OAKLAND, Calif. (NEWSnet/AP) — A special master will be appointed to oversee a FCI Dublin, a federal women’s prison in California known for sexual abuse against inmates, a judge ordered Friday.

In the order, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the prison is “a dysfunctional mess.”

“The situation can no longer be tolerated. The facility is in dire need of immediate change," she wrote, adding that Federal Bureau of Prisons has “proceeded sluggishly with intentional disregard of the inmates’ constitutional rights despite being fully apprised of the situation for years. The repeated installation of BOP leadership who fail to grasp and address the situation strains credulity."

The announcement came three days after FBI searched the prison as part of a years-long investigation. The warden was ousted after allegations that his staff retaliated against an inmate who testified against the prison.

The order is part of a federal lawsuit filed in August 2023 by eight inmates and advocacy group California Coalition for Women Prisoners. They allege sexual abuse and exploitation has not stopped despite the prosecution of the former warden and several former officers.

Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the special master appointment.

Since 2021, at least eight FCI Dublin employees have been charged with sexual abuse of inmates. Five have pleaded guilty. Two were convicted at trial. Another case is pending. About 50 civil rights lawsuits are in progress.

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