a

supermax A super-maximum security (supermax) or administrative maximum (ADX) prison is a "control-unit" prison, or a unit within prisons, which represents the most secure level of custody in the prison systems of certain countries. The objective is to ...

state prison State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the city of Tehachapi in Southern California. CCI is sometimes referred to as "Tehachapi prison" or "Tehachapi".Pepper, Art, and Laurie Pepper. ''Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper''. Updated ed. New York: Da Capo Press, 1994. As stated by the

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacra ...

, its overall mission is "to incarcerate and control felons, while providing the opportunity for meaningful work, training and other programs. The prison provides programs for those inmates who are willing to work and participate fully in available programs."

Facilities

Kern County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Tehachapi Highlighted

CCI is in the

Cummings Valley Cummings Valley is in California's Tehachapi Mountains. Cummings Valley was settled by the Kawaiisu people before the arrival of white Americans, largely of Irish origin As of November 2020, the facility's total population was 2983, or 107.2 percent of its design capacity of 2,783.

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 Falcon'' and ''

Double Indemnity ''Double Indemnity'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Sistrom. Wilder and Raymond Chandler adapted the screenplay from James M. Cain's Double Indemnity (novel), novel of the same na ...

''. 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 The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacra ...

. After the

1952 Kern County earthquake Year 195 ( CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 195 f ...

on July 21, "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 (CIW) is an American women's state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California, east of Los Angeles, although the mailing address states " Corona," which is in Riverside County, Calif ...

Corona Corona (from the Latin for 'crown') most commonly refers to: * Stellar corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun or another star * Corona (beer), a Mexican beer * Corona, informal term for the coronavirus or disease responsible for the COVID-19 ...

. The prison was 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 A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, ...

' and a 'Cadillac' because it took so long to build and cost so much". Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

"directed inmate firefighters and staff from the

", including those from CCI, to help fight the

October 2007 California wildfires The October 2007 California wildfires, also known as the Fall 2007 California firestorm, were a series of about thirty wildfires (17 of which became major wildfires) that began igniting across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 h ...

In popular culture

The women's prison has been frequently mentioned in popular film and radio, particularly during the noir era. * '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) * ''

'' (1944) * ''

Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

'' (1946) * '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' (1946) * ''

Out of the Past ''Out of the Past'' (billed in the United Kingdom as ''Build My Gallows High'') is a 1947 American film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Geoffrey Homes (Daniel ...

'' (1947) * '' The Hunted'' (1948) * '' Criss Cross'' (1949) * ''

The Story of Molly X ''The Story of Molly X'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Crane Wilbur and starring June Havoc, John Russell and Dorothy Hart. The screenplay concerns a woman who tries to reform after being sent to prison, but faces obstacles ...

'' (1949) * ''

1001 Rabbit Tales ''Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales'' (also known as ''Bugs Bunny's 1001 Rabbit Tales'') is a 1982 American animated fantasy comedy film produced and directed by Friz Freleng. It combines classic Warner Bros. cartoon shorts with new anim ...

'' (1982) * ''The Black Echo'', 1991 * ''

Duckman ''Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man'', commonly known simply as ''Duckman'', is an American adult animated sitcom created and developed by Everett Peck, based on the characters he created in his 1990 one-shot comic book published by Dark Horse Com ...

'' episode title "Noir Gang" (1996) * ''

Inherent Vice ''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published on August4, 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to i ...

'' by Thomas Pynchon (page 106 (Italian translation)) (2009) * '' Dragnet'' radio drama series * Wanda Jackson, "There's a Riot Goin' On" rock-a-billy recording

JR (artist) JR (; born 22 February 1983) is the pseudonym of a French photographer and street artist who began his career on the streets of Paris. His moniker is derived from his first name, Jean-René. He is known for flyposting large black-and-white pho ...

made a documentary film in 2023.

Notable inmates

* Inez Brown Burns (1886–1976), socialite convicted of performing illegal abortions; served 2 years and 7 months. * Joseph Danks (born 1962), serial killer convicted of killing six men; was later transferred to

San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated area, unincorporated place ...

for killing a cellmate. * Scott Evans Dekraai, perpetrator of the

2011 Seal Beach shooting On October 12, 2011, a mass shooting occurred at the Salon Meritage hair salon in Seal Beach, California. Eight people inside the salon and one person in the parking lot were shot, and only one victim survived. It remains the deadliest mass kil ...

. * David Wayne DePape (born 1980), Canadian citizen convicted of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. *

Barbara Graham Barbara Elaine "Bonnie" Wood Graham (née Ford; June 26, 1923 – June 3, 1955) was an American criminal convicted of murder. She was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin Prison on the same day as two convicted accomplices, Jack Santo and ...

(1923–1955), murderer; later transferred to San Quentin State Prison and was executed. *

Tory Lanez Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape ''Conflicts of My S ...

(born 1992), Canadian singer and rapper convicted of shooting

Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Megan initially gained recognition when videos of her freestyling began to circulate widely on social me ...

in July 2020. *

Philip Joseph Hughes Jr. Philip Joseph Hughes Jr. (born ) known as The East Bay Strangler, is an American convicted serial killer. He killed at least three young women in Contra Costa County throughout the 1970s with the help of his ex-wife, Suzanne Perrin. He is cur ...

(born 1948), serial killer * John William Kelley (born 1963), serial killer and rapist. *

Blake Leibel On May 26, 2016, Ukrainian Iana Kasian was found dead in the apartment that she had shared with her fiancé in West Hollywood. Blake Leibel, her fiancé, was convicted of first-degree murder, torture and aggravated mayhem on June 20, 2018. On Jun ...

(born 1981), former

graphic novelist developed specialized terminology. Several attempts have been made to formalize and define the terminology of comics by authors such as Will Eisner, Scott McCloud, R. C. Harvey and Dylan Horrocks. Much of the terminology in English is under ...

convicted of murdering his Ukrainian fiancé Iana Kasian. Blake is now in Centinela State Prison. * Madge Meredith (1921–2017), actress wrongfully convicted of kidnapping; was released in 1951. * Gerald Parker (born 1955), serial killer. Currently at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. *

Kellen Winslow II Kellen Boswell Winslow II (born July 21, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Playing college football for the Miami Hurricanes, he earned unanimous All-American ...

(born 1983), former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

, pleaded guilty to the rape of an unconscious teen and sexual battery on a 54-year-old hitchhiker as part of a plea deal on November 4, 2019. In exchange for his guilty plea at San Diego County Superior Court, the court agreed to sentence him to between 12 and 18 years in prison.

Notable staff

David Scott Milton David Scott Milton (September 15, 1934 – January 13, 2020) was an American author, playwright, screenwriter, and actor. His plays are known for their theatricality, wild humor, and poetic realism, while his novels and films are darker and more ...

(1934–2020), author who ran a writer's workshop at the institution from 1991–2004

References

External links

California Correctional Institution Official website

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Official website
{{Authority control 1954 establishments in California Prisons in California Buildings and structures in Kern County, California Prisons completed in the 1950s