The government-employees union at FMC Carswell prison in Fort Worth sent a letter to state and federal lawmakers alleging there has been “corruption, misconduct and malfeasance” at the federal women’s prison, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Jennifer Howard, leader of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1006, accused the prison administration of engaging in a pattern of covering up allegations of wrongdoing against supervisors, retaliating against employees who report such misbehavior, and breaking federal law by failing to honor negotiated labor contracts.
Howard, representing 300 government workers at Carswell, asked for a congressional investigation. She alleges that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is not fulfilling its mission of confining offenders “in facilities that are, among other things, safe, humane, and secure.”
Howard has since stated the union will be filing a whistleblower complaint to the U.S. House Oversight Committee, according to the Texas Standard.
She claimed that FMC Carswell had seen a rise in misconduct and tension between employees and management following the appointment of the new warden, Michael Smith, in May.
Since Smith’s tenure began, when employees submit grievances about upper management, “it is often ignored, covered up, and not investigated,” according to Howard. She claimed many complaints go nowhere, as the BOP insists on handling misconduct complaints in-house.
Howard stated at the end of her letter that accountability at Carswell cannot exist as long as Smith stays on as warden.
When asked by the Star-Telegram to comment on the allegations, a BOP spokesman replied in an email, “Allegations of staff misconduct are taken seriously and referred for investigation if warranted. Incidents of potential criminal activity or misconduct inside BOP facilities are thoroughly investigated for potential administrative discipline or criminal prosecution.”
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