SACRAMENTO — The wardens at California’s two major women’s prisons retired amid allegations of pervasive problems at both institutions, including sexual abuse of inmates at one prison and persistent suicides at the other.

The complaints come amid wide problems for the corrections department. A series of lawsuits forced the state to lower its inmate population and cede control of prisoner health care to a federal receiver, while the California inspector general found a culture of racism and abuse at a men’s prison.

Aside from sex abuse, guards at the state’s largest women’s prison permit fights between inmates, use unneeded force and derogatory names, and retaliate against inmates who complain, said Don Specter, director of the nonprofit Prison Law Office.

Specter pushed for leadership changes after attorneys found systemic problems at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.

The attorneys, who represent inmates in several major lawsuits against the state, have been working with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The department said Chowchilla warden Deborah Johnson retired routinely last week after 30 years of state service.

Kimberly Hughes also routinely retired as warden at the California Institution for Women, which houses nearly 1,900 inmates in Corona, after more than 27 years as a state employee, officials said.

Associated Press