Former FCI Dublin Inmates File Class-Action Lawsuit Against Prison

DUBLIN, CA - Eight former inmates at the FCI Dublin women’s federal prison have filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons, alleging that it did not do enough to prevent rampant sexual abuse at the prison despite being aware of it.

The lawsuit, led by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, is the first major putative class action suit against the prison, following over a dozen individual lawsuits.

The 87-page suit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, alleges that inmates suffered “horrific abuse and exploitation” at the hands of facility staff, including rape, sexual assault, sexual coercion, drugging, groping, and other forms of abuse, and threatening immigrants with deportation, among others.

These charges began to receive national attention following a sprawling Associated Press investigation in early 2022. Since then, eight former FCI Dublin employees, including the former warden and chaplain, have been charged or convicted with sexual abuse. The prison is also being investigated by multiple congressional inquiries, which have described the Federal Bureau of Prison’s investigative methods as “seriously flawed.”

The suit alleges that the BOP had been aware of these problems for decades and “has failed, and continues to fail, to take action to protect those in its care.”

The suit also alleges that leadership at the prison “affirmatively take actions that allow the abuse to continue” by failing to investigate claims, and retaliating against those who report abuse.

Abuse survivors allegedly have no way to safely report sexual misconduct, and must often report to the same staff members who either abused them or allowed the abuse to occur. The suit alleges that reporters often face immediate retaliation, including placement in solitary confinement, unjustified strip and cell searches, and transfer to other prisons.

In addition to compensation, the suit asks for mental health counselors, safe and confidential ways to report abuse, employee training in sexual abuse, better methods of investigating sexual abuse reporting, installing fixed cameras, dealing with unsafe living conditions, and more.