Music legend Phil Spector has been assigned to a “sensitive needs facility” in California’s largest state prison to serve his sentence for murdering an actress.
Spokeswoman Terry Thornton for the California Department of Corrections said Spector was taken Monday to the Corcoran prison, where 6,919 other inmates are housed.
She said Spector was assigned to the sensitive needs facility rather than general population. He’s a medium security prisoner and doesn’t have a cellmate.
Corcoran prison Lt. Stephen Smith said Spector’s notoriety probably got him into that housing area. He said the typical inmate there needs protection after dropping out of a gang.
The 69-year-old Spector is serving 19 years to life for the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson at his castle-like home in Alhambra in 2003. He was convicted of second-degree murder in April after the first trial ended with a mistrial.
Rachelle Spector told The Associated Press in a telephone call Tuesday she was relieved her husband was out of North Kern State Prison, where he has been undergoing evaluation.
She claimed Spector was mistreated there, forced to sleep naked on the floor for two nights and to eat out of a bowl with his hands “like a dog.”
Thornton said the prison does not mistreat inmates and the actions described by Rachelle Spector “would be a violation of policies and laws.” She said, however, any report of misconduct would be investigated.
