Accusations against California prison employees were usually taken seriously and investigated properly in the first half of this year, according to an Office of the Inspector General report.

But once wardens had investigative results in hand, they often issued penalties that were too light or made decisions too slowly, sometimes allowing officers to collect months’ worth of paid leave before firing them, according to the report.

The office, tasked with monitoring discipline at the state’s prisons, gave the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation an overall rating of “poor” in conducting internal investigations and handling employee discipline in the first half of the year.

Among the most egregious missteps identified in the report was the case of an unidentified correctional officer who allegedly assaulted his wife with a knife, threatened her with a firearm and bit his son. He was arrested by outside law enforcement, according to the report. The report does not say where the officer worked.

A warden reduced the officer’s salary by 10% for two years. The Inspector General Office recommended firing him.

In another case, four officers were accused of punching and kicking a prisoner in a housing unit and trying to cover it up with the help of a fifth officer who closed a gate behind them, according to the report.

The warden didn’t refer the incident to the Office of Internal Affairs for three months, 40 days later than department policy required. It took almost three years for Internal Affairs to finish its investigation, which it did 10 days before a deadline to administer discipline.

The warden deemed the investigation insufficient. But there was no more time to investigate further, so the officers weren’t disciplined.

In a misstep by the Office of Internal Affairs, a newly hired officer wasn’t fired immediately after helping a prisoner smuggle mobile phones into a prison and carrying knives, alcohol and ammunition onto prison grounds.

The officer admitted to criminal conduct, but due to delays by the Office of Internal Affairs, the department missed a chance to fire the new employee during her probationary period. She ended up on administrative leave for 267 days, according to the report.

In its 35th semiannual report, the Office of Inspector General reviewed a selection of 147 cases, some covering incidents from before this year, and issued ratings of “satisfactory” in 99 cases, “poor” in 47 cases and “superior” in one case.

Corrections department spokeswoman Dana Simas said in an email that the department holds its employees to the highest standard and prioritizes thoroughness in its investigations.

“And while we understand the OIG’s concern on timeliness, the reality is that every case is different and should be treated by its individual factors,” Simas said in the email.

She noted the department instituted new procedures at the beginning of 2022 aimed at improving investigations of prisoners’ allegations against staff.

This story was originally published October 1, 2022 at 5:30 AM.