A US federal judge on Friday ordered the appointment of a special master to oversee a federal women’s prison in California that is notorious for widespread sexual abuse against inmates. This move marks the first time the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has been subject to such oversight.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote, “The situation can no longer be tolerated,” and characterized the environment of abuse and cover-ups at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, a prison a few miles east of San Francisco housing more than 600 inmates, as “a dysfunctional mess.”
Judge Rogers said she made an unannounced visit to the prison on February 14, spending nine hours touring both the main facility and its satellite camp. During her visit, she engaged in conversations with over 100 inmates and staff members.
Friday’s decision to appoint a special master comes after the FBI conducted a search of the prison as part of a continuing investigation that has spanned several years. Judge Rogers summarized the need for oversight, writing, “BOP has lost the ability to manage with integrity and trust.”
The order comes after eight inmates and the advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners filed a lawsuit against BOP in August. They contend that despite the prosecution of the former warden and numerous former officers, instances of sexual abuse and exploitation still persist.
According to the complaint, court documents from the 1990s and 2000s show frequent instances of assaults at FCI Dublin throughout those decades. Over that period, at least four BOP employees stationed at FCI Dublin were either convicted or pleaded guilty to sexually abusing incarcerated women. As recently as 2021, charges have been brought against at least eight FCI Dublin employees for sexually abusing inmates, with five pleading guilty, two convicted at trial, and one case awaiting resolution. Additionally, approximately 50 civil rights lawsuits against FCI Dublin employees are currently in progress.
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