Petition to Governor Gavin Newsom: Remove CSP–Sacramento Warden Jason Schultz for
Abuse of Authority, Mismanagement of Public Funds, and Retaliation Against Law-Abiding
Families

To: Gavin Newsom, Governor of California

We, the undersigned taxpayers, voters, and advocates for government accountability, call on
Governor Gavin Newsom to immediately remove Jason Schultz, Warden of California State
Prison–Sacramento (CSP-Sac), and to initiate a broader review of similarly situated public
officials who abuse their authority, neglect their legal duties, and mismanage taxpayer resources.

This petition arises from a documented pattern of conduct at CSP-Sacramento involving the
denial of a lawful Family Visit (FV) request, despite clear protections under California Code of
Regulations, Title 15, section 3172(g). Rather than addressing a staff member’s apparent
violation of this regulation, Warden Schultz chose to deflect accountability and told my
incarcerated husband and me, both law-abiding participants in the CDCR visitation process, that
if we were dissatisfied, we should “file litigation.” This response is not leadership. It is neglect of
duty.

Title 15, section 3172(g) exists to ensure continuity of approved visitation and to prevent
arbitrary disruption of family contact without lawful justification. It is a safeguard against abuse
of discretion. Instead of investigating or correcting the staff violation, ensuring compliance with
Title 15 or exercising managerial oversight, Warden Schultz ignored the regulatory violation,
shifted responsibility onto citizens, and encouraged litigation as a remedy. This is not neutrality.
This is retaliation by bureaucracy.

Taxpayers should be alarmed. Prison litigation costs California taxpayers billions of dollars
every year in attorney fees, court costs, settlements and judgments, federal oversight and
compliance penalties. A public official who responds to internal legal violations by inviting
lawsuits is not only acting irresponsibly, but mismanaging public funds, failing in their fiduciary
duty to taxpayers.At a time of economic insecurity, rising costs of living, and strained public

budgets, no public servant should treat litigation as an acceptable substitute for lawful
management.

However, this represents a broader pattern of institutional harm. Warden Schultz’s public
statements frequently emphasize rehabilitation, accountability, and “better decision-making” by
incarcerated people. Yet these statements ring hollow when the grievance processes lack
independence, staff violations go unaddressed, rehabilitative programming is insufficient or
absent, and families acting lawfully are treated as adversaries. This contradiction matters to
victims’ rights organizations and public safety advocates alike. Undermining rehabilitation while
maintaining job security through mass incarceration does not make communities safer. It ensures
recidivism, instability, and distrust in public institutions.

This is about accountability, not one family. This petition is not about special treatment, but
about equal treatment under the law. When wardens refuse to correct staff misconduct and
instead tell citizens to sue the state, they abuse delegated authority, externalize costs onto
taxpayers, normalize unlawful practices, and erode public trust.

No official is above the law, especially those entrusted with coercive power.

Our Demands
We respectfully call on Governor Gavin Newsom to:
- Remove Warden Jason Schultz from his position at CSP-Sacramento.
- Initiate an independent review of visitation denials and grievance handling at CSP-Sac.
- Audit CDCR litigation practices to identify avoidable costs caused by managerial neglect.
- Establish enforceable accountability measures for wardens who ignore staff violations of
Title 15.
- Protect families from retaliation when they lawfully assert their rights.

Why Your Signature Matters
This petition is about: fiscal responsibility, government integrity, public safety, and respect for
the rule of law. Taxpayers should not pay for lawsuits that could have been avoided by

competent, lawful leadership. Families should not be punished for following the rules. California
deserves better.

Sign this petition to demand accountability.

We ask supporters to sign and share this petition with advocacy organizations, friends,
colleagues, and others who demand accountability from public officials entrusted with taxpayer
resources and public authority. Supporters may also notify the following government officials of
their support for the removal of CSP-Sacramento Warden Jason Schultz:

Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
ATTN: Eliza Hersh, Legal Affairs Secretary
�� Eliza.Hersh@gov.ca.gov