California Coalition for Women Prisoners v. US Federal Bureau of Prisons

On June 11, 2024, the ACLU of Northern California together with partner organizations filed a motion to unseal court records and preserve public access to hearings in the class action lawsuit that survivors of sexual assault at FCI Dublin brought against the federal Bureau of Prisons in 2023, alleging violations of the Eighth Amendment, due process, and federal law. Alongside Public Justice, freelance journalist Victoria Law, the First Amendment Coalition, and The Appeal, a nonprofit news organization, we sought to intervene in the lawsuit to ensure that the public can inspect the court documents and attend future hearings. Public Justice and ACLU NorCal filed the motion in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

In September 2024, the Court issued an order on the motion rejecting, in large part, the government’s argument that materials relating to ongoing administrative and criminal investigations should remain sealed. As a result, FCI Dublin documents continue to be unsealed

Read more on our blog: Records of Sexual Abuse Unsealed at a Federal Prison