A Whistleblower, a Sudden Death, and the Most Dangerous Prison in California

Inmates walk through the exercise yard at California State Prison Sacramento, near Folsom. This season of ‘On Our Watch’, featured on this week’s episode of Reveal, follows in the footsteps of a whistleblower officer, whose tragic death helps uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California.

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.After graduating from the academy to become a California correctional officer, Valentino Rodriguez thought he’d be joining a supportive brotherhood, committed to protecting the incarcerated, with honesty and accountability. But upon starting his job at the high-security New Folsom facility in Sacramento, Rodriguez reported encountering personal harassment while witnessing inmate mistreatment inside the most dangerous prison in California.
As time went on, Valentino wasn’t just a correctional officer; he also became a whistleblower. Valentino died just days after he had spoken up about corruption and abuse by his fellow officers.

This week’s episode of Reveal delves into the confusion surrounding his sudden death after an apparent overdose at age 30. Was it connected to the prison? His family still isn’t satisfied with how the tragedy was investigated, and years later, Valentino’s death has also raised questions from the FBI and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. The episode features reporting by Sukey Lewis, Julie Small, and their On Our Watch investigative team at KQED, as they meet Valentino’s father, Val Sr., who begins to share evidence he’s collected surrounding his son’s death. As Lewis tells us during the episode, “He wants to understand what happened to his son and why and who’s responsible. But instead of finding answers, Val Sr. just keeps finding more questions.”

This season of On Our Watch, parts of which are featured on this week’s Reveal, delves into Rodriguez’s experiences, the culture of silence in the prison, and the aftermath of his death. Through interviews with Valentino’s wife Mimy, texts from his phone, and disciplinary records, the reporters uncover harassment and disproportionately high rates of force at the facility compared with other California prisons.