California State Prison, Solano (SOL) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Vacaville in Solano County, California, adjacent to California Medical Facility. The facility is also referenced as Solano State Prison, CSP-Solano, and CSP-SOL.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California's Correctional Facilities. 6 March 2011. Prison Talk Online thread, 14 May 2006, accessed 16 Dec 2007.Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments. 21 Dec 2006.
Facilities
SOL's include the following facilities, among others:
Level II housing: Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage Level III housing: Individual cells, fenced perimeters and armed coverage
Population and staff As of fiscal year 2006/2007, SOL had a total of 1,308 staff and an annual operating budget of $158.4 million. As of February 2011, it had a design capacity of 2,610 but a total institution population of 5,050, for an occupancy rate of 193.5 percent.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Monthly Report of Population as of Midnight February 23, 2011.
As of July 31, 2022, SOL was incarcerating people at 124.7% of its design capacity, with 3,255 occupants.
History
The California State Prison at Solano opened in August 1984.Furillo, Andy. "Prison boom fades. As the building grinds to a stop, officials grapple less with housing criminals and more with figuring out how to return them to society." Sacramento Bee, July 12, 2004. SOL was overseen by the warden of California Medical Facility until January 1992, when a separate warden was assigned. By 1998, SOL was so crowded that "emergency triple bunks" were added.Stites, Roxanne. Squeezing in surplus prisoners - Already overcrowded, California State Prison, Solano ready for "triple bunking" to hold even more. The Reporter (Vacaville, CA), April 13, 1998. In 2008/2009 triple bunking was removed and the gyms by August 2009 were not holding inmates.
A 2001 U.S. District Court ruling and a 2002 U.S. Court of Appeals decision supported the "right of Muslim inmates" at SOL "to attend regular weekly religious services and wear beards in accordance with their faith"."Hamlin, Brian. Inmates can worship on their terms". The Reporter (Vacaville, CA), December 31, 2002.
Notable inmates (current or former) Inmate NameRegister NumberStatusDetails Larry Craig Green B72252 Serving a life sentence; denied parole mulitiple times. One of the members of the Death Angels who committed the Zebra murders. Loi Khac Nguyen J69791 Serving 41 life sentences without parole. One of 4 perpetrators of the 1991 Sacramento hostage crisis in which dozens of people were taken hostage (3 of which would be murdered) and Loi was the only one of the culprits who survived a police rescue operation. William Ray Bonner (born 1948), spree killer Anthony Jacques Broussard (born c. 1965), murderer of Marcy Renee Conrad Spoon Jackson (born 1957), poet Sanyika Shakur (1963–2021), gang member; was interviewed at SOL; paroled Johnny Spain (born 1949), member of the San Quentin Six; paroled in 1988 James Tramel (c. 1967), Episcopal priest convicted of murder; was paroled by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 Anthony Wimberly (born 1962), serial killer; sentenced to three years for burglary and robbery; paroled in 1983. Currently at Mule Creek State Prison. Jarad Nava, from They Call Us Monsters paroled in 2020
References
External links
Solano State Prison Information from Ex-Inmates