Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
Encyclopedia
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) is a state prison located in unincorporated
southern San Diego County, California
, near San Diego
. Its is a part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
. It is a 780 acres (315.7 ha) facility. It is the only state prison in San Diego County. The prison is situated on a mesa
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Mexico – United States border.
The prison includes a reception center that opened in 1989. The counties served by the center include Imperial
, Los Angeles
, Orange
, and San Diego. Lt. Michael Stout, the community partnership manager of the prison, said in 2010 that the reception center mainly gets prisoners from Imperial and San Diego counties, while some prisoners come from Los Angeles and Orange counties. A male felon who is convicted and sentenced in San Diego County will not necessarily serve his sentence at Donovan.
The prison includes a housing unit for "Level 3" prisoners that was originally a gymnasium. In 1989 the gymnasium was converted. It has a capacity of 152 prisoners.
Donovan has five interfaith chapels. Each religion represented at Donovan gets a series of lockers to store materials.
The prison includes a bakery that serves the facility and five other CDCR facilities. Each day, it produces about 18,000 loaves. 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 and $100. KPBS
said that bakery jobs were "desirable" compared to clerk and custodial jobs, which pay a monthly salary between $24 and $48.
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 2,000 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.
The prison formerly housed an eyeglass factory. It built glasses for MediCal patients. About 115 prisoners worked in the factory. It closed in 2009. As of 2010 there are discussions about a possible reopening.
.
During that year prisoners belonged to 15 religious faiths.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
southern San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, near San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Its is a part of 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...
. It is a 780 acres (315.7 ha) facility. It is the only state prison in San Diego County. The prison is situated on a mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Mexico – United States border.
History
Throughout its history it had overcrowding and state budget cuts that also existed in other CDCR facilities. It was designed to hold 2,200 prisoners, but as of 2010 it houses approximately 4,700. Lt. Michael Stout, the community partnership manager of the prison, said in 2010 that the populations fluctuate.Facility
The prison cells were designed to house one person each. As of 2010, due to overcrowding, many house two prisoners each.The prison includes a reception center that opened in 1989. The counties served by the center include Imperial
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, Orange
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, and San Diego. Lt. Michael Stout, the community partnership manager of the prison, said in 2010 that the reception center mainly gets prisoners from Imperial and San Diego counties, while some prisoners come from Los Angeles and Orange counties. A male felon who is convicted and sentenced in San Diego County will not necessarily serve his sentence at Donovan.
The prison includes a housing unit for "Level 3" prisoners that was originally a gymnasium. In 1989 the gymnasium was converted. It has a capacity of 152 prisoners.
Donovan has five interfaith chapels. Each religion represented at Donovan gets a series of lockers to store materials.
The prison includes a bakery that serves the facility and five other CDCR facilities. Each day, it produces about 18,000 loaves. 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 and $100. KPBS
KPBS
KPBS television is a PBS Public television member station based in San Diego, California, broadcasting on digital channel 30. The station is owned by San Diego State University. KPBS can be found on Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T U-verse on cable channel 11 in standard definition. ...
said that bakery jobs were "desirable" compared to clerk and custodial jobs, which pay a monthly salary between $24 and $48.
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 2,000 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.
The prison formerly housed an eyeglass factory. It built glasses for MediCal patients. About 115 prisoners worked in the factory. It closed in 2009. As of 2010 there are discussions about a possible reopening.
Demographics
In 2010 it had about 4,800 prisoners. Between 150 and 200 of the prisoners were Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
.
During that year prisoners belonged to 15 religious faiths.