A Bureau of Prisons report revealed “disgusting conditions” inside several correctional facilities, including the FCI Tallahassee where Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffery Epstein’s partner in sex crimes, is serving her 20-year sentence.
The report noted poor storage policies, moldy bread, expired food, rodent infestation and unsanitary conditions, according to the Daily Mail.
An excerpt from the report reads:
We observed moldy bread being served as well as discolored and rotting vegetables in a food preparation refrigerator at the female prison. In the food storage warehouses, we found likely evidence of rodent droppings, as well as bags of cereal with insects in them and warped food containers.
We also found that female housing unit roofs routinely leak and that all five general population housing unit roofs need to be replaced. Many female inmates live in housing units in which water frequently leaks from ceilings and windows on or near their living spaces.
We observed housing areas in which feminine hygiene products were being used to absorb water from leaking windows, an electrical outlet that appeared to have fire damage, a sink that was detached from the wall, and a black substance on walls and ceilings. Additionally, we observed worn bedding, rusted inmate storage lockers, and unlocked supply closets.
The investigative work followed Maxwell and others filing hundreds of complaints regarding conditions at the FCI Tallahassee correctional facility. Maxwell, 61, has been at the facility for approximately one year.
Department of Justice officials from the inspector general’s office criticized local authorities for, among other things, the reported free flow of contraband items, including opioids, cigarettes and various cannabis substitutes.
The report gave the FCI Tallahassee poor marks in all areas except for reports of sexual abuse. However, the report noted there are five open investigations regarding allegations of improper conduct by FCI Tallahassee staff members.
The report harshly criticized staff for using “insulting and derogatory terms, misgendering trans inmates and not having enough cameras and manpower to deter violence, self-harm and drug use.”
The report also showed that deficiencies in staffing resulted in poor medical care, with inmates being late in receiving insulin and other prescribed drugs.
The report also noted that a lack of security cameras and routine searches of inmates who work outside the perimeter fence posed a safety threat to inmates and staff.
“The outer perimeter is enclosed behind a short single fence, large portions of which are easily accessible to the public from a municipal park. From such a location, individuals could easily throw contraband onto prison property for inmates to collect and bring back into the institution,” the report notes.
The report adds: “FCI Tallahassee staff told us that these inmates are not routinely searched when they reenter the institution, affording them an opportunity to introduce contraband, including drugs and nuisance contraband such as cigarettes and vape devices, into the female prison.”
According to a memo, the Federal Bureau of Prisons is responding to the report by taking “several steps to enhance operations.”
Maxwell may feel vindicated in leading in throwing light on the conditions at FCI Tallahassee, but her lawyers shared with the Daily Mail that prison authorities have retaliated by “shining a torch in her cell every 15 minutes, subjecting her to invasive searches and filming her at all hours.”
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
