Goyette, Ruano & Thompson: California Department of Corrections Sued After Female Guard Held Hostage by Inmate and Repeatedly Raped at Gunpoint

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The first stages of a lawsuit have initiated against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) after a hyper-violent prisoner managed to capture a female Correctional Officer in a prison facility for four (4) hours, subjecting her to severe physical and emotional trauma, including sexual assault.

The incident, which took place at the CDCR Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, CA, happened after a long series of inexcusable and negligent decisions by the CDCR. An inmate whose last name is Ransom was a dangerous individual who had been incarcerated for multiple hyper-violent murders. CDCR then transferred him to a lower security facility which was designated as a training center for firefighting techniques in a rural part of California. CDCR failed to provide any training, information or intelligence regarding the status of this violent inmate, which was especially important considering he was in a lower security facility.

Attorneys for the victim officer allege that mere weeks after Ransom was transferred, he was promoted to "porter" which gave him opportunities and access to learn about the facilities operations and schedule. He managed to conceal clothing that resembled a custodial officer's uniform, managed to get inside a control booth, gain access to at least one loaded assault rifle and used it to kidnap, corner and brutally assault the female officer for approximately four (4) hours.

Even more dreadful, other on duty CDCR officers conducted multiple ongoing cell checks throughout these four (4) hours, verifying the prisoner was within his cell, when he was in an entirely different location of the facility, carrying on his extensive and deplorable acts. Adding to these horrific acts, a sergeant on duty later claimed he was "too busy" as the reason for being unable to perform his duties of checking the location properly.

"The CDCR placed this woman in a situation where she was repeatedly and brutally violated, and her life was put in jeopardy," said attorney Paul Goyette of Goyette, Ruano & Thompson. "The extent of injuries, horrific, physical and mental torture she endured, and continues to relive on a daily basis is sickening. Far worse, it was CDCR who made this entire situation possible – a state agency whose duties include housing prisoners while also providing what should be the highest and best safety and security measures to the Correctional Officer's working within such institutions. As much as this incident was a grotesque and nightmarish display by an individual void of any humanity, CDCR created the conditions to make this incident possible and created the conditions that allowed the incident to last over a protracted period of time, causing maximal damage to the victim officer. This civil suit is the first step toward holding CDCR accountable."

About Goyette, Ruano & Thompson 

Goyette, Ruano & Thompson (GRT Law) has provided world-class legal services across the state of California. Our firm has a proven track record of success representing 5,000+ clients on both the defendant and plaintiff sides of a wide range of issues.

About Peacock Law A.P.C.

We partner with our clients to pursue legal remedies and thorough representation for cases involving civil rights, personal injury, and other general civil matters. Our primary goal is to provide relief through experienced legal support that helps make the road to recovery for our clients easier.

SOURCE Goyette, Ruano & Thompson