Advocates call for women inmates to be released instead of transferred from embattled Dublin prison

ByRyan Curry KGO logo

Friday, April 19, 2024

Advocates look to stop inmate transfers out of Dublin women's prison

Advocates for women prisoners have filed a request to try and stop inmates from being transferred out of the embattled Dublin prison set to close.

DUBLIN, Calif. (KGO) -- The California Coalition for Women Prisoners has filed a Temporary Restraining Order request to try and stop inmates from being transferred out of The Dublin Federal Correctional Institute. FCI Dublin is scheduled to close and inmates are set to be transferred to other facilities.

"We see this as a huge evasion of accountability," said Emily Shapiro with the Coalition. "While we support prison closure, the way this closure is happening is deeply harmful to people inside."

FCI Dublin has been the center of a several-year investigation into sexual abuse towards inmates. At least eight employees, including a former warden and chaplain, have been charged with abuse crimes. Five have pleaded guilty and two were convicted at trial. One more is still under investigation. Earlier in April, a special master was appointed to oversee reforms at the prison. Now, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced they will close it. Inmates will be moved to locations that don't have special masters.

"We believe there are issues with the entire Bureau of Prisons," Shapiro said. "There are reports of abuse at other locations, and the transferring process can be damaging."

The closest federal women's prison to Dublin is nearly 400 miles away in Southern California. They want this order to stop the transfers which they say can be traumatizing for women inmates.

MORE: FBI raids Dublin prison plagued by sex abuse; pattern of immigrant women being targeted, lawyer says

"People who have been transferred, we have heard reports they are not getting access to food or water or bathrooms," Shapiro said. "The transfers are happening to out of state to places like Florida and Texas and Illinois where they don't know anyone."

We did reach out to the FOB about the restraining order and we are waiting to hear back. They did say in a statement when the announced the closures they would not say where they are transferring the inmates due to safety and security concerns.

"The restraining order is asking that all of the cases be reviewed," Shapiro said.