(ProsperNews.net) – The Department of Justice has been ordered to pay nearly $116 million to 103 women who were victims of sexual abuse at the now-shuttered Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. Known as the “rape club,” the prison has become a symbol of systemic abuse and neglect within the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The settlement, approved Tuesday, will average $1.1 million per victim and marks the largest payout ever made by the DOJ to incarcerated women.
The decision comes after years of allegations that staff, including high-ranking officials, engaged in widespread abuse while prison leadership turned a blind eye. “We were sentenced to prison, we were not sentenced to be assaulted and abused,” said Aimee Chavira, a former inmate and one of the plaintiffs. Chavira expressed hope that the settlement would aid survivors in healing but noted that monetary compensation could never fully address the harm inflicted. “This cannot bring back survivors who were deported, separated from their families, or continue to suffer in silence,” she told The Associated Press.
The prison’s former warden, Ray Garcia, and seven other staff members are currently serving prison sentences for sexually abusing inmates. An eighth officer, Darrell Wayne Smith, faces 12 counts of sexual abuse and is awaiting trial. The facility, notorious for its culture of abuse, was permanently closed last month following years of legal battles and public outcry.
Jessica Pride, an attorney representing several of the women, emphasized the severity of the trauma endured by the survivors. “If it were up to me, the settlement would be ten times as much,” she said, highlighting that no amount of money could truly compensate for the damage done. The settlement amounts were determined based on the severity of trauma and the number of instances of abuse each woman experienced.
The closure of FCI Dublin and this unprecedented settlement underscore a broader reckoning within the federal prison system. A separate class-action lawsuit filed by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners seeks systemic reform to prevent such abuses in the future, potentially benefiting an estimated 500 women who were housed at the facility.
The Bureau of Prisons has faced mounting criticism over its handling of abuse allegations and its failure to safeguard vulnerable inmates. While the settlement provides some measure of accountability, advocates argue that structural reforms are urgently needed to protect those in custody from similar horrors.
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