A U.S. district judge will appoint a special warden to oversee a federal women’s prison in California following reports of sexual abuse of inmates.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, an Obama appointee, did not name a specific person for the role, but the court did not name anyone in the Federal Correctional Facility in Dublin, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Oakland. He said he would appoint him immediately.
“This situation is no longer acceptable. Change is urgent at the facility,” she wrote in an order released Friday, according to the Associated Press. She also accused the Bureau of Prisons of “ignoring” inmates’ constitutional rights.
The new order follows a lawsuit filed in mid-August by eight inmates and the California Women Prisoners Coalition, an advocacy group, alleging that the abuse continued despite the indictments of several former officers. It’s part of the process.
“We cannot prosecute how to resolve the FCI Dublin crisis,” said barrister Amaris Montes. Said at that time. “This is not a case of a few bad apples; we need systemic changes that ensure survivors are released and cared for and promote safety for all those who remain indoors. ”
The lawsuit followed the Associated Press 2022 investigation A visit to the prison revealed that inmates were being abused by police officers and wardens, highlighting a culture of abuse within the prison. They faced retaliation for speaking out.
The prison opened in 1974 and was renovated in 2012 as one of six women-only prisons in the federal prison system. Prisons also faced problems with violations and understaffing.
The Hill has contacted the Department of Prisons and the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin for comment.
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