Protective housing, the chance to make friends,
and a private garden. The Golden State Killer's life in prison is unexpected, to say the least.
The so-called Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist, terrorized California
throughout the 1970s and 80s. By the time the notorious serial killer was caught in 2018,
he was 72 years old. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., a former police officer, confessed to the
crimes he'd been connected to with DNA, ultimately pleading guilty to 13 murders and 13 kidnappings.
"Investigators say that DNA was then plugged into the genealogy website."
If the statute of limitations hadn't expired, there would've been another 42 rapes,
along with 161 additional counts of crimes like robbery, burglary,
and attempted murder, per the Los Angeles Times.
Despite his extensive crimes, DeAngelo didn't face the death penalty. Of this decision,
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, via the Los Angeles Times,
"What’s so frustrating [...] is that if anyone
is the poster child for the death penalty, it’s DeAngelo."
Instead, DeAngelo was handed consecutive life sentences without parole. According to NBC News,
the death penalty had been taken off the table in exchange for his DeAngelo's confession.
Prosecutors noted that getting DeAngelo to admit to the crimes was incredibly important,
especially for survivors and family members of the victims.
DeAngelo's age was also a consideration when it came to the death penalty. Given that DeAngelo
was 74 years old at trial, and it could take a whopping 30 to 35 years to go from trial to
execution, it was likely he would die from old age on death row. Instead, it was decided that
what life he had left would be spent behind bars, and families would get some much-needed closure.
Neighbors seemed shocked when Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was arrested at his home in
April 2018. According to ABC News, he was taken into custody while law enforcement
searched his house, looking for some of the items stolen from victims over the years.
"Neighbors say DeAngelo was an average suburban homeowner."
Shortly after his arrest, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones confirmed that DeAngelo
was being held at the county jail in a psychiatric ward, per CBS News. Jones also added that DeAngelo
was being kept under strict supervision, as he had also been put on suicide watch. More
than two years had passed when it was reported that DeAngelo had entered his guilty plea with
the courts, shedding a little more light on what had been going on behind closed
doors. It transpired that DeAngelo blamed his crimes on an inner voice that he named Jerry.
In an interrogation room following his initial arrest, DeAngelo reportedly said, per CBS News,
"I didn't have the strength to push him out [...] He made me.
He went with me. It was like in my head, I mean,
he's a part of me. I didn't want to do those things. I pushed Jerry out and had a happy
life. I did all those things. I destroyed all their lives. So now I've got to pay the price."
"And I'm really sorry."
When 74-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. appeared in court, the elderly man was visibly
frail, using a wheelchair, and reportedly seemed weak and confused. As a result,
many found it hard to believe that he was accused of some of the most horrific crimes in Californian
history. According to retired Contra Costa County District Attorney investigator Paul Holes,
DeAngelo often appeared catatonic while being questioned by police. However,
according to Holes, the Golden State Killer was putting on an act. Holes explained, per Oxygen,
"Don't believe this guy that you see being wheeled
into court. That's not who he is [...] He's the ultimate tactician,
and his defense strategy is going to try and minimize what's going to happen to him."
"I've listened to all your statements."
Holes also went on to describe DeAngelo as fit and active, something the killer's
neighbors substantiated, SFGate reported. After his conviction,
the DA's office released some of the video footage of DeAngelo in his cell. Interestingly,
it shows him doing things like exercising and climbing on furniture to reach things,
which is far different from the image he presented in court.
When Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was handed a sentence of life behind bars, victims and their
families appealed to the courts to have him locked away in a dark, distant place. Despite being
united in the request, it was ultimately up to the state's corrections department to evaluate the
Golden State Killer and decide where he should be incarcerated. Factors such as his age, notoriety,
medical and mental health requirements, and the need for safety, all impacted the decision.
However, the decision regarding which prison would house DeAngelo took some time. In particular,
the COVID-19 pandemic delayed matters, and meant that the murderer was initially held
in Sacramento County. At the time he was sentenced, the state had put a halt to all
transfers in hopes of stopping the spread of the virus through prison systems.
It wasn't until November 2020, approximately two and a half months after his sentencing,
that DeAngelo was moved to North Kern State Prison, KCRA NBC reported. However,
that wasn't his final destination, but instead a "reception center"
responsible for holding inmates while the final housing decisions were made.
Early in February 2021, it was reported that Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. had been transferred to
Corcoran State Prison. He was not, however, going to be housed with the prison's general population.
KALW Public Radio got a rare, inside look at the prison in 2013. At the time, it was home to around
12,000 inmates, making up half of the town's 24,000-person population. DeAngelo was set to be
kept in a very small section inside the larger prison, called the Protective Housing Unit.
It was revealed that the small unit contains approximately 20
cells. The unit is specifically for those deemed too notorious to live
in the general population of the prison and who might become targets, or those who have
committed particularly horrifying crimes. As an example, Charles Manson spent some time there.
As revealed by KALW Public Radio's 2013 visit to Corcoran State Prison,
the Protective Housing Unit where DeAngelo lives isn't easy to access. In fact, it's necessary to
go through a series of gates, fences, barbed wire fences, more gates, and hallways with
security cameras to reach the unit. Then, people must proceed through the Security Housing Unit,
which is where inmates deemed too dangerous to be allowed near others are kept. The building
housing the Protective Housing Unit is next door. As reported by the Los Angeles Times,
the only thing separating the two units is one remote-controlled door.
The Protective Housing Unit is completely isolated and self-sufficient, with meals
sent there by the prison's kitchens. Inside the building is a room outfitted with metal
furniture. The concrete cells are a standard 8-by-12, and each has its own private toilet
and sink along with concrete beds, lighting, and shelving units. There's also a place
to plug in electrical devices, as inmates are allowed televisions and radios in their cells.
When a reporter from KALW Public Radio was escorted into the Protective Housing
Unit at Corcoran State Prison, one of the first things she saw was
the outside yard. This featured boxing equipment, picnic tables,
and a garden where inmates could grow their own vegetables. It was also revealed that
inmates were allowed to go outside a few times a day, and that they had the place to themselves.
As a result, Corcoran State Prison's Protective Housing Unit is a far cry from one of the most
dangerous prisons in the world. Prisoners in the unit are seemingly allowed a lot of freedom,
with the ability to come and go from their cells as they please. They're also allowed
to socialize with other inmates in the unit, which is considered their home.
It's also worth mentioning that not everyone believes Corcoran State Prison to be an idyllic
location for all inmates. In 1996, attorney Catherine Campbell filed a wrongful death
lawsuit on behalf of the relatives of an inmate who was shot and killed at Corcoran State Prison
amid accusations of officer brutality. According to SF Gate, she ultimately won the family an
$825,000 settlement. Of the main prison, Campbell told the Los Angeles Times,
"Corcoran is a nightmare. The people who work there don't consider themselves part of the
legal system that controls and constrains the rest of us. It's an outlaw fortress."
Meanwhile, Campbell described the Protective Housing Unit
where Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. lives as "claustrophobic," saying,
"I have never seen anything like it in all my years of going into prisons. You felt like
you were walking into a benign mental health ward. It was not frightening. I have been more
frightened by prisoners behind glass than by these prisoners. They seem so removed, so declawed."
However, conflicting accounts of Corcoran suggest that the prison isn't completely bleak. In 2005,
Terry Thornton, a spokesperson for the Corrections Department, told the Los Angeles Times,
"It's a quiet, well-behaved yard [...] They rarely have any incidents."
According to Prison Law Project attorney Keith Wattley, inmates regularly petition
to get into the unit, especially if they've been attacked in their
current environment. Wattley says the screening process is long and intense,
with many hoping to secure a spot in the very unit DeAngelo was assigned to.
In 2005, attorney Catherine Campbell told the Los Angeles Times that Corcoran's Protective
Housing Unit was filled with all kinds of characters who'd been tossed together in
a weird mix of shared infamy and notoriety. However, it's also worth noting that there's
no real way to tell who DeAngelo is sharing his space with, as the inmate
list for Corcoran State Prison's Protective Housing Unit is a closely guarded secret.
In some cases, residents are reportedly housed in the unit because they have testified against other
inmates, putting a target on their backs. Others are allegedly high-ranking gang members, who may
have people out to get them. When a reporter from KALW Public Radio went inside the unit,
she was told that the identities of prisoners are kept secret. It also isn't widespread knowledge
how many inmates are being held in the unit at one time, as safety is a top priority.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault,
help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).