Incarcerated women who were exposed to widespread sexual abuse by staff at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin in California are urging President Joe Biden to grant them clemency, The Guardian’s Sam Levin reported earlier today.
Their plea comes after Biden recently issued the largest single-day clemency in modern U.S. history, commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others. Advocates are calling for Biden to extend this act of relief to survivors of systemic abuse who remain incarcerated.
Clemency can take various forms, including a pardon, which forgives the offense and restores civil rights; a commutation of sentence, which reduces the length of imprisonment or fines; a reprieve, which delays punishment; or the remission of fines and forfeitures. Clemency serves as a means of relief for individuals who demonstrate rehabilitation, experience extraordinary circumstances, or face unjust conditions.
FCI Dublin was the site of one of the largest prison abuse scandals in U.S. history, where staff sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting misconduct were so common that the prison was known as the “rape club.” Investigations revealed severe constitutional violations, inadequate healthcare, and a lack of programming for incarcerated individuals. Seven staff members, including the warden, were convicted of sexual crimes, and over 20 employees remain under investigation. The plea for clemency also comes on the heels of a historic $116 million settlement between the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and 103 plaintiffs. Despite the settlement, which itself came days after a consent decree settlement was reached, many survivors remain imprisoned within the same system that allowed their abuse.
Roberta Bell, a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, has spent nearly 30 years in federal custody and was transferred to a Minnesota prison after speaking out about abuse at Dublin. Bell alleges she endured prolonged harassment and retaliation for reporting misconduct, including solitary confinement and denial of medical care. She continues to advocate for clemency, saying, “I have suffered a great deal and lost a lot that I will not be able to get back. Give me a chance to prove to you that the investment you made in me was worth it.” Bell dreams of reuniting with her five granddaughters, whom she has never met in person.
Non-U.S. citizens who survived abuse at Dublin face additional risks, including deportation. Leslie, a former Dublin resident, said a guard abused her for two years. Now in her 30s, she faces deportation to Mexico despite living in the U.S. since her teens. “Biden needs to grant clemency to survivors who deserve to come home. Biden needs to stop our deportations. Give us a chance to stay in the U.S. with our kids and heal,” she said.
Another survivor, currently imprisoned in Florida, reported ongoing trauma, including nightmares and suicidal thoughts. She remains hopeful that clemency could inspire others to speak out, saying, “We have to show the other people that somebody is going to help … Everybody deserves a second chance.”
The 2022 U.S. Senate reported that staff at two-thirds of federal women’s prisons had sexually abused incarcerated residents over the last decade. Advocates argue that clemency is essential to addressing the systemic abuse in the prison system. “We were sent to prison to pay for the crime we committed, not to face this horrific abuse,” said Aimee Chavira, a Dublin survivor granted compassionate release last year. Chavira continues to struggle with the lasting impact of her experiences but emphasizes that therapy and support outside of prison have helped her move forward.
BOP spokesperson Randilee Giamusso stated the agency is committed to addressing and preventing abusive behavior, while an ICE spokesperson confirmed Leslie’s deportation stems from a drug conviction. However, survivors and advocates insist that more action is needed, and they are urging the Biden administration to provide clemency as a means of justice and recovery for those harmed by systemic failures.
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