Female prisoners complain they haven't seen sunlight in months and are denied outdoor access after being transferred to new facilities

Female prisoners who person been transferred to a caller situation declare they haven't been exposed to aliases seen sunlight successful months.

Carolyn Knudsen, was moved to a detention halfway successful downtown Miami since nan Federal Correctional Institute successful Dublin, California, was abruptly unopen down successful mid-April. She was locked up for transporting children crossed authorities lines for purposes of intersexual abuse

Now serving her clip successful FDC Miami, a high-rise detention halfway that houses pretrial detainees, Knudsen told her begetter she hasn't seen sunlight since leaving Dublin and is incapable return immoderate classes to trim her condemnation because nan programs were full.

'She can't get outside, and it's draining connected her,' her begetter Paul Knudsen told Fox5. 'She is much depressed and is crying erstwhile I talk to her.'

Susan Beaty, representing hundreds of erstwhile FCI Dublin inmates, claims akin conditions beryllium astatine SeaTac and Philadelphia national detention centers.

This past month, Beaty visited clients successful Seattle and reported that astir 40 women complained of nary sunlight exposure.

Unlike FCI Dublin, which had outdoor spaces, these holding centers are designed for short-term stays and deficiency nan infrastructure to accommodate semipermanent inmates.

'There is nary outdoor space,' Beaty said. 

'The folks we talked to successful SeaTac made it very clear that they had not been extracurricular since arriving location successful April. So, for respective months now, they've not had entree to nonstop sunlight aliases caller air. This is peculiarly concerning for group who person aesculapian and intelligence wellness conditions.

'The deficiency of entree to outdoor abstraction has really compounded nan effect of these transfers and nan trauma that our clients person already been through.'

Roughly 200 of nan 605 women transferred from nan now-shuttered FCI Dublin are housed successful 3 Bureau of Prisons detention centers. 

The abrupt closure of FCI Dublin followed a prolonged activity maltreatment ungraded and nan assignment of a typical maestro to oversee reforms astatine nan low-security prison. Once a sprawling installation pinch outdoor spaces and views of nan East Bay hills, Dublin offered inmates regular outdoor time.

Disputes person arisen complete nan conditions astatine nan caller facilities. While nan BOP claims detainees person entree to sunlight successful outdoor recreation areas, inmates and their attorneys disagree. 

Women astatine SeaTac and different centers picture constricted aliases nary nonstop sunlight, pinch immoderate reporting skylights that connection small earthy light. Additionally, complaints see inadequate ventilation and imaginable Vitamin D deficiencies, evidenced by BOP recommendations to 'drink milk' to thief pinch nan broadside effects.

The BOP counters these claims pinch a constrictive meaning of sunlight access, citing enclosed outdoor spaces and a viral video showing inmates astatine FDC Miami pinch entree to unfastened windows. However, they've declined to supply photographic grounds of nan conditions astatine these facilities, leaving nan rumor unresolved.

Oakland lawyer Yolanda Huang successfully sued San Francisco County jails successful October 2023 for denying inmates outdoor access. The judge ruled successful favour of her clients, mandating astatine slightest 15 minutes of regular sunlight for immoderate inmates aft a twelvemonth of incarceration. However, Huang reports that this bid has yet to beryllium implemented.

Huang emphasizes that 'access to sunlight' is simply a analyzable issue. Mere openings successful ceilings aliases non-opening windows do not represent capable sunlight exposure. 

Huang's triumph was built connected nan rule that incarceration should not lead to chronic illness.

In nan lawsuit of nan transferred FCI Dublin women, lawyer Susan Beaty has brought these concerns to nan attraction of nan court-appointed typical maestro overseeing their care. 

While nan Knudsens dream for a resolution, there's been nary denotation of tract visits aliases rulings connected nan matter frankincense far.