Current:Home > NewsClosure of California federal prison was poorly planned, judge says in ordering further monitoring -Elevate Profit Vision
Closure of California federal prison was poorly planned, judge says in ordering further monitoring
View
Date:2025-04-11 12:28:41
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The plan to close a troubled prison in California where female inmates suffered sexual abuse by guards was “ill-conceived,” a judge said while ordering close monitoring and care of the incarcerated women who were moved to other federal facilities across the country.
U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in Wednesday’s order that last month’s decision by the Bureau of Prisons, or BOP, to shut down FCI Dublin “created serious concerns” for the well being of more than 600 women who were transferred out.
The prisons bureau announced April 15 that it would shutter FCI Dublin despite attempts to reform the beleaguered facility after an Associated Press investigation exposed rampant staff-on-inmate abuse. Just 10 days before the closure announcement, the judge took the unprecedented step of appointing a special master to oversee the prison near Oakland.
“Although it had as much time as needed to prepare, BOP’s operational plan for closure of FCI Dublin was ill-conceived and, like Swiss cheese, full of holes,” the judge wrote Wednesday.
Gonzalez Rogers ordered the bureau to provide a weekly status update for each transfer to the judge, the special master and attorneys for the incarcerated women who are suing the bureau.
In addition, federal officials must submit a monthly staffing report for each prison where the incarcerated women ended up, along with details of the mental health and medical health care the inmates are receiving.
Late last month, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the BOP expressing concern over claims of a chaotic transfer process during which FCI Dublin inmates on buses and planes didn’t receive proper medical care and were reportedly subjected to “mistreatment, harassment, neglect, and abuse while in transit.”
Gonzalez Rogers emphasized those concerns and said that “BOP ignored other operational issues” including the proper movement of inmates’ property.
The BOP said Thursday that it doesn’t comment on matters pending before the court. However the bureau reiterated that its closure plan was carefully considered over months.
“The process involved careful planning and coordination to ensure the safe transfer of women to other facilities, with special attention given to their unique programming, medical, and mental health requirements,” the BOP statement said. “We continue to expect that the women’s needs are addressed with compassion and respect, providing ongoing support as needed.”
Gonzalez Rogers on Wednesday also denied a recent motion filed by the BOP questioning the authority of the special master. The judge scheduled a May 16 hearing on that issue.
A 2021 Associated Press investigation exposed a “rape club” culture at the prison where a pattern of abuse and mismanagement went back years, even decades. The bureau repeatedly promised to improve the culture and environment — but the decision to shutter the facility represented an extraordinary acknowledgment that reform efforts have failed.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Protesters Call for a Halt to Three Massachusetts Pipeline Projects
- Lupita Nyong'o Celebrates Her Newly Shaved Head With Stunning Selfie
- A Guide to Father of 7 Robert De Niro's Sprawling Family Tree
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- A quadriplegic mother on raising twins: Having a disability is not the end of the world
- China to drop travel tracing as it relaxes 'zero-COVID'
- Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Kathy Hilton Shares Hunky Dory Mother’s Day Gifts Starting at $5
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- With one dose, new drug may cure sleeping sickness. Could it also wipe it out?
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Mindy Kaling’s Swimwear Collection Is Equally Chic and Comfortable
- Coach Outlet's New Y2K Shop Has 70% Off Deals on Retro-Inspired Styles
- Children's Author Kouri Richins Accused of Murdering Husband After Writing Book on Grief
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- States differ on how best to spend $26B from settlement in opioid cases
- 5 strategies to help you cope with a nagging feeling of dread
- DNC Platform Calls for Justice Dept. to Investigate Fossil Fuel Companies
Recommendation
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Coach Outlet's New Y2K Shop Has 70% Off Deals on Retro-Inspired Styles
Savannah Chrisley Shares Update on Her Relationship Status After Brief Romance With Country Singer
InsideClimate News to Host 2019 Investigative Journalism Fellow
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
The strange but true story of how a Kenyan youth became a world-class snow carver
People Near Wyoming Fracking Town Show Elevated Levels of Toxic Chemicals
Exxon’s Climate Fraud Trial Nears Its End: What Does the State Have to Prove to Win?