Women in California prison accuse staff cook of rape and urge criminal charges

"The women say Marcus Johnson, a former supervisory cook at the California Institution for Women (CIW), raped them in 2020 while they were working for him in kitchen jobs. The women, who were making under 40 cents an hour, said in federal civil complaints he threatened disciplinary action if they reported him. Both women spoke out for the first time in recent interviews with the Guardian from CIW, a California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) prison in Chino, one hour east of Los Angeles."

"Both said they wanted to see Johnson criminally charged to prevent him from endangering women in other jobs. For one woman identified as Jane Doe 1 in court, the prison deemed her claim against Johnson substantiated, meaning the assault was determined to have occurred, an extremely rare outcome. Investigators informed her of their conclusion in 2024, nearly four years after she first reported the allegations, records show."

Two incarcerated women at the California Institution for Women allege Marcus Johnson, a former supervisory cook, raped them in 2020 while they worked in kitchen jobs earning under 40 cents an hour. They say Johnson threatened disciplinary action if they reported the assaults. Investigators substantiated one woman's claim in 2024, nearly four years after her initial report; investigators found the second woman's claim unsubstantiated. The San Bernardino district attorney received a CDCR referral in 2024 and is reviewing the case for possible charges. Johnson denies the allegations and was placed on paid administrative leave in 2020. The women seek prosecution to prevent future harm.

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