California Prisons Deadliest in Nation: Report

A new report revealed that inmates in California prisons die at the hands of other inmates at twice the national average.

The Associated Press reports that a large majority of those killed in California prisons are primarily in prison for sexual crimes like child pornography and molestation. While prisoners convicted of those crimes and similar offenses make up only 15 percent of California's prison population, those prisoners accounted for nearly 30 percent of murder victims in the California prison system.

The report was compiled by tracking down every murder in the prison system since 2007 and evaluating the reason each victim was imprisoned. There have been 78 murders in the California prison system since 2007, and 23 of the victims were in jail for sex crimes.

These deaths occurred despite the fact that sex offenders, gang members, and other at-risk groups have access to special housing accommodations meant to make it easier for prison guards to protect the vulnerable.

The AP hints at two major reasons for the fact that California prisons are so dangerous for sex offenders. One reason is that special housing is plagued by gangs, making it nearly identical to the rest of the prison system. It is official policy in many gangs to target and attack sex offenders. Another reason is that California prisons are severely overcrowded, housing 37.5 percent more inmates than the system is meant to handle.

Reflecting the issue with special housing, the AP notes California's corrections department said that it can no longer assume that special housing units will be any safer than anywhere else in the prison system.

The California prison system seems to realize the scale of the problem, both for sexual offenders and other prisoners. The system is currently reviewing its policy of housing two inmates in one cell.