Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility Explained

Prison Name:	Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
Location:	San Diego County, California, United States near Otay Mesa
Coordinates:	32.5846°N -116.9334°W
Status:	Operational
Classification:	Medium – Maximum
Capacity:	2,992
Population:	2,920 (97.6% capacity)
Populationdate:	January 31, 2023^[1]
Opened:	July 1987
Managed By:	California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) is a California state prison in unincorporated southern San Diego County, California,^[2] near San Diego.^{[3] [4]} It is a part of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The facility sits on 780acres. It is the only state prison in San Diego County.

The prison is situated on a mesa about from the Mexico–United States border,^[5] in the foothills of Otay Mesa overlooking the border. The Otay Mesa site is shared with six other properties related to law enforcement:^[6]

• the federal San Diego Correctional Facility privately operated by the Corrections Corporation of America
• the George Bailey Detention Facility (San Diego County)
• the East Mesa Reentry Facility (San Diego County)
• the Facility 8 Detention Facility (San Diego County)
• the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (San Diego County)
• and a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement firearms training complex used by the FBI, the Customs Service, and local police forces

Facility

The prison cells were designed to house one person each, however, due to overcrowding, many house two prisoners each.^[4] For example, in March 2012, the facility's total population was more than 166.6% of its design capacity.

As of July 31, 2022, RJDCF was incarcerating people at 102.7% of its design capacity, with 3,074 occupants.^[7]

In 1989, RJDCF opened a reception center which accepted newly sentenced inmates from across Southern California. However, in 2012, the institution changed from its previous reception center mission, and completed the conversion of three of its five facilities to sensitive needs yards. Other missions have included housing and providing treatment to inmates with severe mental illnesses, and inmates who have been identified as having medium to high risk medical concerns.^[8]

Donovan has five interfaith chapels. Each religion represented at Donovan gets a series of lockers to store materials.^[5]

The prison includes a bakery that serves the facility and five other CDCR facilities. Each day, it produces about 9,760 loaves.^[9] 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 $90 ($ when adjusted for inflation) and $100 ($ when adjusted for inflation). KPBS said that bakery jobs were "desirable" compared to clerk and custodial jobs, which pay a monthly salary between $24 and $48.^[5]

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 1,000 ^[9] 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.^[5]

The prison formerly housed an eyeglass factory. It built glasses for Medi-Cal patients. About 115 prisoners worked in the factory. It closed in 2009. As of 2010, there are discussions about a possible reopening.^[5]

On November 22, 2013, Sirhan Sirhan was transferred to Donovan. Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy. The transfer to Donovan occurred, coincidentally, on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Robert Kennedy's brother, John F. Kennedy.^[10]

Operations

Each week, "Level 4" (maximum security) prisoners may have 15 hours of yard time.^[5]

A court order requiring guards to wear body cameras when dealing with inmates began in 2021 due to a culture of retaliation.^[11] Various documented uses of excess of force included tipping over the wheelchairs of disabled prisoners, punching a hard-of-hearing inmate in the face when he asked for written communication from the guard because he couldn't hear what the guard had said and using pepper spray on mentally ill convicts.^[12]

Demographics

In 2010, Donovan Correctional Facility had about 4,800 prisoners. Between 150 and 200 of the prisoners were Native Americans.^[5]

During that year prisoners belonged to 15 religious faiths.^[5]

Notable prisoners

Current

width=13%	Inmate Name	width=10%	Register Number	width=28%	Status	width=35%	Details
Cimarron Bell	AI1378	Sentenced to death.^[13]	Convicted of murdering 4 people.^[14] ^[15]
Javier Bolden	AV2228	Serving two life terms without parole.^[16] ^[17]	One of two perpetrators of the 2012 murders of Ming Qu and Ying Wu in which Bolden and another man, Bryan Barnes, killed the students in their car near the University of Southern California campus.^[18] ^[19] ^[20] ^[21]
Jesse James Hollywood	AC4442	Serving a life sentence without parole.^[22] ^[23]	One of the participants of the 2000 kidnapping and murder of Nicholas Markowitz.^[24] ^[25] Jesse would flee to Brazil, before being extradited back to America and convicted for his crimes.^[26] ^[27] ^[28] ^[29]
Suge Knight	BH6458	Serving a 28-year sentence.^[30] ^[31]	Former CEO and co-founder of Death Row Records who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the 2015 death of Terry Carter in which Suge plowed his car into him.^[32] ^[33] ^[34] ^[35]
Daniel William Marsh	AW0819	Serving a 52-year to life sentence.^[36] ^[37]	Perpetrator of the brutal 2013 murders of Claudia Maupin and Oliver Northup in which Marsh stabbed to death and mutilated the elderly couple.^[38] ^[39] ^[40]
Erik Galen Menendez	K14101	Serving a life sentence.^[41] ^[42]	Convicted, along with his brother, Lyle, of the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Mary Menéndez.^[43]
Joseph Lyle Menendez	K13758	Serving a life sentence.^[44]	Convicted of the aforementioned 1989 murders of his parents with his brother, Erik.^[45]
Mark Rogowski	H27508	Serving a life sentence; denied parole.^[46] ^[47]	Former skateboarder who was convicted of the 1991 rape-murder of Jessica Bergsten.^[48] ^[49] ^[50]

• Anand Jon – Former fashion designer convicted of rape and other sexual offenses.^[51]
• Kenneth Kimes Jr. – Son and accomplice of Sante Kimes.^[52]
• Charles Ray Merritt - Perpetrator of the 2010 McStay family murders.^[53]
• James Mitchell – Heir to the San Francisco-based Mitchell Brothers adult film business, one of the porn industry's pioneer dynasties during the 1960s and 1970s. Mitchell is the son of Jim Mitchell, who started the famous adult entertainment empire with his brother, Artie. He is a convicted murderer who was sentenced to 35 years to life in 2011 for killing the mother of his daughter with a softball bat in a Novato backyard and kidnapping their young daughter in 2009.^[54]
• Billie Dureyea Shell – Convicted of second-degree murder.^{[55] [56] [57]}
• Sirhan Sirhan – Assassin of Robert F. Kennedy.^[58]
• Brett Thomas – Teenaged spree killer and rapist.^{[59] [60]}
• Tyler Williams – A perpetrator of the murders of Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder.^[61]
• Tex Watson – Convicted killer and member of the Manson Family.^[62]
• Joe Son – Mixed martial arts fighter, manager, and actor. Serving 34 years to life for various crimes including rape and manslaughter.

Former

• Anerae Brown – Rapper and Crips gang member known as "X-Raided" convicted of gang-related homicide; released on parole in 2018.^[63]
• John Getreu – Convicted serial killer.^[64]
• Roy Norris – One of the two "Tool Box Killers"; was later moved to the California Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes a week later on February 24, 2020, at 72 years old.^{[65] [66]}
• John Robert Schrieffer – Physicist and Nobel Prize winner convicted of and sentenced to two years for vehicular manslaughter. Schrieffer died in a Florida nursing home in July 2019, at the age of 88.^{[67] [68]}
• Antron Singleton – Rapper known as "Big Lurch" convicted of killing and cannibalizing his roommate.

External links

• Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility Official webpage
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight January 31, 2023. January 31, 2023. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Internal Oversight and Research. September 21, 2023.
2. Web site: 2020 Census - Census Block Map: San Diego County, CA . . 2022-08-14 . Richard J Donovan Corr Facility . 230 (PDF p. 231/259).
3. Web site: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) . . September 24, 2011 . 480 Alta Road San Diego, CA 92179..
4. Web site: Doing Time in Donovan State Prison . Cavanagh . Maureen . February 1, 2010 . . September 24, 2011.
5. Web site: Life Inside R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility . January 29, 2010 . KPBS . September 24, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101028024749/http://www.kpbs.org/photos/galleries/2010/jan/29/life-rj-donovan-correctional-facility/ . 2010-10-28.
6. Web site: Otay Mesa Prison Area, California . The Center for Land Use Interpretation . 2018-04-15.
7. Web site: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight July 31, 2022 . July 31, 2022 . California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Internal Oversight and Research . September 5, 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220905173616/https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2022/08/Tpop4_d2207.pdf . September 5, 2022.
8. Web site: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) . CDCR . 2018-04-15.
9. Web site: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility . Jail Guitar Doors.
10. Web site: RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan moved to another prison — on anniversary of JFK assassination . Garske . Monica . November 22, 2013 . NBC News . November 23, 2013.
11. News: Retiring Donovan State Prison Warden Faced Criticism for COVID, Staff Disciplinary Decision . Mejías-Pascoe . Sofía . 2021-11-14 . inewsource . Times of San Diego . 2023-04-29 . en-US.
12. News: California prison guards get a warning . Elias . Tom . April 27, 2023 . Ventura County Star . en-US . 2023-04-29.
13. Web site: April 19, 2011 . Jury Recommends Death for Man Guilty of Killing Girlfriend, 3 Others . CBS News.
14. Web site: 2011-03-01 . Trial to start in 2004 South Whittier triple murder . 2024-02-29 . San Bernardino Sun . en-US.
15. Web site: 2011-04-05 . Man convicted in quadruple-murder case . 2024-02-29 . Daily News . en-US.
16. News: 2014-11-17 . Man who killed two Chinese students in Los Angeles given multiple life terms . 2024-02-29 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
17. Web site: California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) - CDCR .
18. Web site: 2012-05-19 . 2 arrested in double murder of USC students from China . 2024-02-29 . NBC News . en.
19. Web site: 2014-10-28 . Javier Bolden found guilty in 2012 shooting of Ming Qu and Ying Wu - CBS News . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
20. Web site: 2014-10-28 . Man found guilty of murder in 2012 shooting of 2 USC grad students . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
21. Web site: USC student murders: 2nd defendant sentenced to life in prison without parole .
22. Web site: 2010-02-06 . Hollywood gets life in ‘Alpha Dog’ murder case . 2024-02-29 . NBC News . en.
23. Web site: Hollywood, Jesse James . CDCR Inmate Locator.
24. Web site: Fox . Sue . 2000-12-10 . The Last Days of Nick Markowitz . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
25. Web site: 2007-01-15 . The real story behind 'Alpha Dog' . 2024-02-29 . NBC News . en.
26. Web site: 2005-03-11 . Fugitive Kept Low Profile in Quiet Brazilian Beach Town . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
27. Web site: Risling . Greg . 2009-05-16 . Jesse James Hollywood called coward at trial . 2024-02-29 . San Diego Union-Tribune . en-US.
28. Web site: 2010-02-05 . Jesse James Hollywood, who inspired ‘Alpha Dog,’ gets life in prison for Nicholas Markowitz murder . 2024-02-29 . New York Daily News . en-US.
29. Web site: Martinez . Edecio . 2010-02-08 . No Hollywood Ending: Jesse James Hollywood Gets Life in "Alpha Dog" Murder Case - CBS News . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
30. Web site: 2018-09-21 . Suge Knight agrees to serve 28 years in death of friend Terry Carter . 2024-02-29 . NBC News . en.
31. Web site: Knight, Marion Hugh . CDCR Inmate Locator.
32. Web site: 2015-01-30 . Marion 'Suge' Knight Turns Himself In After Hit-and-Run That Killed Pedestrian . 2024-02-29 . NBC News . en.
33. Web site: Dillon . Nancy . 2015-03-17 . Surviving victim in Suge Knight hit-and-run case told police he assaulted Death Row Records co-founder . 2024-02-29 . New York Daily News . en-US.
34. Web site: Graphic surveillance video shows Suge Knight hit-and-run . 2024-02-29 . ABC7 Los Angeles . en.
35. Web site: 2018-09-20 . Suge Knight Pleads To Manslaughter Over Fatal Confrontation - CBS Texas . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
36. Web site: 2014-12-12 . Davis Teen Gets 52 Years To Life In Brutal Slaying Of Elderly Couple In Their Beds - CBS Sacramento . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
37. Web site: Marsh, Daniel William . CDCR Inmate Locator.
38. Web site: Walsh . Michael . 2013-06-20 . Daniel Marsh, 16, held in murder of elderly couple, was hailed as boy hero in 2009 . 2024-02-29 . New York Daily News . en-US.
39. Web site: 2013-06-19 . Teen Accused Of Killing Davis Couple Makes First Court Appearance - CBS Sacramento . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
40. Web site: Davis teen Daniel Marsh gets 52 years to life for slaying elderly couple . 2024-02-29.
41. Web site: Menendez brothers sentenced to life without parole for murder of parents . 2024-02-29 . The Irish Times . en.
42. Web site: Menendez, Erik Galen . CDCR Inmate Locator.
43. News: 2024-01-07 . MENENDEZ BROTHERS SENTENCED . 2024-02-29 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
44. News: 2024-02-26 . MENENDEZES ARE SPARED DEATH PENALTY . 2024-02-29 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
45. Web site: Chronology of the Menendez brothers' murder case - UPI Archives . 2024-02-29 . UPI . en.
46. Web site: 2023-01-16 . Governor Newsom reverses parole for former pro-skater Mark 'Gator' Rogowski . 2024-02-29 . cbs8.com . en-US.
47. Web site: Rogowski, Mark Anthony . CDCR Inmate Locator.
48. Web site: Wallace . Amy . Gaw . Jonathan . 1991-05-10 . Skateboard Star Confesses to Rape, Torture : Arraignment: Prosecutor alleges Rogowski confession includes brutal details of rape and beatings for three hours before strangling woman in a twisted revenge murder. . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
49. Web site: 1992-03-07 . Passionate Plea for No Mercy : Courts: At the sentencing of a former skateboarding star convicted of killing a young woman, the victim's father vents his anguish and anger over her brutal murder. Mark (Gator) Anthony won't be eligible for parole until 2010. . 2024-02-29 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
50. Web site: Black . Caroline . 2011-02-09 . Mark "Gator" Rogowski, Former Pro Skateboarder, Denied Parole for 1992 Calif. Murder-Rape - CBS News . 2024-02-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
51. Web site: Alexander, Anand Jon . CDCR Inmate Locator.
52. Web site: Kimes, Kenneth . CDCR Inmate Locator.
53. Web site: Ray Merritt, Charles . CDCR Inmate Locator.
54. Web site: Mitchell, James Raphael Whitty . CDCR Inmate Locator.
55. Web site: Shell, Billie Dureyea . CDCR Inmate Locator.
56. Web site: People v. Shell, B257034 . Casetext.com . 2022-07-18.
57. Web site: 2012-07-20 . Inglewood man arrested in connection with shooting death of his wife . 2024-01-18 . Daily Breeze . en-US.
58. Web site: Sirhan, Sirhan Bishara . CDCR Inmate Locator.
59. Web site: Thomas, Brett M. P. . CDCR Inmate Locator.
60. Web site: Media Advisory – Brett Thomas Parole Hearing Information . April 17, 2015 . Orange County District Attorney.
61. News: Killer of Gay Couple Gets 29 Years, More . Midland Daily News . March 27, 2003 .
62. Web site: Watson, Charles Denton . CDCR Inmate Locator.
63. Web site: Official X-Raided . Facebook.
64. Web site: Getreu, John Arthur . CDCR Inmate Locator.
65. Web site: 'Tool Box Killer' Who Preyed on Teenagers Dies in California . February 25, 2020 . NBC Bay Area . February 26, 2020.
66. News: Second Tool Box Killer dies in prison . Steade . Sarah . February 25, 2020 . . May 3, 2020.
67. News: Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Gets Two Years in Prison for Deadly Crash . The Associated Press . 7 November 2005 . Fox News . 2008-02-24.
68. Web site: Nobel Prize-winning physicist Schrieffer dies in Florida . July 27, 2019 . . May 3, 2020.