We post news and comment on federal criminal justice issues, focused primarily on trial and post-conviction matters, legislative initiatives, and sentencing issues.
LOOK AT ME, I’M WONDERFUL
I reported last Friday on a federal court approval of a settlement between the Federal Bureau of Prisons and about 500 female prisoners formerly housed at the now-closed FCI Dublin.
I note that one curious requirement of the decree is that the BOP to “issue a formal, public acknowledgement to victims of staff sexual abuse at FCI Dublin.”
I mentioned that the “acknowledgement” came on February 26 in a post by William Lothrop, who will be one of the shortest-tenured acting BOP directors in history( he retires in three weeks). Bill, like me, is apparently a late 60s fan of the Bonzo Dog Band, which gave us some timely classics as “I’m the Urban Spaceman.” This much is suggested by his channeling the band’s sleeper from its Keysham album entitled “Look at Me, I’m Wonderful.“
If you didn’t know the history, you’d think Lothrop was taking the agency on a victory lap. He emoted on his own 33 years having “worked tirelessly with our correctional professionals to rehabilitate and prepare all inmates for successful reentry into our communities.” Hard to tell that he was supposed to be apologizing to all of those women who were sexually assaulted by BOP employees while other BOP employees hid their heads in the sand.
After Lothrop “acknowledge[d] those women who were verified victims of sexual abuse while they were designated at FCI Dublin,” he proudly strutted that “there is absolutely no place for sexual abuse in this agency, and therefore, our agency maintains and reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy for employee sexual misconduct and retaliation. I have full faith that the FBOP and our team of dedicated correctional professionals will continue to meet the demands of this moment.”
The non-apology would be ennui-inducing enough if the BOP had stamped out sexual abuse as a result of the Dublin debacle. However, last week, we were reminded that the BOP is doing anything but meeting the demands of this moment or any other.
A former BOP corrections officer assigned to a female unit at FDC Chicago was charged in federal court with sexually assaulting four female inmates in late 2023. The same week, out at USP Thomson, a CO was indicted for allegedly having sex with two inmates between December 2023 and March 2024.
What did these people not get? Their fellow BOP officers and managers in Dublin were getting perp-walked on Bay Area television for sexually abusing inmates. You’d think that would suggest that sex with inmates was a bad idea.
And while it’s not sex, down in Florida, a former FCC Coleman has been indicted in MD Florida federal court for smuggling contraband tobacco into the prison last June in exchange for payment.
On a related note, at the end of January, the Dept of Justice shut down its National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD), a national directory former President Biden created in 2022 to track police misconduct. Last week, The Appeal reported that over half of the 5,200 lost database entries, more than 2,600, related to complaints against BOP officers. Customs and Border Patrol was in second place with 1,169 records, or about 22% of the database.
Look at you, Mr. Lothrop. Look at you, BOP. You’re wonderful. Shooby-dooby-wah.
BOP, Update Regarding Former FCI Dublin Inmates (February 26, 2025)
WTTW-TV, Ex-Correctional Officer Accused of Sexually Abusing Inmates in Chicago’s Federal Prison (March 6, 2025)
WIFR-TV, Thomson prison correctional officer accused of having sex with inmates (February 5, 2025)
Florida Politics.com, Ocala prison guard faces 15-plus years on contraband tobacco rap (March 4, 2025)
The Appeal, Trump’s Deleted Police Misconduct Database Was Full of Prison and Border Incidents (February 27, 2025)
– Thomas L. Root