California Women’s Prison Plagued by Rampant Sexual Abuse of Inmates by Officers: Report
A sign stands at the U.S. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Complex, where convicted Israeli spy Jonathan J. Pollard is housed, on April 1, 2014 in Butner, North Carolina. Pollard, a former Navy intelligence analyst serving a life sentence for spying for Israel more than a quarter century ago, could be released under the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

A California women's prison was found to have inmates being subjected to rampant sexual abuse by correctional officers, including the warden.

It was dubbed as "the rape club," which was a name given by prisoners and workers at the federal correctional institution in Dublin, California, according to an Associated Press News report.

An AP investigation has revealed a "permissive and toxic" culture at the Bay Area lockup, which has enabled years of sexual misconduct by predatory employees and cover-ups that have kept the abuse from going public.

Federal Bureau of Prisons documents, statements, and recordings from inmates note thousands of pages of court records from criminal and civil cases involving Dublin prison staff.

The inmates' allegations against members were ignored or set aside. In addition, prisoners could be sent to solitary confinement for reporting abuse.

Female Prisoners in California's Women Prison

One inmate said that she was "overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, and anger." The inmate said that she was crying uncontrollably after being under abuse and retaliation at Dublin, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Another inmate said she thought about suicide when her cries for help went unheard and now suffering from severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

Correctional employees have power over the lives of inmates from mealtime to lights out. There is no situation wherein an inmate can give consent.

Four arrests have been made in light of the allegations in Dublin.

In 2020, there were 422 complaints of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse across the system of 122 prisons and 153,000 inmates.

Meanwhile, the agency said it substantiated only four of those complaints and that 290 are still being investigated.

Thahesha Jusino will be taking over as Dublin's warden at the end of the month. She vowed to have zero tolerance for sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

Jusino said that a culture of misconduct or actions not representing the BOP's Core Values will not be tolerated.

California Guard Indicted

Alex Tafoya, a California correctional officer, was arraigned on charges that include oral copulation by force and sexual penetration by force, according to a U.S. News report.

Tafoya also faced false imprisonment by violence, fraud, or deceit by a police officer.

District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a statement that they must protect from sexual violence irrespective of their circumstance.

In October, Zachary Simmons was convicted of sexually assaulting multiple female inmates.

Simmons was sentenced to eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty of having raped an inmate in 2015 and committing other sex crimes with two inmates in 2015 and 2018 while he was working at the San Joaquin County Jail.

He was placed on administrative leave in late August after officials started investigating allegations against him.

Simmons had been with the sheriff's office since 2008.

Meanwhile, in September, the former warden was accused of molesting an inmate as she tried to push him away.

Former warden Ray J. Garcia made her and another inmate strip naked, did around, and took pictures that were found on his personal laptop computer.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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