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Located in the dry, undulating hills of Tallahassee, Florida is a dilapidated federal prison for women with low security measures, currently housing one of the most notorious criminals in America, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Justice Department watchdog report, obtained by The Independent, documented concerns such as black grime on walls, rodents present, and the use of sanitary items to stop leaks in run-down living spaces at Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee.
The once wealthy socialite, accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, was transferred to a rundown prison after being convicted in 2021 of luring and transporting underage girls for the disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. She was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
A typical unit in FCI Tallahassee, a women’s prison with low-security in Florida.
A confined outdoor area likely utilized by Maxwell.
Inspectors have described the harsh conditions as Maxwell prepares to challenge her 20-year prison sentence.
During the trial, witnesses shared their experiences of being enticed by Maxwell to Epstein’s residences where they were subjected to abuse. Judge Alison Nathan, who oversaw the trial, stated that Maxwell played a role in the abuse and her actions were despicable and predatory. The judge also mentioned that Maxwell had normalized the abuse perpetrated by Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
While receiving her sentence, Maxwell and Epstein were confronted with a collection of distressing impact statements from their victims, with one expressing that they had caused great harm to their lives. Another victim shared that they had tried to forget the crimes committed against them by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, but had to come to terms with the lasting impact.
Inspectors have outlined the conditions of the prison where Maxwell is being held as she prepares to appeal her 20-year sentence next month.
On March 12th, a panel of three judges in Manhattan will review Maxwell’s appeal, as her legal team argues against her conviction on five counts of soliciting and preparing four underage girls for the deceased financier’s sexual exploitation from 1994 to 2004.
Ian Maxwell, the brother of Maxwell, expressed to The Independent that the court hearing was unfair to his sister due to bias in the American justice system. He believes that her jury was not impartial, as three jurors had undisclosed experiences with sexual abuse, preventing the defence from properly questioning their selection. This raises concerns about their ability to objectively assess evidence in a case involving sexual abuse.
The prison’s food service and storage facilities were of great concern.
Sacks of food were discovered with what seemed to be excrement from rodents.
A sizable opening in the wall may grant entry to rodents in the food storage facility.
The US government is encouraging the appeals court to maintain her conviction, as prosecutors stated that during a ten-year period, Maxwell aided and took part in the sexual abuse of several young girls.
Maxwell, registered as inmate 02879-509, has been employed in the prison library at FCI Tallahassee for the past two years. Additionally, she has conducted lessons on etiquette for fellow inmates.
She is reported to spend her day doing yoga in a prison block and sleeping in shared dormitories that can accommodate up to 100 inmates per room, with bunk beds.
According to reports, Maxwell has been dubbed “Prison Karen” due to her extensive number of complaints since being transferred to a minimum-security prison. These complaints have included the lack of vegan food options.
A recent study by the US Office of the Inspector General exposed concerning conditions that prisoners are enduring. During an unannounced visit, inspectors discovered significant operational shortcomings.
Prisoners expressed concerns about potential consequences if they voice complaints to the prison employees. Some have been accused of making discriminatory remarks and neglecting to uphold regulations.
The discovery was made that there were damaged stools in the cafeteria that had potential to be used as weapons due to their sharp edges.
The inspectors also discovered windows that were leaking and numerous dead insects.
The findings of the report focused on the food service and storage facilities of the prison. It was discovered that there were rotting vegetables in the fridges and inmates were being served mouldy bread. The cafeteria was also found to have broken stools with sharp edges, which could potentially be used as weapons, as well as leaking windows and a large number of dead insects present.
Food warehouses were found to contain “seriously unsanitary conditions”, including evidence of droppings by rodents who had chewed through boxes of food, bags of cereal infested with insects, and rusted and warped food containers.
“We notified FCI Tallahassee management of our findings regarding the serious issues and immediate threats to inmate health. Within 24 hours, FCI Tallahassee staff took action and removed a significant amount of food from the storage warehouses.”
Inspectors have warned that the prison, which was deemed a “high risk” by the inspectorate, has significant problems with inmate search procedures. This has allowed for contraband, such as opioids and unpredictable synthetic cannabis substitutes, to be smuggled inside.
Plastic was stuffed into a hole in a ceiling where there was evidence of water leakage
Although a prisoner had previously died by suicide, staff members still failed to properly check the prison’s housing units, which the report cautioned could lead to inmates trying to harm themselves, engaging in physical fights, or participating in unauthorized activities like drug use.
Furthermore, it was discovered that the prison did not have enough surveillance cameras to effectively monitor the actions of both staff and inmates. This resulted in several blind spots, providing inmates with opportunities to engage in inappropriate behavior without being noticed.
Inspectors discovered that certain prisoners were hesitant to report misconduct from other inmates and staff because they were afraid of potential retaliation. This fear stemmed from a lack of trust between the 746 inmates and the jail staff, despite the fact that the jail was 100 people below its maximum capacity.
The report revealed accusations that discrepancies in prisoner searches resulted in certain inmates feeling as though staff members who conducted the searches were unfairly seeking revenge against them. A previous investigation also reported the use of offensive and disrespectful language by staff.
Rusted inmate lockers in a housing unit at the prison
The report revealed that despite Tallahassee having the highest number of transgender inmates out of all Bureau of Prisons facilities at the time of inspection, staff consistently used the wrong gender pronouns for these inmates.
The management team was concerned that the slow progress in investigating staff misconduct made the process ineffective in upholding standards of conduct. During the inspection, it was discovered that out of 307 prison staff, 191 were under investigation for misconduct, with an average investigation time of over two years.
Issues regarding the living conditions in the female housing units were also brought up. According to inspectors, all five units require new roofs as they have been leaking and causing water damage to the windows and walls.
As per the report, staff members have been requested to refrain from assigning beds directly impacted by leaks to inmates. This is despite inmates and staff attempting to fix the issue with makeshift repairs, such as using sanitary products to block the gaps in leaking windows.
Inmates reported that staff had tried to conceal black mould on walls and ceilings by painting over it with white paint before a previous visit by the Bureau of Prisons.
The shared restrooms were deemed a major issue and were causing numerous hygiene problems. During the inspection, it was discovered that some showers were not functioning and had clogged drains. In addition, one of the showers had a buildup of black substance, while another would flood the bathroom floor when used. There was also an inoperable toilet.
Issues regarding prompt availability of necessary medication, including insulin, were also recognized, as the correctional facility’s medical facility was understaffed by one third. Additionally, the elevator connecting the two levels of the healthcare department was non-functional due to a malfunctioning safety gate, which resulted in a nurse falling through the open elevator shaft and sustaining severe injuries. This could potentially cause delays in emergency assistance.
The article can be found on the Independent website.
The source of this article is the Independent’s website.
