IE 11 is not supported. July 28, 2022, 8:00 PM UTC. OAKLAND, Calif. -- One of five workers accused of sexually abusing inmates at a federal women's prison in California pleaded guilty on Thursday . He visited her at a halfway house, where they had sex and he proposed to her with a diamond ring. All Rights Reserved. The perpetrators have included male employees at every level of the prison hierarchy: warden, pastor, guard. One of them said Highhouse leered at her when she got out of the shower and had a reputation as a predator.. An incarcerated individual has the right against being pressured by anyone to engage in . Since 2000, the Texas prison system has referred nearly 400 cases of staff sex crimes against inmates to prosecutors. These staffers were usually employed full-time as correctional officers or supervising staff for longer than six months. I dont even go to Church anymore because of him. Enter https://www.corrections1.com/ and click OK. During interviews, several inmates expressed concern about reporting sexual abuse, indicating that they feared the facility would retaliate against them, the auditor found. is failing systemically to prevent, detect and address sexual abuse of prisoners by its own employees, said Senator Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat who leads the subcommittee. The U.S. Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons convened a task force of 18 senior executives to visit Dublin, examine conditions and meet with inmates and staff members. Highhouse is among five workers charged in the last 14 months with sexually abusing inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, and the first to reach the sentencing phase of his case. An Army veteran, he pressured one inmate into intercourse on Veterans Day by telling her she needed to serve her country and on Thanksgiving by telling her she needed to show her gratitude for him, prosecutors said. Considers Early Release for Female Inmates Sexually Abused Behind Bars, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/us/politics/federal-prison-sexual-abuse.html. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to aggressively investigating allegations of abuse, including sexual abuse, across the BOP.. Hood said that because Garcia was allowed to retire, he would be making six figures for the rest of his life. Ms. Peters has said that addressing prisoner abuse, along with the overreliance on restrictive housing units, are among her top priorities. Lindsay, the former warden and correctional expert, said he was in "total shock" by the problems at Dublin. The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission. By Aadil Ikram Zaki Iqbal. 2. Other allegations against Highhouse, previously kept quiet by Dublin officials, came to light during the investigation, prosecutors said. According to the complaint against Klinger, who was accused of one count of sex abuse of a ward, he had sex with two inmates and told both he wanted to father their children and made plans to marry them. Enrique Chavez, 49, who worked as a cook supervisor, became the fifth Bureau of Prisons employee to be indicted at the facility since spring 2021. The person assaulted is either seen as weaker, or gang banged . An elected official serving his second term as sheriff, Noel is also Clark Countys Republican Party chair and a friend of former Vice President Mike Pence, and he supported former President Donald Trump. Cameron Lindsay, a former warden at three federal prisons and correctional consultant, said more needs to be done to review the prison's policies. The former warden, Ray J. Garcia, was arraigned Wednesday on a superseding indictment charging him with abusing two additional inmates, for a total of seven counts involving three victims. Michael E. Horowitz, the inspector general, told the committee he was committed to streamlining and strengthening investigations, in line with the recommendations of a working group convened by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to address the problem. In late January, the general counsel of the prison bureau denied an application filed by Aimee Chavira, 43, who claimed her experience at the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, near Oakland, Calif., made her eligible for immediate release on humanitarian grounds. "The onion was not peeled back enough," he said. While Highhouse, 49, was charged only with abusing one inmate and lying to authorities, prosecutors say he engaged in predatory conduct with at least six women from 2014 to 2019 including one he counseled at a veterans hospital where he worked before joining the federal Bureau of Prisons, where allegations were routinely ignored. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, First Circuit: Surgery performed on inmate to locate alleged contraband a violation of the Fourth Amendment, Ala. police: Man gets ride home from jail, then kills 3 relatives and friend, Charges dropped against detainee after video showed beating by deputies inside Ga. jail, Inmate accused of slashing N.Y. corrections officer indicted, Open the tools menu in your browser. Approximately 15.7% of inmates are raped in federal prisons. He refused to confess to a supposed plot against the prison administration and three men subjected him to continuous violent sexual abuse, he says. In an effort to prevent an inmate from reporting abuse, Garcia allegedly told the inmate he was a close friend with the head of the Special Investigative Services, which investigates allegations of misconduct by inmates and guards in the prison. Sexual victimization of adult inmates is an ongoing problem in U.S. jails and prisons, with thousands of victims of inmate-on inmate abuse and staff-on-inmate abuse during 2016 through . All sexual activity between a prison worker and an inmate is illegal. The prison is one of the nation's few all-female federal prisons. "I knew he had the power to prevent me from being transferred to a prison closer to my family closer to my daughter," Moore said. In 2020, the same year some of the women at Dublin complained, there were 422 complaints of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse across the system of 122 prisons and 153,000 inmates. As of May, 17 current or former employees at Dublin, including the former pastor, were under investigation for sexual abuse. In September, Ms. Monaco wrote a letter to the prisoners rights group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, saying that she had ordered the bureaus new director, Colette S. Peters, to review whether B.O.P.s policy regarding compassionate release should be modified to accommodate female prisoners who had been assaulted by federal employees. Six of the accused officers . The complaint accused Garcia of penetrating a victims vagina with his finger on multiple occasions, asking inmates to strip naked for him when he did his rounds, and taking photos and saving them to his personal laptop. Horowitz said in a statement Wednesdayhis office would "continue to aggressively pursue allegations of abuse at FCI Dublin and across the BOP.". An attorney for Chavez could not immediately be determined for comment. The former chaplain, James Theodore Highhouse, was sentenced toseven years in prison. According to court documents, the warrant was issued with no bail. NBC News has reached out to Lowes lawyer for comment and to Jeremy Mull, the Clark County prosecuting attorney, to see if any of the male inmates who allegedly attacked the women have been identified and charged with crimes. Sentencing Commission to give inmates the right to directly request a compassionate release ruling from trial judges rather than rely on the bureau. Thus far, only a handful of the women at Dublin have applied for compassionate release, but many others are waiting to see the outcome of the requests from Ms. Chavira and others before taking action. UPDATE: Ray Garcia, former @OfficialFBOP Dublin warden accused of sexually abusing 3 female inmates, . Nearly two-thirds of the abused youngsters said that the officials lured them into sexual relationships by giving them special treatment . The inmate said that she attempted to report the abuse but that when she did, a prison officer shrugged and reminded her that she would soon be transferring out of Dublin. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. John Russell Bellhouse, 39, a prison safety administrator, is scheduled to be arraigned this month on charges he sexually abused an inmate he called his "girlfriend" from February to December 2020. Klinger, 37,pleaded guilty to three counts in February. Members of Congress have urged more scrutiny and investigations into allegations of systemic sexual abuse of inmates. The other woman who was raped became pregnant and later miscarried, William McCall, one of the two lawyers representing the 20 women who filed the first federal lawsuit, told The Washington Post. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? This case demonstrates that the Criminal Division will not hesitate to hold accountable any officer who preys upon vulnerable victims and violates the publics trust., Government employees entrusted with the custody of inmates are responsible for the safety of both the community as well as those inmates, said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. In December, a jury found the former warden Ray J. Garcia guilty of seven counts of sexual abuse of three female inmates and one count of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Earlier this year, an Associated Press investigation revealed years of sexual misconduct at FCI Dublin, including allegations against the prison's former warden. The commission is expected to hold public hearings on Thursday and Friday to discuss a range of potential changes, including to the compassionate release rules. None of these six officers was ever prosecuted.. Ray J. Garcia, 55, of Merced, was accused in 2021 of sexually abusing at least one incarcerated woman at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, east of San Francisco. Highhouse pleaded guilty on Feb. 23 to two counts of sexual abuse of a ward, two counts of abusive sexual contact and one count of making false statements to federal agents. The women, who range in age from 26 to 59, were threatened if they didn't comply, the suit maintains. Title: Inmate Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Policy Issue Date: 08/24/15 Supersedes: 01/01/14 State of North Carolina Department of Public Safety Prisons . Those conditions violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the . Department officials are still exploring ways to fortify and repurpose internal administrative procedures to help verify the hundreds of sexual abuse claims filed by prisoners each year, according to a draft letter of a proposal to a judicial policy panel outlining possible changes. Sexual abuse in prisoni is a global human rights crisis. In May, an inmate now incarcerated at another federal prison facility reported that Highhouse raped her multiple times in his chapel office after she sought him out for counseling, prosecutors said. Seven correction officers at Rikers Island raped and sexually abused female inmates over a two-year period . ", The Bureau of Prisons said in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday that the agency is "being proactive and is fully cooperating with the Office of Inspector General on active investigations, and will bring to justice those who abuse public trust." Privately, officials familiar with the case, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, do not dispute her allegations. During her initial testimony, Moore expressed regret for the drug offense that landed her in prison. The former warden, Ray Garcia, wasconvicted in Decemberof molesting inmates and forcing them to pose naked in their cells. The path to early release is a complex tangle of laws and regulations intended to prevent violent criminals and repeat offenders from taking advantage of the system by falsely claiming maladies or hardships. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Reporting Sexual Abuse of Inmates. All rights reserved. I had no choice but to obey.". One of five workers accused of sexually abusing inmates at a federal women's prison in California pleaded guilty on Thursday, prosecutors said. The ordeal at the Clark County jail allegedly began early on Oct. 24, 2021, and continued over the course of several hours, during which the women were raped, assaulted, harassed, threatened and intimidated, according to the most recent lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana. He also insisted he was coerced and assaulted into making a false confession about selling them the keys. The Dublin prison has been under scrutiny by members of Congress who wrote a letter earlier this month to the Justice Departments Inspector General Michael Horowitz urging him to investigate the prison and retaliation against staff and inmates for filing complaints or helping in the investigation of complaints. They also didnt change the locks to the pod, even though the keys were still missing, the suits state. John Russell Bellhouse, a prison safety administrator, is scheduled to stand trial next June. Nor were her attackers held accountable. SEATTLE A former Washington corrections officer who sexually assaulted four inmates at the city of Forks jail in 2019 is out of prison after completing roughly 13 months of his 20-month sentence. A former corrections officer at one of the only federal women's prisons in the country sexually abused three inmates, United States prosecutors said this week in a new indictment. All rights reserved. and Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Enrique Chavez isthe fifth Bureau of Prisons employee at the high-profileNorthern California prison in Dublin to be indicted at the facility since spring 2021. The complaint alleges that Klinger repeatedly had sex with the first victim in a storage warehouse and continued to keep in touch with her after he was transferred to a different prison, using the alias "Juan Garcia" and also communicated with her through email and video visits. But some groups do not think that goes far enough and are pushing the U.S. Federal prosecutors must use "all available tools" to hold federal corrections employees who sexually . According to BJS (Bureau of Justice Statistics), one in five inmates in state prisons report a physical assault by another inmate. Ms. Monacos aides support a proposal before the U.S. The agency releases only a fraction of inmates eligible to be freed early under federal laws. Twenty-eight female prisoners at an Indiana jail claim in two federal lawsuits that they were subjected to a "night of . While on duty as a correctional officer, Rivera allegedly committed multiple sexual acts with one inmate through the use of threats and engaged in sexually abusive conduct with two additional inmates under his supervision. Wheres the p--- at? they yelled, according to the lawsuit. He said the agency needed to be more transparent about such incidents of staff misconduct and use specifics in its annual training. Former Army Chaplain Who Sexually Abused Inmates Gets 7 Years in Prison, By Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence. Aimee Chavira, a federal prisoner currently incarcerated in Arizona, claimed she was repeatedly sexually abused by male staff at the Dublin womens prison, near Oakland. External Reporting of Inmate Sexual Abuse/Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Through the Office of Corrections Ombudsman. Of 126 prison . Widespread sexual abuse of female inmates continues to plague federal prisons and accountability measures for staff have not contained the scourge of such violence, according to a Senate investigative report released Tuesday. Copyright 2023 Governments "have a moral, ethical and, perhaps most importantly, Constitutional responsibility to ensure that the Bill of Rights is upheld for every inmate that's detained," Lindsay said. Prison and jail staff who sexually abuse inmates rarely face consequences. And when the practices of staff are inconsistent with procedure and policy, that is indicative of failed leadership within the correctional facility.". "Speaking about my experience in such a public setting is incredibly hard. It also singled out the departments Office of the Inspector General, assigned to review such allegations, for declining to investigate six male officers at Coleman accused of abuse. All six officers already had admitted to sexually abusing female prisoners under their supervision, the report said. But that seems to be changing, albeit slowly. Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Florida, where numerous women have said they were abused by prison employees. His attorney did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The high-profile Dublin prison in Northern California, formerly . Ms. Chaviras case the first of its kind to make its way through the system is seen by prisoners rights groups as a key test of the departments commitment to use so-called compassionate release protocols for victims of abuse. They seek damages but do not name a specific dollar amount. The Clark County Sheriff's Office in Indiana. On Tuesday, a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee released the results of a bipartisan investigation that provided the starkest picture to date of a crisis that the Justice Department has identified as a top policy priority. Chavez was arrested in Arizona and is awaiting transfer to Oakland to face these charges. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. The report comes as the federal prison system hasfaced scrutiny for repeated incidents of inmate sexual abuse by staff, including by a warden and chaplain at a high-profile Northern California prison. The report of that audit was released Monday. identifies important training information, interacts with each other and
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