FCI Dublin to be shuttered in the wake of bombshell allegations of widespread staff-on-inmate abuse
Los Angeles, CA – The federal Bureau of Prisons announced that it is permanently closing its “rape club” women’s prison in California and will idle six facilities in a realignment after years of reported abuse, decay and mismanagement.
“This closure puts a glaring spotlight on years of inaction by the federal government and the parade of victims abandoned in the wake of their failure,” said Susan Burton, Founder of A New Way of Life (ANWOL). “The shuttering of FCI Dublin is a long-overdue reckoning for the Bureau of Prisons. They stood by while a toxic culture of abuse and neglect festered for decades. This is a critical step, but it cannot erase the trauma inflicted on those who endured unimaginable suffering within its walls. The system failed these women, and we must demand accountability to ensure this never happens again.”
The Bureau of Prisons informed employees and Congress early Thursday morning that it plans to shut down the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, and other minimum-security prisons in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. According to the Associated Press, “after repeatedly promising to reform FCI Dublin and other troubled facilities, the Bureau of Prisons is pivoting to closures and consolidation, citing inadequate staffing and staff … costs to repair aging infrastructure.”
News of the prison’s shuttering comes on the heels of a temporary closure seven months ago after reported staff abuse towards incarcerated individuals. The Associated Press stated that this shutdown is “the clearest sign yet that the agency, which has more than 30,000 employees, 158,000 inmates and an annual budget of about $8 billion, is unable or unwilling to rehabilitate its most problematic institutions.” Currently, hundreds of individuals who were incarcerated at FCI Dublin are suing the agency citing mistreatment at the facility and seeking reforms and compensation for the trauma endured.
“FCI Dublin’s closure is not just an indictment of one prison—it’s an indictment of a broken system that dehumanizes incarcerated individuals. While this decision is progress, it’s too little too late. True justice requires addressing the root causes of abuse and investing in the rehabilitation and dignity of all incarcerated people,” said Pamela Marshall, Co-Director of A New Way of Life (ANWOL). “At A New Way of Life, we believe that every person—regardless of their circumstances—deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The women impacted by the horrific conditions at FCI Dublin must not be forgotten. Their voices need to be heard, their trauma addressed, and their rights protected as they navigate this transition.”
