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By Marni Rose McFall
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What's New
In a record settlement, the federal government will pay over $116 million to more than 100 women who were victims of sexual abuse by employees at a now-closed federal prison in Dublin, California, which was dubbed the "rape club."
It is the largest ever settlement paid by the federal government over misconduct in federal prisons, and the women will receive an average of $1.1 million each.
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Newsweek reached out to the Federal Bureau of Prisons via an online form outside of normal working hours for comment.
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Why It Matters
The settlement is the latest in a series of developments in the scandal surrounding the prison, which has been ongoing for years.
An FBI investigation was launched and subsequently resulted in arrests in 2021. Ultimately, eight Federal Correctional Institution Dublin employees were charged with sexually abusing inmates.
What To Know
The settlement will see the women receive a payout to settle their litigation against the Bureau of Prisons over their abuse at the Federal Correctional Institution in the East Bay community of Dublin.
Of the eight employees charged, five have pleaded guilty and there have been two convictions, including the former warden, Ray Garcia.
The prison was temporarily closed by the Bureau of Prisons, due to how severely it had become plagued by sexual abuse, so much so, that it had become known as the "rape club".
The prison closure became permanent in November.
This financial settlement comes after a separate class-action suit. This was resolved, with the Bureau of Prisons having agreed to subject facilities to a court-appointed monitor.
The bureau publicly acknowledged that sexual abuse was a pervasive issue.
Allegations of sexual abuse at the prison date back to the 1990s; four employees have been convicted of sexually abusing inmates.
In a statement shared with Newsweek, Adam Slater, a lawyer at the firm Slater Slater Schulman, which represented 24 of the 103 individuals in the settlement, said that, "While sexual abuse is unfortunately endemic to prison settings across America, this is the largest known combined Bureau of Prisons sexual abuse settlement in history.
"It's a crucial step in holding the Bureau of Prisons accountable for its systematic failure to protect women in its custody. These survivors have shown extraordinary courage in speaking out, and we are committed to ensuring their voices are heard and their experiences validated."
The Bureau of Prisons, which oversees over 30,000 employees and 158,000 inmates, is facing increasing scrutiny over its handling of institutions like FCI Dublin.
What People Are Saying
In an email shared with Newsweek, the Bureau of Prisons said: "The FBOP strongly condemns all forms of sexually abusive behavior and takes seriously its duty to protect the individuals in our custody as well as maintain the safety of our employees and community.
"The FBOP is dedicated to appropriately addressing the consequences of sexually abusive behavior at FCI Dublin. The FBOP remains committed to rooting out criminal behavior and holding accountable those who violate their oath of office."
What's Next
Alongside the closure of the FCI Dublin facility, the bureau is shutting down multiple minimum-security prison camps in Pensacola, Florida; Duluth, Minnesota; and Morgantown, West Virginia.
The Bureau of Prisons is currently facing lawsuits from hundreds of former inmates, who are demanding systemic reforms, as well as financial compensation for mistreatment that they have suffered.
Update: 12/18/24, 10:56 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Bureau of Prisons.
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