A legal settlement in the wake of rampant staff-on-inmate sexual abuse will force the federal Bureau of Prisons to open its doors to a court-appointed monitor and publicly acknowledge pervasive misconduct at its now-shuttered women’s prison in California.
The Bureau of Prisons and lawyers for women suing over abuse at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, filed a proposed consent decree on Friday that mandates increased transparency and key protections for victims, including pathways to early release and home confinement.
The agency’s director, Colette Peters, "will issue a formal, public acknowledgement to victims of staff sexual abuse at FCI Dublin" as part of the settlement.
"The proposed consent decree is a historic victory, but our work is just beginning," said Emily Shapiro, an advocate with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners and Dublin Prison Solidarity Coalition. "We will fight to ensure the agreement is fully implemented."
The class-action lawsuit, filed last year in federal court in Oakland, is one of several aimed at holding the agency accountable after a former warden and other employees at FCI Dublin went to prison for sexually abusing inmates.
Other lawsuits seek monetary compensation for victims who say they endured abuse and retribution at the low-security facility.
"This reflects the lived reality of the class members in this lawsuit: the problems at FCI Dublin were not unique to that facility," said plaintiffs' lawyer Amaris Montes of Rights Behind Bars.
Before coming to an agreement, the Bureau of Prisons fought to have the lawsuit dismissed - arguing that FCI Dublin’s temporary closure had made the case moot. The agency started moving inmates out just days after Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers appointed a monitor.
Under the proposed agreement, plaintiffs will have ongoing access to report abuse through confidential channels. It also includes protections against retaliation such as banning segregated housing unit punishment for low-level disciplinary matters.
The agency will be required to review invalid disciplinary reports by FCI Dublin staff which may have been issued unjustly. They must restore early release credits lost during transfers from FCI Dublin and facilitate eligible releases without discrimination based on immigration status or detainers.