FCI Dublin Shutting Down

Monday morning, Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette S. Peters announced that FCI Dublin will be closing due to the facility’s failure to “meet expected standards.” The closure was announced amidst the ongoing federal investigation for widespread sexual abuse at the facility, and less than two weeks after District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers appointed a special master to oversee the facility. It is unknown whether the closure is permanent. Meanwhile, amidst great confusion, prisoners are being transferred out.

According to Director Peters, the BOP had “taken unprecedented steps and provided a tremendous amount of resources to address culture, recruitment and retention, aging infrastructure – and most critical, employee misconduct.”

FCI Dublin has been at the center of an unprecedented scandal involving widespread sexual abuse of federal prisoners by BOP staff. The facility’s closure serves as an acknowledgment of the BOP’s systemic failure to keep inmates safe.

Attorney Jaehyun Oh is currently representing dozens of victims of sexual assault from FCI Dublin, and she is also involved in nationwide reform efforts to ensure that survivors of prison sexual assault receive support.

FCI Dublin Culture of Abuse

Institutional failures and the lack of proper oversight at FCI Dublin cultivated a culture of abuse where correctional officers were emboldened to sexually assault numerous inmates. Furthermore, to deter victims from reporting their abuse, correctional officers resorted to intimidation tactics and threats of retaliation.

Since 2021, the prison has been under federal investigation after the FBI received several reports of correctional officer sexual abuse from inmates. After receiving the reports, numerous employees were immediately walked off the facility, and 25 additional employees were put under investigation for misconduct as of May 2022. Currently, eight former correctional officers have been charged with sexual abuse or abusive sexual contact of a ward.

Although criminal prosecutions are a necessary step in the right direction, the prison’s closure indicates that there were larger systematic failures which could not be fixed. Alarmingly, the BOP agreed to preserve the jobs of all correctional officers. However, it is unclear if employees will be investigated prior to their transfer.

The closure also came after nearly 60 civil suits were filed against the facility, however, many more are expected to be filed in upcoming months. The lawsuits reveal the egregious institutional failures not only from FCI Dublin staff but also from the Bureau of Prisons itself, which indicate that hundreds of women were wrongfully put at risk.

Earlier this month, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers appointed a special master to oversee the prison and to ensure that the facility is compliant with court orders and federal policies. Judge Rogers also stated that the special master must review and approve all inmate transfers in order to consider the individual circumstances of every inmate.

Importantly, the closure also means that the incarcerated victims, including many of our clients, will no longer be incarcerated in the facility where their abuse occurred. Being housed in the same facility where their abuse occurred can cause severe physical and mental trauma, and many of our clients have reported experiencing retaliation from officers for reporting their abuse.

Prison Sexual Assault Lawyer

The presence of sexual assault in correctional facilities contributes to long-lasting physical consequences and devastating mental health challenges that take years to overcome. Our experienced prion sexual assault lawyers understand these issues and can help survivors process their trauma and seek accountability.

In 2022, Jaehyun Oh recovered the largest settlement award against the BOP in a prison sexual assault case nation-wide. The landmark case triggered a federal investigation into the sexual abuse of federal inmates, and one of Jae’s clients was invited to testify in front of Congress as a result.

At the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm, our attorneys understand the complexities and difficulties of pursuing a legal claim while incarcerated.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of sexual assault in prison, contact the Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm for a free, strictly confidential initial consultation.

We can help when the unimaginable happens.