Teacher faces charges of four felonies for alleged crimes at Soledad prison.

An elementary teacher in San Ardo Unified School District who was previously a supervisor of academic instruction at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad is facing criminal charges.

Gaige Bailey faces four felony charges for allegedly transporting, bringing to prison, and intending to sell a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and a misdemeanor for communicating with inmates without authorization.

The alleged crimes happened over a span of four months, from March 1 to June 28, 2024. Bailey pleaded not guilty of all counts.

Her case isn’t the only one, says defense attorney William Pernik. He says his firm receives calls about similar cases regularly and there is common denominator: professional women with no prior criminal record, some facing mental health issues, history of trauma or low self-esteem.

“The government dismisses these cases as for-profit operations,” Pernik says. “Our experience has shown that that’s oftentimes not the case.”

According to an article titled “Professional Boundaries in Corrections” published on the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, several factors contribute to inappropriate relationships between inmates and staff, such as shared feelings of being unappreciated.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon says the maximum sentence for a similar case is four years in jail. That changes if the person, like Bailey, has no criminal record. In her case, the maximum sentence is felony probation, which may include less than a year in jail or home confinement.

According to court documents, Sudhanva Rajapopal, a licensed clinical psychologist, evaluated Bailey and diagnosed her with PTSD and bipolar disorder.

Bailey is seeking a mental health diversion.

“If they complete diversion, the case is dismissed. There is no conviction, no jail time, no probation,” Brannon notes.

A hearing on the diversion request is scheduled for Sept. 4 in Monterey County Superior Court.