“Human Trafficking Behind Prison Walls”: 11 Women Sue Over Alleged Rampant Sexual Abuse at FMC Carswell

Eleven incarcerated women have filed federal lawsuits accusing staff at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell (FMC Carswell) in Fort Worth, Texas, of repeated sexual abuse over recent years. The complaints, submitted beginning 1 May in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, name six alleged perpetrators and list Beth Reese, chief of internal affairs for the Bureau of Prisons (BoP), and the United States as defendants.

What The Suits Allege

Each complaint asserts ten civil claims against the government, including negligence, sexual battery and violations tied to trafficking victims. Plaintiffs identify six staff members at Carswell — including a doctor, a chaplain and three correctional officers — as alleged perpetrators. Several women allege repeated assaults by the head of the facility’s BioMed office.

A Facility With A Troubled History

Carswell has been under scrutiny for decades. Agency records and reporting show 13 correctional staff convicted of sexual abuse or misconduct at the facility since 1997. A 2022 Senate report found that 22 women were sexually assaulted at Carswell from 2012 to 2022 — the most of any federal women’s prison in that period. FOIA-obtained internal records indicate that many allegations at the facility rarely led to meaningful disciplinary action; in some cases accused staff were permitted to resign or retire before investigations concluded.

Survivors’ Accounts

In interviews and filings, plaintiffs describe a pattern of coercion, delayed or inadequate investigations, and retaliation. Examples include:

• Justina (first name used): Paralyzed on her right side after a stroke and dependent on help for daily tasks, she says an officer pulled her from a shower chair and raped her in September 2022. She reported the assault to medical staff and investigators but says she has received no updates since an OIG interview in 2022.
• Priscilla Ellis: An Army veteran who says a unit manager sexually assaulted her beginning in May 2019 and threatened retaliation. She alleges repeated assaults over two years, delayed responses by investigators, and eventual closure of administrative remedies after the alleged assailant retired.
• “Jane Zoe”: Identified by her lawsuit, she alleges more than a year of abuse by the prison’s therapist. After reporting him in December 2023 she was placed briefly in the special housing unit (SHU) on disciplinary charges that were later dropped and suffered a severe relapse of her eating disorder requiring external hospitalization. Her suit also alleges later misconduct by a chaplain.
• Chrystal Larcade: Describes repeated, coercive sexual assaults in the BioMed office beginning in December 2022 by an officer who allegedly forced sex acts, threatened victims and boasted of being untouchable after earlier complaints. She says other women who later reported the officer faced delays and poor follow-up until outside counselors intervened.
• Jillian Price: Worked in BioMed from late 2019 to early 2022 and recalls persistent inappropriate conduct by the same officer; she, like many survivors, did not report while incarcerated because she believed reporting would be futile.

Investigations, Accountability And Systemic Concerns

The BoP has stated it “takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously and investigates credible allegations thoroughly,” but plaintiffs and attorneys say investigatory standards and institutional practices routinely block accountability. A 2022 OIG report criticized the agency for requiring excessive proof—often demanding video, forensic evidence or a confession—before substantiating claims. In 2024 the BoP’s annual report recorded 724 allegations of staff sexual misconduct across 122 federal prisons but deemed only two incidents confirmed that year; critics say this signals investigatory failure rather than absence of abuse.

Legal And Oversight Developments

The U.S. has moved to transfer the DC suits to the Northern District of Texas; a judge approved such a transfer for at least one case in July. In one transfer ruling, the judge described the trafficking claim against a national-level official as a stretch but noted Texas courts could still consider whether systemic, national-level failures contributed to the alleged incidents.

Advocates’ View And Broader Implications

Lawyers and advocates call this a national problem rooted in power imbalances, inadequate oversight and a culture that discourages reporting. Critics warn reforms may be further undermined by disruptions to PREA-related oversight: an April departmental decision briefly canceled grants that fund the National PREA Resource Center, which conducts audits to enforce prison sexual-assault standards, although some funding was later restored.

“Coming into the system, whether you’re guilty or not, it’s like you’re punished over and over again,” said Priscilla Ellis. “It’s like human trafficking behind prison walls.”

The plaintiffs’ lawsuits are proceeding through the courts as attorneys press for transparency, accountability and independent oversight. Survivors, advocates and some former officials say meaningful change will require faster, transparent investigations, protections against retaliation, and reforms that prevent accused staff from avoiding accountability by retiring or resigning.