The Federal Bureau of Prisons will face a trial pertaining to the sexual abuse of female inmates by guards at a now-closed prison in California.
Formerly known as FCI Dublin, this prison was one of six all-female facilities under the BOP and gained notoriety due to widespread allegations of sexual abuse and subsequent coverups perpetrated by the staff. This Wednesday, during the first hearing following the prison’s closure last month, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decreed that a lawsuit brought by inmates would proceed next year, according to the Associated Press.
Both parties have been instructed to prepare for a trial on June 23, 2025.
Following the hearing, the BOP expressed gratitude towards Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ involvement, stating that it “appreciates Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ work in this area and stands ready to engage” with legal authorities.
The lawsuit, filed by inmates in August, alleges extensive sexual abuse and retaliation against those who reported it.
The extent of the abuse became public in February 2022 after an investigation by the news agency unveiled a culture of sexual misconduct against female inmates. Those attempting to report the abuse were sent to solitary confinement, and officials tasked with preventing such assaults were also accused of abusing inmates.
Among the most notorious offenders was former warden Ray J. Garcia, arrested in 2020 after complaints reached the Department of Justice, making him the highest-ranking prison official to be arrested in ten years.
