Via Wikimedia Commons
By Xinhui Lin
OAKLAND, CA – Another 12 survivors late last week jointly filed lawsuits against the federal women’s prison in Dublin, which adds to a total of 63 active lawsuits against the facility for sexual abuse of the incarcerated.
According to Rights Behind Bars, these lawsuits all reflected “sexual abuse at FCI Dublin has been enabled by a system where coercion is the norm, outside scrutiny is rare, and officers protect one another from accountability at all costs.”
The 63 lawsuits only represent a small portion of all incidents, said Rights Behind Bars, noting that in the coming months, it is expected that dozens more lawsuits are going to be filed against FCI Dublin that encompasses everyone incarcerated at the facility.
RBB said these lawsuits against FCI Dublin are the result of “systematic staff sexual abuse and misconduct that has long gone unchecked at this facility.”
The details of the sexual abuse incidences outlined in the lawsuits are horrific, according to F.S. v. United States of America complaint. F.S. is a Native American woman who was held down and forcibly raped by officers 1-3 times a week. Officers allegedly also make hateful comments, stating Native Americans are “worth nothing but drinking alcohol and going to prison.”
According to RBB, another victim, E.S., was forcibly raped by an “Officer Kinlaw” on a number of occasions, and often met with homophobic comments and threats while other officers did nothing to stop sexual abuse. Instead, some officers acted as a “lookout” for Officer Kinlaw.
According to multiple lawsuits, victims were subjected to various sexual abuse, including “horrific incidences of voyeurism, being forced to masturbate, perform strip shows, or commit sex acts on other incarcerated people in front of officers.” If they refused to comply, the officers would “threaten to write disciplinary reports or refuse to allow them out of their cells.”
As stated by The Appeal, immigrant women are also targeted victims due to their immigration status. If they did not commit to the sexual acts demanded by officers, they faced threats of getting deported.
Many victims were reduced to silence due to the fear of retaliation, wrote Truthout, noting “women speaking up about sexual abuse behind bars face retaliation and ongoing harassment.”
The impacts of lawsuits are also uncertain. According to RBB, “while some of the officers named in the lawsuits have been criminally charged, several have not,” but are still in position of sexually assaulting more women behind bars.
“The experiences of these 12 brave survivors exemplify the culture of sexual abuse and sexual harassment that has deep roots in BOP. Officers at every level committed horrific abuse or actively allowed abuse to continue. These survivors seek accountability for themselves, and for everyone else who remains at risk of abuse at the hands of BOP officials,” said Amaris Montes, attorney with Rights Behind Bars and counsel for the survivors.
“This horrific abuse is continuing to happen right here in the Bay Area even during and after officers being convicted,” said Emily Shapiro, a member of California Coalition for Women Prisoners.
Shapiro added, “We have to pay attention if we want accountability from BOP. The experiences of these 12 additional survivors speak to the fact that the abuse is systemic, that officers weaponize solitary confinement, immigration status, and write-ups to coerce people in Dublin, and that the culture of the BOP has not changed in any true or lasting way.”
According to RBB, in addition to lawsuits brought by individual survivors, Rights Behind Bars, Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP (RBGG), and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) are representing eight named plaintiffs, the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and a putative class that encompasses everyone currently incarcerated at FCI Dublin in a class-action lawsuit seeking systemic change at the facility.
