Now that FCI Dublin is closed, what are 200 correctional officers doing?
Powerless in Prison: The fallout of FCI Dublin
In April, the Bureau of Prisons abruptly shut down the troubled FCI Dublin. KTVU interviews dozens of women and explains what led up to the closure, questioning whether this was retaliation for outside oversight over the prison, which has been riddled with sex abuse for decades.
DUBLIN, Calif. - Now that the all-women's Federal Correctional Institute at Dublin has been closed for two months and the 605 women transferred to other prisons around the country, what are the employees and correctional officers doing?
The Bureau of Prisons won't say.
In an email to KTVU, the agency acknowledged that there are now 190 employees currently at FCI Dublin, down from the 204 employees there when BOP Director Colette Peters announced the prison shutdown in April.
But other than that, the BOP said they didn't immediately know who resigned, retired or took jobs elsewhere and that those answers could be obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
FCI Dublin President of Local 3584 Ed Canales would not respond to KTVU's requests as to what the correctional officers are doing now that there are no longer any incarcerated women to guard.
On Friday, he texted that he was on a legal conference call but did not answer any followup questions.
A BOP employee who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution told KTVU that he is aware that some employees who work in the facilities department have been walking the grounds of the prison, assessing what it would cost to turn the site into a men's facility.
And a handful of managers have put in transfers to work at other prisons, the source said.
As for the correctional officers?
"They're not doing anything," the source said. "They're just hanging around, wasting taxpayer money."
The source said that there are so many prisons that are understaffed across the United States, he's not sure why these FCI Dublin employees aren't being sent there to help out, even if it's just for a few weeks at a time.
In an interview Monday, U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier said he would look into what the officers were doing on the job.
"You know,I really have to get on this," he said. "The [BOP] has not been good communicators. But we'll contact them and we'll ask a series of questions. I'll probably get a letter ready before Friday where I can get signatures from other members who've taken an interest in just finding out what's going on in there."
DeSaulnier and 19 other colleagues sent a letter to BOP Director Colette Peters in mid-June asking for more information about the closure of the prison in mid-April, including whether it was done out of retaliation and if women were mistreated on their trips across the country to other prisons.
As of Monday, the BOP had not answered their questions.
"We have not heard back, but that's not a surprise," DeSaulnier said.
DeSaulnier had previously said that his office would work to find correctional officers jobs elsewhere, either at other prisons or agencies if they wanted the help, but he said no one has contacted him.
"I have not talked to anybody," DeSaulnier said.
DeSaulnier also said that he heard that FCI Dublin staff have been assigned courses to take in anticipation of a potential "mission change" or being sent to work temporarily at another facility.
Peters closed FCI Dublin on April 15, about 10 days after a federal judge named a special master to oversee reforms at the prison. This was an unprecedented move in BOP history and comes after seven correctional officers were sent to prison for sexual abuse. An eighth officer is headed to trial.
Despite the BOP's assertion that the culture of sexual abuse and retaliation had ended after these officers had been convicted and sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers still called FCI Dublin a "dysfunctional mess."
FCI Dublin President of Local 3584 Ed Canales said he doesn't want the prison to shut down. April 19, 2024.
READ THE EMAIL Q&A BETWEEN KTVU AND THE BOP:
Q: How many have resigned or retired?
A: The information you're inquiring about is not readily available to our office. To learn whether the information you are requesting may be obtainable in records responsive to your inquiry, you may submit a request for records via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). An overview of the FOIA process may be found here https://www.bop.gov/foia/index.jsp#tabs-0. Information on how to file a FOIA request with the BOP can be found by reviewing the "Request Information" tab on the overview page.
Q: How many took jobs at other BOP facilities and can you stay where?
A: The information you're inquiring about is not readily available to our office. To learn whether the information you are requesting may be obtainable in records responsive to your inquiry, you may submit a request for records via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). An overview of the FOIA process may be found here https://www.bop.gov/foia/index.jsp#tabs-0. Information on how to file a FOIA request with the BOP can be found by reviewing the "Request Information" tab on the overview page.
Q: How many are still employed but not assigned anywhere?
A: There are currently 190 employees employed at FCI Dublin.
Q: Have you decided what will become of the property and if it is reopening in another format like a different type of prison?
A: We are aware of the impact a temporary closure may have on our Dublin employees. As previously stated, no one will lose their jobs as a result of this action. We are currently conducting an assessment of the facility and our population needs to determine the next steps. We will provide updates as we have them.
Lisa Fernandez is a reporter for KTVU. Email Lisa at lisa.fernandez@fox.com or call her at 510-874-0139. Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez