More Than a Uniform: Remembering Annie Covarrubias and the Crisis Facing Correctional Officers

An angel raising a key to prison bars.
Image created by IVN staff.
Author: Chad Peace
Published: 20 May, 2025
Updated: 18 Jun, 2025
2 min read

Last week, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials announced the sudden passing of Annie Covarrubias, a correctional officer at the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad. She was 35 years old. In the words of her colleagues, Annie was a “dependable, professional, and kind” officer, known for her dedication to both her peers and the incarcerated individuals she worked with every day.

Her death, though still unexplained publicly, comes as a growing number of correctional officers across the country face silent crises: physical, psychological, and institutional. The memorial shared by CDCR paints a picture of a public servant who “consistently demonstrated kindness, humility, and professionalism.” Those are qualities we should always recognize. But it’s worth asking: What does it take to consistently show up that way in a place built on punishment and control?

In the wake of her passing, Annie’s colleagues and loved ones launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her family and honor her legacy. The fundraiser describes Annie as a “beloved daughter, sister, partner, and friend” whose kindness and dedication left a lasting impact on everyone around her. As of this week, the campaign has raised nearly $20,000 -- just shy of its initial goal.

This June, IVN will launch a new How It Really Works series that explores the unseen pressures of prison systems, not just for the people who are incarcerated, but for the officers and staff who work inside the walls. While much of the public debate about prison reform focuses on sentencing laws, bail policy, or rehabilitation, we rarely stop to ask: What’s happening to the people on the job? What does it cost them, and what support do they receive?

Running for President as an Independent: How it Really Works

In our reporting, we found that correctional officers, like Annie, are at the center of a workplace many describe as emotionally isolating and physically dangerous. Suicide rates among correctional officers now exceed those of police officers and firefighters. One 2024 Health & Justice review concluded that corrections staff rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) approach or exceed that of military combat veterans. They suffer high rates of PTSD, depression, hypertension, and burnout, often with little institutional support.

And most never ask for help, for fear of losing their careers.

The loss of a colleague like Annie Covarrubias is a tragedy. But it’s also a reminder. Behind every title, badge, or uniform, there is a human being trying to navigate a system that wasn’t built to protect their well-being. We should be honoring their service not just in memorial, but in policy, practice, and care.

The upcoming How It Really Works: Health Care Behind Bars series will examine how the justice system treats those who are incarcerated—and how it often forgets the people charged with overseeing it. We hope it starts a new conversation, not just about accountability, but about humanity. Because what happens inside these walls affects all of us.

Related articles

How It Really Works Health Care Behind Bars
Health Care Behind Bars - How It Really Works
The health care crisis behind bars affects two distinct but deeply connected groups: incarcerated individuals and correctional officers. While incarcerated people are constitutionally entitled to care, access remains inconsistent, and most enter custody with significant medical and mental health needs. They face higher rates of chronic illness, infectious disease, and psychiatric conditions than the general public....
12 Jun, 2025
-
20 min read
POV shot from behind bars in a jail.
A History of California Criminal Justice and Prison Reform Initiatives (1994-2025)
Over the past 30 years, California voters have repeatedly turned to the ballot box to shape criminal justice policy, responding to concerns about public safety, justice, punishment, and rehabilitation. ...
13 May, 2025
-
8 min read
alcatraz island
Trump Pushes Alcatraz Revival as Calif. Audit Finds State Prisons Unprepared for Natural Disaster Evacuations
As President Donald Trump calls for the reopening and expansion of Alcatraz Island to house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent offenders,” a new state audit raises alarms about California’s state prison system: most state-run facilities are not adequately prepared to evacuate during natural disasters....
05 May, 2025
-
2 min read

Latest articles

homelessness in California
Clearing Homeless Encampments Is a Band-Aid, Not A Solution
Last July, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order “to address (homeless) encampments” and allocated funding to local governments to clear encampments and connect “those living in them to housing and supportive services.” ...
20 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
Thomas Massie
Thomas Massie and AOC: The Political Alliance No One Saw Coming in 2025
All eyes are on President Donald Trump to see if the US will further insert itself into the escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran. As the two nations continue to attack each other, the debate over US involvement is creating a rift between defense hawks and non-interventionists in the Republican Party....
20 Jun, 2025
-
5 min read
Bottle with a cannabis plant on it.
Is Texas About to Be More Chill on Hemp Than California?
California has just proposed a sweeping new rule to permanently ban intoxicating hemp products — and Texas may soon follow, as Governor Greg Abbott (R) faces a June 22 deadline to sign or veto a similar bill....
19 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read