It is a quiet, windswept corner of the East Bay. If you drive past the sprawling office parks and suburban developments of Dublin, California, you might not even notice the low-slung, beige buildings sitting at 5701 8th Street. But for decades, this was FCI Dublin Dublin CA 94568, a federal women’s prison that eventually became known by a much darker name: "The Rape Club."
The gates are locked now. The inmates are gone. Honestly, the story of this place is a mess of systemic failure and human trauma that didn't just end when the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) turned off the lights in 2024.
The Downfall of a "Model" Facility
FCI Dublin wasn't always a headline-grabbing disaster. Opened in 1974, it transitioned to an all-female facility in 2012. It was supposed to be a low-security environment where women—many of them mothers from the West Coast—could serve their time close to home.
Then everything broke.
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By 2021, an investigation by the Associated Press pulled back the curtain on a culture so predatory it felt like something out of a horror movie. We aren't just talking about one or two "bad apples." We are talking about the Warden, the Chaplain, and numerous correctional officers.
Think about that. The people responsible for the safety and spiritual well-being of these women were the ones being arrested. Ray J. Garcia, the former warden, was eventually convicted of molesting inmates and forcing them to pose for nude photos. The chaplain, James Theodore Highhouse, was sentenced to seven years.
Why the BOP Finally Walked Away
You’ve probably seen the news about the abrupt closure on April 15, 2024. It was chaos. One day the prison was operating, and the next, hundreds of women were being packed into buses and planes, shipped off to facilities as far away as Minnesota or Florida.
Why did they close it so fast?
Basically, the BOP realized they couldn't fix it. Despite "unprecedented" resources and a fresh coat of paint, the rot was too deep. A federal judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, had even appointed a Special Master to oversee the facility—a rare move that signaled a total lack of trust in the government’s ability to manage its own jail.
But it wasn't just the abuse. The building itself was falling apart. We’re talking:
- Toxic black mold in the housing units.
- Asbestos that became airborne every time the staff tried to buff the floors.
- Hazardous infrastructure that would have cost tens of millions of dollars to repair.
The BOP essentially looked at the bill—both the legal and the construction costs—and decided to cut their losses.
The $130 Million Reckoning
If you think the story ended when the buses pulled away from FCI Dublin Dublin CA 94568, you're wrong. The legal fallout has been massive.
In late 2024 and heading into 2025, the federal government reached a historic settlement. We are talking about roughly $115 million for a group of 103 survivors, with total payouts across various cases exceeding $130 million. It is the largest aggregate settlement in the history of the Bureau of Prisons.
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But money is a cold comfort for someone who was transferred to a prison thousands of miles from their kids, or for the immigrant women who were deported after being abused. Many of the survivors are still fighting for "compassionate release" or clemency, arguing that their time at Dublin was a "sentence within a sentence."
What is Happening at the Site Now?
Right now, the facility is a ghost town, but it’s a ghost town with a lot of people fighting over it.
As of early 2026, there is a heated battle over the future of the land. The Bureau of Prisons has signaled they want to hand the keys over to the General Services Administration (GSA).
The big fear in the local community? ICE.
There have been reports and tours by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials looking at the site for a potential detention center. The Dublin City Council isn't having it. In December 2025, they passed a unanimous resolution opposing any plan to reopen the facility for detention. They don't want a "new" prison; they want the "old" trauma to stay buried.
Actionable Insights: What You Need to Know
If you are a family member of a former inmate or a researcher looking into the history of FCI Dublin Dublin CA 94568, here is the current reality:
- The Facility is Permanently Closed: There are no inmates currently housed at the 5701 8th Street location.
- Legal Recourse is Still Active: While the major class-action settlement has been reached, the "Consent Decree" remains in effect until 2027. This means the BOP is still under a microscope regarding how they treat former Dublin inmates now housed at other facilities like FCI Waseca or FCI Aliceville.
- Environmental Concerns: The site is still considered a "toxic" environment due to mold and asbestos. Any future use of the land will require massive remediation.
- Records Access: If you need records from the facility, they are now managed through the BOP’s regional offices or the National Archives, depending on the age of the file.
The closure of FCI Dublin wasn't a victory for the system; it was a confession. It remains a stark reminder of what happens when oversight fails and "security" becomes a shroud for misconduct.
Next Steps for Information:
If you are seeking information regarding a former inmate's location or status after the Dublin closure, use the BOP Inmate Locator tool. For those involved in ongoing litigation, contact the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), as they continue to monitor the enforcement of the Consent Decree across the federal system.