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Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin

Coordinates: 37°43′06″N 121°53′50″W / 37.71833°N 121.89722°W / 37.71833; -121.89722
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Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
Map
LocationDublin, California
StatusClosed
Security classLow-security (with minimum-security prison camp)
Population726 (115 in prison camp)
Opened1974
ClosedApril 15, 2024
Managed byFederal Bureau of Prisons

The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin (FCI Dublin) was a low-security United States federal prison for female inmates in Dublin, California. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp housing minimum-security female offenders.

FCI Dublin is located 20 miles southeast of Oakland on the Parks Reserve Forces Training Area.[1] It is located near Santa Rita Jail, which is operated by Alameda County.

FCI Dublin opened in 1974. It became an exclusively female prison in 2012 and is one of five federal prisons for women in the United States. In 2021 and 2022, the facility was embroiled in a scandal over a permissive and toxic culture of rampant sexual abuse by staff at the facility.[2] After 60 Minutes aired a special in January 2024 titled "Agency In Crisis", the FBI raided the FCI Dublin and shortly after, the Bureau of Prisons announced its closure on April 15, 2024.[3]

Facility and programs

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Aerial views of Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
  • Aerial view of the front of Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
    Front view of administrative entrance
  • Aerial view of the housing units at Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
    Housing units

The prison's education department offers GED and ESL programs, as well as courses in parenting skills. The prison also provides legal and leisure library services in addition to training in the use of various computer software.

There are two Federal Prison Industries UNICOR programs at FCI Dublin: the Textiles and the Call Center. Textiles employ approximately 150 inmates on the manufacture of custom draperies, parachutes, and disaster blankets. They also sort and repair USPS mailbags. The Call Center employs around 250 inmates on directory assistance inquiries.

It houses inmates who are serving an average sentence of 5 years. It has a design capacity of 250 inmates, but houses 1,077 as of April 11, 2013.[4] Conditions are cramped, with three inmates sharing a cell on the top tier and four inmates sharing a cell on the bottom tier, designed to house a single prisoner. Meals are served in shifts due to the small size of the dining facilities.

Like most American prisons, FCI Dublin also contains a SHU (Secure Housing Unit), where any prisoners who are deemed to have broken prison rules are kept in segregation under a highly restrictive regime. Prisoners in the SHU spend more time locked in their cell than the general prison population, are only allowed out for limited amounts of time and must be transported to and from their cell wearing handcuffs. Depending on the circumstances[clarification needed], an inmate may spend weeks or even months in the SHU.

FCI Dublin is surrounded by two separate fences with a gap of approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) between them. Measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) high, each chain-link fence is reinforced with multiple coils of razor wire (at the top and bottom) plus electronic sensors to detect escape attempts.

The institution also has an adjacent administrative detention facility housing adult males on holdover or pre-trial status, and a minimum-security satellite camp housing adult female offenders, which opened in 1990. This minimum-security camp was several old army barracks and these have been torn down. The BOP has removed a section of the FCI and placed approximately 200 female minimum security prisoners in this space. This facility is just short of an FCI. All the guards are rotated out of the FCI.

Notable incidents

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On November 5, 1986, Ronald McIntosh, who had escaped during a prison transfer one month earlier, landed a stolen helicopter in the exercise yard and escaped with Samantha Lopez, who was serving a 50-year sentence for bank robbery. Mr. McIntosh was serving a sentence for wire fraud when he met Ms. Lopez working in the business office of the prison and the two devised the escape plan. They were arrested by FBI Agents 10 days later and subsequently convicted of air piracy and escape. McIntosh received a 25-year sentence and Lopez had five years added to her sentence.[5][6]

Sexual abuse of prisoners

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A 2022 investigation by the Associated Press reported a "permissive and toxic culture... of sexual misconduct by predatory employees".[2] The AP reported that inmates alleged "rampant sexual abuse by correctional officers", and that prisoners were allegedly "threatened or punished when they tried to speak up".[2] The environment of sexual abuse was so notorious, the inmates and workers called the facility "the rape club."[2]

In 2022, the prison chaplain was sentenced to 7 years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing an inmate and lying to federal agents about the misconduct.[2][7] Former warden Ray J. Garcia was found guilty of sexual offenses against prisoners and sentenced to 70 months in prison.[8][9]

In 2023, 8 correctional officials from FCI Dublin have been charged and 4 have been sentenced for sexual abuse of prisoners.[10] In February 2024, the California Coalition of Women Prisoners, filed a class-action lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons.[11] Since the shutdown of FCI Dublin in April 2024, there are more than 65 former Dublin inmates who have filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Bureau of Prisons staff.

Notable inmates

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†Inmates incarcerated prior to 1982 do not have an assigned register number.

Inmate Name Register Number Photo Status Details
Patricia Hearst N/A† Released from custody in 1979 after President Jimmy Carter commuted her 7-year sentence; served 21 months.[12] Granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst; convicted in 1976 of participating in a 1974 bank robbery with members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, who had kidnapped her several months before; pardoned in 2001 by President Bill Clinton.[13]
Rita Lavelle 29753-112 Released from custody in 1985 after serving four and a half months of a six-month sentence.[14] Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for solid waste and emergency response under President Ronald Reagan; convicted in 1984 for perjury after an investigation of the Superfund program.[15]
Michael Milken 16126-054 Released from custody in 1993 after serving 22 months of a 10-year sentence (later reduced to two years).[16] American billionaire financier who created high-yield bonds; convicted of securities fraud in 1990. His case was the largest criminal case in Wall Street history.[17]
Lynette Fromme 06075-180 Paroled in 2009 after serving a life sentence. Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford. Was transferred to FPC Alderson after a physical conflict with another inmate in 1979 and escaped from Alderson in 1987 only to be recaptured two days later and sent to FMC Carswell.
Sara Jane Moore 04851-180 Released from prison on parole on December 31, 2007 after serving 32 years of her life sentence.[18] Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford.[19]
Stacey Koon 99752-012 Released from custody in 1995; served 24 months.[20][21] Former LAPD officers; convicted in 1993 of federal civil rights violations in connection with the 1992 beating of Rodney King; their acquittals in state court sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[22]
Laurence Powell 99749-012
Greg Anderson 93389-011 First imprisoned in July 2006 and released from custody after serving more than a year. Imprisoned again on March 22, 2011 and released again on April 8, 2011.[23] Personal trainer for Barry Bonds implicated in the BALCO scandal. He was twice imprisoned for contempt for refusing to testify against Bonds.[23]
Heidi Fleiss 03888-112 Released from custody in 1998; served 20 months.[24] Operated a prostitution ring in Hollywood, California which catered to high-profile clients in the entertainment industry; convicted in 1997 of tax evasion and money laundering; known as the "Hollywood Madam."[25][26]
Pavlo Lazarenko 94430-011 Released from custody in 2012; served 8 years. Prime Minister of Ukraine from 1996 to 1997; convicted in 2004 of money laundering and other charges for siphoning millions of dollars of public money into his personal accounts and attempting to hide some $21 million from American banks.[27][28]
Josh Wolf 98005-111 Served 226 days in prison; released in April 2007 Convicted of contempt of court for refusing to hand over footage to the police regarding an anti-G8 protest in San Francisco.[29]
Julienne Bušić 00308-183 Released on parole in 1989 after serving 13 years. One of the hijackers on TWA Flight 355
Briana Waters 36432-086 Released from custody in 2013; served 5 years. Members of the ecoterrorist group Earth Liberation Front (ELF) who pleaded guilty to arson, Waters in connection with the University of Washington firebombing incident and Zacher for setting fires at an SUV dealership, a poplar farm, and a police station in Oregon; several other ELF members were also sentenced to prison.[30][31][32]
Joyanna Zacher 36360-086 Released from custody in 2012; served 5 years.
Autumn Jackson 43312-054 Served a 26 month sentence; released in 2000. Convicted for extorting Bill Cosby, whom she alleged was her true father.
Stella Nickell 17371-086 Release date March 7, 2043; now at FCI Hazelton Killed husband and innocent stranger by poisoned Excedrin capsules with cyanide. Caused manufacturer's US-wide recall of all non-prescription capsule products and 90-day ban on the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules in Washington State. First person convicted under federal product tampering laws.
Felicity Huffman 77806-112 Released on October 25, 2019; served 10 days. Plead guilty to connection to the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.
Elizabeth Henriquez 86706-054 Released on January 27, 2021.
Lori Loughlin 77827-112 Released on December 28, 2020; served 59 days.[33]
Allison Mack 90838-053 Released on July 3, 2023; served 21 months. An American actress, pleaded guilty to racketeering and racketeering conspiracy for her involvement in the sex cult NXIVM, that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor and racketeering.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "BOP: FCI Dublin". Bop.gov. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "AP investigation: Women's prison fostered culture of abuse". AP NEWS. February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  3. ^ "FCI Dublin closing, women transferred elsewhere". KTVU FOX 2. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  4. ^ "BOP: Weekly Population Report". Bop.gov. October 10, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  5. ^ "Prison Couple Found Guilty In Trial On Helicopter Escape - New York Times". The New York Times. May 20, 1987. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  6. ^ "Lovers Sentenced in Escape From Prison in a Helicopter - New York Times". The New York Times. July 19, 1987. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  7. ^ "Federal Prison Chaplain Sentenced for Sexual Assault and Lying to Federal Agents". Department of Justice. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  8. ^ "Jury Convicts Former Federal Prison Warden for Sexual Abuse of Three Female Inmates". December 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "Former Federal Prison Warden Sentenced for Sexual Abuse Of Three Female Inmates". Department of Justice. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Rodriguez, Olga R. (November 16, 2023). "Federal prison worker gets 8 years for abusing female inmates; investigation ongoing". USA Today. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  11. ^ Squires, Camille; French, Piper (June 27, 2024). ""What's More Extraordinary and Compelling?"". Bolts. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  12. ^ Taylor, Michael (January 23, 2001). "New Focus on Old SLA Killing / Sara Jane Olson case revives interest in deadly bank robbery". Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  13. ^ "Patty Hearst returns to prison in Pleasanton". Hearst Communications Inc. May 16, 2003. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  14. ^ "Prison Releases Rita Lavelle". Chicago Tribune.
  15. ^ Shabecoff, Philip (January 10, 1984). "Rita Lavelle Gets 6-Month Term and is Fined $10,000 for Perjury". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "Michael Milken invented the modern junk bond, went to prison, and then became one of the most respected people on Wall Street". Business Insider.
  17. ^ Eichenwald, Kurt (April 21, 1990). "Milken Set to Pay a $600 Million Fine in Wall St. Fraud". The New York Times.
  18. ^ "Sara Jane Moore freed 32 years after firing shot at president outside SF hotel". January 2008.
  19. ^ "Don't Blame It on Danville".
  20. ^ Newton, Jim (October 13, 1993). "Powell, Koon Surrender to Begin Prison Sentences". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  21. ^ "Police In King Beating Released From Prison". Chicago Tribune. October 16, 1995. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  22. ^ "Powell, Koon Surrender to Begin Prison Sentences - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. October 13, 1993. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  23. ^ a b Egelko, Bob (April 8, 2011). "Bonds' personal trainer released from prison". SF Gate. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  24. ^ "Heidi Fleiss Seeks to Return to Prison". Los Angeles Times. December 16, 1998. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  25. ^ "Tax Charges Are Added in Prostitution Case - New York Times". The New York Times. July 29, 1994. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  26. ^ "Heidi Fleiss Given 37-Month Sentence - New York Times". The New York Times. January 8, 1997. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  27. ^ Mckinley, Jesse (August 26, 2006). "World Briefing - Europe - Ukraine - 9 Years In U.S. Prison For Ex-Premier - NYTimes.com". New York Times. Ukraine; San Francisco (Calif). Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  28. ^ Former Ukraine prime minister's conviction upheld
  29. ^ "Blogger Jailed for Refusing to Turn Over Video". NPR. October 25, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  30. ^ "USDOJ: US Attorney's Office - WAW". Justice.gov. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  31. ^ "Four Defendants Plead Guilty to Arson and Conspiracy Charges Associated With Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |". News9.com. September 6, 2000. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  32. ^ Bartley, Nancy (June 20, 2008). "Local News | UW arsonist, Briana Waters, sentenced to 6 years | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.com. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  33. ^ Patten, Dominic (October 30, 2020). "Lori Loughlin Enters Prison Early For Two-Month Sentence In College Bribery Scheme". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
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37°43′06″N 121°53′50″W / 37.71833°N 121.89722°W / 37.71833; -121.89722

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