Dublin prison guards hit with ‘avalanche’ of sex abuse lawsuits
(KRON) — Disgraced Federal Correctional Institution Dublin prison guards are facing an “avalanche of lawsuits” stemming from systemic sexual abuse of female inmates.
The prison’s former warden, Ray J. Garcia, was previously convicted by a jury on eight counts of sex abuse. Inmates said 57-year-old Garcia and guards created a “rape club” within the prison, located across the street from Santa Rita Jail.
On Thursday, Rights Behind Bars, Arnold & Porter, and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice filed lawsuits on behalf of 12 female inmates who claim they were sexually abused by male guards at the federal women’s prison.
“The incidents of abuse detailed in the complaints filed yesterday are shocking. They reflect the pattern that has emerged across myriad investigations … sexual abuse at FCI Dublin has been enabled by a system where coercion is the norm, outside scrutiny is rare, and officers protect one another from accountability at all costs,” attorneys wrote.
Several ex-FCI Dublin prison guards have been criminally charged in a massive scandal. One of the charged guards, 53-year-old Darrell Wayne Smith, was nicknamed “Dirty Dick Smith” by inmates. Last summer two former guards, Nakie Nunley 49, of Fairfield, and Andrew Jones, 36, of Pleasanton, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing inmates and lying to investigators. Former guard John Bellhouse, 40, of Pleasanton, was convicted by a jury.
The female inmates represented in the lawsuits are identified by their initials in court documents.
Allegations in the 12 civil lawsuits include:
F.S., a Native American woman, was forcibly raped by Officer Pool 1-3 times a week, often while being held down by two other officers, Officers Saucedo and Ramos, according to the lawsuit. The officers made hateful comments, including saying that Native Americans are “worth nothing but drinking alcohol and going to prison.”
Inmate E.S. was forcibly raped by Officer Kinlaw on a number of occasions, the suit claims. He regularly made homophobic remarks to her and threatened to throw her in the SHU (solitary confinement) if she left their shared job. Officer Sinclair stood as a lookout when Officer Kinlaw sexually abused E.S., her attorneys said.
Women were subject to horrific incidences of voyeurism, being forced to masturbate, perform strip shows, or commit sex acts on other incarcerated women in front of officers.
On multiple occasions, inmate A.Y. awoke to Officer Allwine on top of her, removing her clothes, and digitally penetrating her, the lawsuit states.
An undocumented woman, H.G., was threatened with deportation by one guard if she did not commit the sexual acts he demanded. Multiple plaintiffs are immigrant women who were targeted due to their illegal immigration status.
The lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
Emily Shapiro, a member of California Coalition for Women Prisoners, said there are still abusive guards at FCI Dublin who have not been fired or prosecuted. While some of the officers named in the lawsuits have been convicted at trial, no charges have been filed against officers Allwine, Pool, and Kinlaw, attorneys said.
Dozens more lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming months, attorneys said.
“This horrific abuse is continuing to happen right here in the Bay Area even during and after officers being convicted,” Shapiro said. “We have to pay attention if we want accountability from BOP (Bureau of Prisons). The experiences of these 12 additional survivors speak to the fact that the abuse is systemic, that officers weaponize solitary confinement, immigration status, and write-ups to coerce people in Dublin.”
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