Unprecedented class-action settlement reached in California women's prison lawsuit alleging years of abuse and retaliation by guards

Jakob Rodgers, Bay Area News Group on Dec 6, 2024

Published in News & Features

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — Attorneys for inmates formerly housed at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin federal women’s prison announced a historic settlement Friday afternoon with the Bureau of Prisons, one calling for widespread reforms and federally-monitored oversight of the care those inmates receive at facilities across the nation.

The proposed settlement marks a unprecedented end to a lawsuit filed last year that alleged years of widespread sexual abuse and retaliation by guards at the scandal-plagued facility, which was recently shuttered with no plans to reopen. It also plunges the Bureau of Prisons into monitoring an agreement intended to keep similar problems from continuing into the future at numerous federal prisons across the nation.

The settlement still requires final approval by a judge, and inmates who with to raise concerns about the proposed settlement can do so at a hearing scheduled for Feb. 25.

Under the settlement agreement, the roughly 500 inmates who joined in the class-action lawsuit would be overseen by a federal monitor, to ensure they are treated properly by the Bureau of Prisons. The inmates — who are currently housed at a dozen prisons across the United States — would receive protections from being placed into solitary confinement as a form of retaliation for speaking out about conditions at their respective prisons.

To ensure that the reforms are implemented, the Bureau of Prisons would enter into a consent decree that would be overseen by a federal judge.

In addition, the director of the Bureau of Prisons is expected to issue a formal public acknowledgment of the sexual abuse that happened at FCI Dublin, which was the site of a reputed “rape club” that saw eight former staff members, including a warden, criminally charged with myriad sex crimes.

On Friday afternoon, an attorney for the inmates praised the historic nature of the agreement.

“Much more work is needed,” said Kara Janssen, an attorney representing inmates in the lawsuit. “Does this fix everything? No it does not. But this is a huge step, and we are very proud of the work that our clients, our class members and survivors, have done to get to this point to hold BOP accountable. It’s the first step, but it’s a big step.”

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