Congressman calls for investigation into prison closure | Regional/CA News

U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier has asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the sudden closure of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin, a women’s prison where there is rampant abuse of inmates by its male guards.

The Democrat, whose 10th Congressional District includes parts of Dublin and the low-security federal institution, said he was disturbed by the April 15 announcement that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) plans to close the prison and its 705 inmates to relocate to other facilities across the nation.

“The way this sudden closure has been implemented has reportedly left the women of FCI Dublin unable to communicate with their carers and families about where they are going or to appeal their transfer “DeSaulnier said in an April 26 letter to Garland and the Justice Department. U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, also signed the letter.

Just hours after FBOP Director Colette Peters announced plans to close the facility, inmates described the chaos behind bars in letters to their lawyers and U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Inmates said guards strip-searched them, forced them to sit in shackles for hours and gave them limited access to food, water and toilets.

“I respectfully request an extremely compassionate release,” one inmate wrote to Rogers. “I suffer from extreme trauma (PTSD), anxiety and high blood pressure. Suddenly we were informed that we were moving and we only had 20 minutes to unpack all of my personal belongings. That scared me a lot.”

The inmate said she served 19 months of a 45-month sentence, was put on a bus to another facility and had to sit there for four hours without food.

“This is unfair. Inhumane,” she said.

Lawyers for the California Coalition for Women Prisoners filed a motion in federal court asking Rogers to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the transfers, but as of last week most of the inmates had been moved.

The FBOP would not say how many inmates remained.

“In general, we can report that the small group of individuals remaining at FCI Dublin are awaiting either release or transfer to community accommodation,” said FBOP spokesperson Randilee Giamusso. “However, for privacy and security reasons, no specific release or broadcast dates will be announced.”

Peters’ order to close FCI Dublin followed years of criminal complaints against correctional officers, a chaplain and a warden who were accused of using their positions to sexually abuse female inmates. Eight Dublin officials, including former Warden Ray Garcia and Chaplain James Theodore Highhouse, were charged. Seven were sent to prison.

Their actions led to dozens of lawsuits, including a class action lawsuit in Rogers’ courtroom. Rogers, who also oversaw some criminal cases, called the facility dysfunctional and appointed a special administrator to oversee it. After FBI investigators raided the prison, Peters replaced the facility’s leadership but eventually announced she was closing the facility.

In their letter to Garland, DeSaulnier and Scott described the ongoing reports of sexual abuse of women in custody by FCI Dublin staff as “deeply disturbing.”

DeSaulnier and Scott said the FBOP failed to follow a directive from Rogers to conduct medical exams and screen those eligible for release before transferring inmates to other facilities.

“Medically vulnerable inmates, those who were victims of sexual assault at the facility, and those with pending compassionate release requests were transported by bus and plane to locations hundreds or thousands of miles away with reportedly limited access to basic amenities such as heating, food and water,” the letter says.

A transferred inmate, Rhonda Fleming, who had previously testified before Rogers and was placed in special housing, wrote to the judge from her new facility in Texas to support her fellow inmates.

“I am glad the warden has closed this run-down, dangerous prison. I’m not happy with the way it was done. It was completely unconstitutional conduct,” Fleming wrote. “I worry about many fragile victims of sexual abuse who allow themselves to be intimidated. I am more mature, older and stronger. These young women, you judge, they are seriously broken, emotionally, physically and yes, spiritually. It hurts to think about what they are going through as I write this letter to you.”

In addition to the inmates, members of Congress also expressed concern that the FBOP’s decision to disperse staff and inmates to other facilities so quickly also prevented Special Master Wendy Still from completing the task that Rogers assigned to her.

“Full access is still needed to identify and speak to all victims, witnesses and perpetrators in these matters in order to properly deliver justice,” the letter said. “Without the ability to conduct a proper workforce assessment, potential perpetrators are now simply returning to the system without accountability.”

The congressmen pointed to a 2021 audit of FCI Dublin by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether officers there were complying with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), saying FCI Dublin received a perfect score .

“On September 24, 2021, just one day after the PREA auditor completed the site visit, the director of FCI Dublin was charged with sexual abuse of an inmate,” the letter said. “Evidence at trial later revealed that the warden abused three incarcerated women from December 2019 to July 2021.”

“The FBOP acknowledged in its statement closing Dublin that it had failed to protect the people there. However, closing FCI Dublin without finding out the truth about how staff were able to get away with sexually abusing incarcerated people for so long will not stop sexual abuse in FBOP facilities,” the congressmen wrote. “In fact, transferring FCI Dublin employees before the special master can do her job increases the possibility that employees who may have covered up or even committed sexual abuse themselves will simply be able to harm other people in other BOP facilities to bully.”

DeSaulnier and Scott said the Department of Corrections needs to do more to provide support to inmates who have experienced and witnessed sexual abuse, including providing trauma services.

The congressmen added that the DOJ should investigate Peters’ conduct, “including when the decision to close Dublin was actually made, what planning was done, how the BOP plans to ensure that the former Dubliners receive the care they need.” “Staff transfers are managed to ensure that employees who have not been complicit are supported and that employees who have been either abusive or complicit are held to account.”