'Makes me sick': Former federal prison officials furious over Ghislaine Maxwell transfer

05 August

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Balmoral Estate in Scotland (Image: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York)

The recent transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell — who was serial child predator Jeffrey Epstein's chief co-conspirator — to a minimum-security prison in Texas isn't going over well with some former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials.

NBC News reported Tuesday that news of the convicted trafficker's transfer from FCI Gainesville, where Maxwell was kept behind a double-fence perimeter, to FCI Bryan, which has dormitory-style facilities and minimal fencing, prompted strong reactions from the Facebook group "Bureau of Prisons staff and retiees." According to NBC, the group has strict vetting procedures in place to make sure only actual BOP employees and retired staff are allowed membership. One member wrote: "As a retired BOP employee, this makes me sick."

Earlier this week, it was reported that Maxwell's transfer to the Bryan prison camp (colloquially known as "Club Fed" due to its relatively cushy treatment of inmates) had to be done by waiving a BOP rule that prevents violent offenders from being transferred to such facilities. Because child trafficking is considered a violent offense, Maxwell would normally not be eligible to serve her sentence at FCI Bryan.

"Since when are sex offenders allowed at the camp?" One group member wrote. "I don’t care who she snitched on, she’s a damn human trafficker."

Maxwell's transfer notably came after she met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for two days, reportedly giving up information on roughly 100 people. Despite her cooperation with the Department of Justice, Robert Hood — the former director of internal affairs at BOP — told NBC there was no precedent for a sex trafficker to be held at a prison camp like FCI Bryan. He called her transfer "a travesty of justice."

"To relocate a sex offender serving 20 years to a country club setting is offensive to victims and others serving similar crimes," he said.

Inmates at FCI Bryan are allowed certain freedoms not offered to other federal inmates, like extensive yard time outdoors, and even the opportunity for work programs outside of the prison's campus. Some of the current inmates there include convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes (of the Theranos company) and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member Jen Shah, who was convicted of scamming the elderly.

Click here to read NBC's full report.

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