Lacking Video Surveillance Exacerbates Abuse Allegations, Risk at California Federal Prison

“Dead spots” in video surveillance coverage inside Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Dublin in California are becoming a central theme in the sexual abuse trial against the institution’s former warden, Lisa Fernandez reports for KTVU. At least three women have come forward to accuse Ray Garcia of sexual crimes during testimony, but Garcia’s defense rests on two key arguments: the women accusing him are felons and they have no video proof of their accusations. But on Tuesday, a former unit manager at FCI Dublin testified that the facility lacked sufficient security camera coverage, that many are not monitored, and that footage is often deleted for unknown reasons – conditions the warden would know about. 

FCI Dublin correctional officer union president Ed Canales said he warned the agency about these issues for years and produced documents of his complaints to the Board of Prisons. Canales also told KTVU that the warden can see which cameras are currently operational and which aren’t all from a laptop in his office, making the system ‘ripe for abuse.’ Canales argues that better camera coverage would protect both inmates and officers.