California State Prison, Los Angeles County

State prison in Lancaster, California

California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)

Location| Lancaster, California
Coordinates| 34°41′38″N 118°13′41″W﻿ / ﻿34.694°N 118.228°W﻿ / 34.694; -118.228
Status| Operational
Security class| Minimum–maximum
Capacity| 2,300
Population| 2,503 (108.8% capacity) (as of January 31, 2023[1])
Opened| February 1993
Managed by| California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Warden| Raybon C. Johnson Jr.

California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Lancaster, in Los Angeles County, California. The only state prison located in the county, it is also referenced as Los Angeles County State Prison, CSP-Los Angeles County, and CSP-LAC.[2][3][4] Only occasionally is the prison referred to as Lancaster State Prison, which was particularly avoided in 1992 partly to ease the stigma for Lancaster.[5]

## Facilities

[edit]

As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, LAC had a total of 1,519 staff and an annual operating budget of $100 million.[2] As of September 2007, it had a design capacity of 2,300 but a total institution population of 4,976, for an occupancy rate of 216.3 percent.[6]

As of April 30, 2020, LAC was incarcerating people at 137.3% of its design capacity, with 3,158 occupants.[7]

LAC's 262 acres (106 ha) include the following facilities:[2][8]

* Level I housing: Open dormitories without a secure perimeter
* Level IV housing: Cells, fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security, more staff and armed officers both inside and outside the installation
* Reception Center (RC): provides short term housing to process, classify and evaluate incoming inmates

## History

[edit]

Before the prison opened in 1993, Los Angeles County hosted no prisons but accounted for forty percent of California's state-prison inmates.[9] "Most of Lancaster's civic leaders and residents" opposed the building of the prison, and four inmates escaped from LAC in its first year of operation.[10] Nevertheless, by 2000 city residents' opinions of the prison had improved so much that a proposal to increase the proportion of maximum-security inmates received little criticism.[10]

A 2006–2007 conversion "of roughly half of" LAC's facilities decreased the number of maximum-security inmates and increased the number of reception center inmates.[11] Since reception center inmates are at the prison for shorter times than maximum-security inmates, the conversion may "reduce the number of families that will relocate to the region to be near a family member who is in the prison" and "reduce the number of prisoners who will want to relocate to the area after serving their sentences or after being released on parole".[11]

In March 2021, Canadian singer Justin Bieber visited the prison with his wife Hailey and pastor Judah Smith at the invitation of Scott Budnick.[12] Justin Bieber spoke to inmates about their faith and listened to their stories. In a statement on April 1, 2021, Bieber recounted his visit, saying "It was such an honor listening to their stories and seeing how strong their faith is."[12][13]

## Notable inmates

[edit]

### Current

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Inmate Name  | Register Number  | Status  | Details

|
|
|

Kori Ali Muhammad  | BM7920  | Serving a life sentence.[14][15] | Perpetrator of the racially motivated 2017 Fresno shootings which began with the murder of security guard Carl Williams.[16][17] Days later, he murdered a further three people, with Zachary Randalls, Mark Gassett, and David Jackson being killed by Kori.[18][19][20][21]
Joshua Graham Packer  | AV8165  | Serving three life sentences without parole.[22][23] | Convicted of murdering Brock Husted, and his pregnant wife, Davina.[24][25][26]

* Joe Son: Actor and former mixed martial artist.
* Ali Abulaban, TikToker and convicted murderer[27]

### Former

[edit]

* Loi Khac Nguyen: One of the perpetrators of the 1991 Sacramento hostage crisis for which he was convicted of killing three people. Currently at California State Prison, Solano.
* Big Lurch: Rapper and convicted murderer.
* Robert John Bardo: Murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989. Currently at Avenal State Prison.
* Lawrence Phillips: Former professional football player.
* Rene Enriquez: Mobster.
* Robert Rozier: Former American football defensive end. Currently at Mule Creek State Prison.
* Craig Coley: Wrongfully convicted of the 1978 murder of his ex girlfriend and her son before being pardoned and exonerated by CA governor Jerry Brown in 2017.[28]
* Samuel Little: Serial killer convicted of killing eight women, though he is suspected of killing as many as 90 in total.[29]

## See also

[edit]

* List of California state prisons

Portals:

* Greater Los Angeles
* California
* Law

## References

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1. ^ "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight January 31, 2023" (PDF). California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Internal Oversight and Research. January 31, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
2. ^ a b c California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) (2009). "Mission Statement". California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Archived from the original on August 6, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
3. ^ Thomas Russell, Wendy. "7-year case against city finally ends". Long Beach Press-Telegram, June 2, 2007.
4. ^ Stoltze, Frank "Lancaster State Prison Offers Glimpse into Overcrowding Problem"[permanent dead link]. KPCC Radio, April 26, 2007.
5. ^ Wolcott, Denis. "County Wants Valley's Name Dropped From New Prison". The Daily News of Los Angeles, December 30, 1992.
6. ^ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Monthly Report of Population as of Midnight September 30, 2007. Archived October 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ "California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Monthly Report of Population As of Midnight April 30, 2020" (PDF). California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Internal Oversight and Research. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 3, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
8. ^ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California's Correctional Facilities Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine. 15 Oct 2007.
9. ^ Wolcott, Denis. First Inmates Arrive at New Prison - Lancaster's 252 acre State Facility to Hold 2,200. Daily News of Los Angeles, February 2, 1993.
10. ^ a b Fox, Sue. "Prison, Lancaster Mend Fences and Build Tranquil Relationship". Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2000.
11. ^ a b Skeen, Jim. Conversion of A.V. "Prison Gets Support - Civic Leaders Say Change Will Lessen Crime in Area". Daily News of Los Angeles, December 23, 2006.
12. ^ a b Atkinson, Katie (1 April 2021). "Bieber visited the LA County prison to meet with a group of inmates & learn about the maximum-security institution's faith-based programs". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
13. ^ "Justin Bieber says mission trip to California state prison was a "life-changing experience"". ABC News Radio. 2 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
14. ^ "California man gets life in prison in race-related killings". AP News. 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
15. ^ Inmate Locator, inmate BM7920
16. ^ "Suspect in Fresno shooting rampage charged with previous murder of motel security guard". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
17. ^ McCallister, Doreen (2017-04-19). "'I Shot Them,' Suspect In Deadly Fresno Shootings Tells Police". NPR. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
18. ^ "California man tired of racism found guilty of killing four in racially charged murder spree". New York Daily News. 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
19. ^ "Fresno shooting spree: Suspect Kori Ali Muhammad charged with 3 counts of murder - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
20. ^ "Suspect charged with 3 counts of murder in Fresno rampage". The Denver Post. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
21. ^ "California man convicted of murder in racist rampage that killed 3". NBC News. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
22. ^ "Judge Hands Down 3 Life Sentences To Man Convicted In Faria Beach Triple Murder - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
23. ^ "Life term for 25-year-old in shocking 2009 triple murder in Ventura County". Los Angeles Times. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
24. ^ "Murder charges filed in Calif beach house killings". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
25. ^ "20-Year-Old Man Arrested in Faria Beach Stabbing Deaths". NBC Los Angeles. 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
26. ^ "Man Admits to Home Invasion Murders of Faria Beach Couple, Unborn Baby". KTLA. 2014-12-18. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
27. ^ "California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS) - CDCR". ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov.
28. ^ "Man, wrongly convicted of 1978 killings in Simi Valley, recommended for release from prison".
29. ^ "Convicted Serial Killer Samuel Little Dies At 80". CBS News. 30 December 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Official website
* California State Prison, Los Angeles County—California Department of Corrections
* Aerial view of the prison

* v
* t
* e

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons

State prisons|

* Avenal State Prison (ASP)
* California City Correctional Facility (CAC)
* California Correctional Center (CCC)
* California Correctional Institution (CCI)
* California Health Care Facility (CHCF)
* California Institution for Men (CIM)
* California Institution for Women♀ (CIW)
* California Medical Facility (CMF)
* California Men's Colony (CMC)
* California Rehabilitation Center (CRC)
* California State Prison, Centinela (CEN)
* California State Prison, Corcoran (COR)
* California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)
* California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC)
* California State Prison, Solano (SOL)
* California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran (SATF)
* Calipatria State Prison (CAL)
* Central California Women's Facility♀ (CCWF)
* Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP)
* Correctional Training Facility (CTF)
* Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI)
* Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
* Folsom State Prison (FSP)♂♀
* High Desert State Prison (HDSP)
* Ironwood State Prison (ISP)
* Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP)
* Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP)
* North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
* Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP)
* Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP)
* Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP)
* San Quentin State Prison (SQ)
* Sierra Conservation Center (SCC)
* Valley State Prison (VSP)
* Wasco State Prison (WSP)

Private prisons|

* La Palma Correctional Facility (Corrections Corporation of America, Arizona)
* Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility (CCA, Tennessee)
* Golden State Medium Community Correctional Facility (GEO Group)
* California City Correctional Center (CCA)

Closed (partial list)|

* Eagle Mountain Community Correctional Facility
* Preston School of Industry

Above facilities are male-only unless noted by ♀(female) or ♂♀ (co-gender)

* v
* t
* e

Lancaster, California

Schools|

* Lancaster School District
* Eastside Union School District
* Westside Union School District
* Antelope Valley Union High School District
* Antelope Valley High School
* Eastside High School
* Lancaster High School
* SOAR High School

Colleges and universities|

* Antelope Valley College

Landmarks|

* Aerospace Walk of Honor
* California State Prison, Los Angeles County
* Hangar
* Western Hotel

Culture|

* AV Alta FC

Transportation|

* Antelope Valley Transit Authority

This list is incomplete.
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