Whistleblowers say they’re bullied for exposing prison abuse

WASHINGTON — As the federal Bureau of Prisons faces increased scrutiny over its latest scandal — allegations staff and even a warden sexually abused inmates at a women’s prison known as the “rape club” — people striving to hold it accountable say they’re being attacked for speaking up. Federal law protects whistleblower employees from retaliation, but Kostelnik said such protections don’t really exist in the cloistered Bureau of Prisons, where wardens control staff discipline and people who speak up are essentially blacklisted. I would categorize the visit as woefully inadequate and unsatisfactory.” Speier said she won’t stop until the Bureau of Prisons faces significant oversight and will “go to the highest levels of the Justice Department and the White House if necessary, to make sure we have the access we want.” During her visit, Speier said, Hinkle tried to block her from speaking with several inmates who reported abuse and instead sent her to speak with others he’d picked. “Although I recognize her right to believe what she believes, I do not recognize her right to blindly categorize all the hard working staff at FCI Dublin who choose to be law-abiding public servants every single day they report to duty.” Hinkle said Speier had surprised him and other officials by asking to speak privately with inmates -– an assertion the congresswoman disputes –- and said they blocked her from doing so because having those conversations could “compromise an active investigation or case.” In another recent all-staff email, the acting warden floated the possibility of replacing or renovating the Dublin prison, citing infrastructure and safety concerns.