Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)

480 Alta Road, San Diego, CA 92179, (619) 661-6500

This male-only correctional facility, known simply as “Donovan,” is located only about 1.5 miles north of the U.S. – Mexico border and just about six miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. There are about 3,559 prisoners there, but the prison was only designed for 2,200. The cells were mostly designed for just one prisoner, but are often stuffed with two. The prison includes a bakery that serves five other prisons. About 85 prisoners work in the bakery, producing 1,800 loaves of bread every day. The prison also includes a shoe factory that produces shoes for inmates throughout the California prison system. It produced almost 2,000 pairs of shoes every day. Each week, Level 4 prisoners there get fifteen hours of “yard time.”

On November 22, 2013, Sirhan Sirhan (the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy) was transferred to Donovan, coincidentally on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Big Lurch and Erik Menendez also served time at Donovan.

---