BRYAN, Texas — A few blocks away from this small town’s quaint downtown and surrounded by residential neighborhoods, is a minimum security Federal Prison Camp. But few locals know about the prison camp’s newest resident: convicted sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The camp’s grounds are dotted with live oak trees. Some of the facility’s buildings are left over from the property’s history as a hunting lodge.
On a typical morning, school buses rush by the camp as backyard roosters crow a couple blocks away. An idyllic setting.
Epstein survivors and some Bryan locals question whether a minimum security facility nicknamed “Club Fed” is the appropriate place for Maxwell to serve out her 20-year sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
Epstein abuse survivors met Tuesday with lawmakers in Washington and held a press conference today demanding more transparency into the federal investigations of Epstein and Maxwell.
The survivors called on President Trump not to pardon Maxwell and pushed back on her transfer to the prison camp in Bryan, which came just days after the Department of Justice interviewed her about Epstein’s high-profile associates. President Trump has said he’s allowed to pardon Maxwell but hasn’t been asked about the possibility.
“I don’t necessarily feel that minimum is right for her just because of how much harm she did to other people,” said Jessica Nunez, a second year student at Texas A&M University, just five miles away from this facility.
The prison camp is managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and mostly houses white collar criminals, including Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Jen Shah of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The Department of Justice declined to comment on Maxwell’s transfer to NPR. Maxwell’s lawyers released a statement last month maintaining her innocence.
The few Bryan locals that NPR spoke to that do know of Maxwell’s transfer shared Nunez’s sentiments.
“I don’t think she’s really facing, you know, the punishment that she should be facing which is being in maximum security,” said Marquis Davis, a utility line locator who has worked inside the camp.
There has been some backlash from within the prison walls as well. Almost as soon as Maxwell arrived at Bryan Federal Prison Camp, another inmate, Julie Howell was transferred out. Howell had told UK news outlet The Telegraph that she was “absolutely disgusted” Maxwell was at the facility.
Federal prison consultant Sam Mangel characterized Howell’s transfer to Federal Detention Center in Houston as a “punitive” move by the Bureau of Prisons. The Federal Detention Center houses incarcerated people of all security levels.
Mangel helps defendants prepare for sentencing and incarceration and currently has two clients at the prison camp.
Despite the drama around Maxwell’s transfer, Mangel says the facility is still his destination of choice for clients. It offers a work release program, and some inmates can work on a nursing degree at the camp. Other inmates train puppies to become service dogs. It is unclear if Maxwell is eligible for those programs.
Mangel says Maxwell is the first person he’s aware of with a quote “sex charge” who has been housed in a federal prison camp.
“To transfer her to a camp, strings had to have been pulled,” Mangel said. “No question about it.”
Mangel says it’s the Department of Justice’s prerogative where it sends inmates. And the Bureau of Prisons’ first priority is the safety of its staff and prisoners, regardless of their crime.
“I believe that when you cooperate with the government, at low security or higher, your safety is at risk,” Mangel said. “You definitely have a target on your back.”
But one former inmate claims her time in the Bryan Federal Prison Camp was no walk in the park. Jenna Ryan spent 60 days at the prison camp for her involvement in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
Ryan says she spent her entire sentence in a COVID quarantine that was supposed to last two weeks. She says she never tested positive for COVID-19 and was denied phone and email access while at the camp.
“Let me promise you that it’s not a pleasant experience,” Ryan said. “You have to create alliances. You have to know who not to mess with.”
As the debate over Maxwell’s transfer continues, Nunez, the college student, said she did not think Maxwell’s incarceration in a place like Bryan is appropriate. But, she said, there is no ideal place for people convicted of the crimes Maxwell was sentenced for.
Transcript:
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse met Tuesday with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to demand more of what they called accountability and transparency, not just for themselves, but for, they said, other sex trafficking cases. One thing that survivors criticized is the transfer of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum security prison camp in east Texas just days after a top Department of Justice official interviewed her about the case – an official who’d previously served as one of Trump’s personal lawyers. Reporter Patrick Davis tells us more about where Maxwell is now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVING)
PATRICK DAVIS: A few blocks away from the quaint downtown of Bryan, Texas, is the Bryan Federal Prison Camp. The camp’s grounds are dotted with live oak trees, and some of the facility’s buildings are left over from the property’s history as a hunting lodge. The prison camp is surrounded by residential neighborhoods where the sounds of backyard chickens and school buses fill the morning air, just like any other east Texas neighborhood.
(SOUNDBITE OF ROOSTER CROWING)
P DAVIS: Epstein survivors and some Bryan locals question whether a minimum security facility nicknamed Club Fed is the appropriate place for Ghislaine Maxwell to serve out her 20-year sentence for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. The prison camp mostly houses white-collar criminals, including Theronos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Jen Shah of “The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City.”
The Department of Justice declined to comment on Maxwell’s transfer to NPR. Maxwell’s lawyers released a statement last month maintaining her innocence.
Most people I speak with in the community don’t know about their notorious new neighbor. The few that do share similar sentiments about Maxwell. Marquis Davis is a utility line locator and has worked inside the camp in the past.
MARQUIS DAVIS: I don’t think she’s, you know, really facing the punishment that she should be. You know, facing, which is being in maximum security.
P DAVIS: Jessica Nunez is a second-year student at Texas A&M University just five miles away in College Station.
JESSICA NUNEZ: I don’t necessarily feel that minimal is right for her, just because of how much harm she did to other people.
P DAVIS: There’s been some backlash from within the prison walls, as well. Almost as soon as Maxwell arrived at Bryan Federal Prison Camp, another inmate, Julie Howell, was transferred out. Howell had told U.K. news outlet The Telegraph that she was, quote, “absolutely disgusted” Maxwell was at the facility.
SAM MANGEL: When Ms. Howell said what she did, they were very punitive and immediately moved her to Houston Federal Detention Center, which is a nightmare.
P DAVIS: That’s federal prison consultant Sam Mangel. He helps defendants prepare for sentencing and incarceration and currently has two clients at Bryan Federal Prison Camp. Despite the drama around Maxwell’s transfer, Mangel says the Bryan prison camp is still his destination of choice for clients. The camp offers a work release program, and some inmates can work on a nursing degree at the camp. Other inmates train puppies to become service dogs. It is not clear if Maxwell is eligible for those programs. Mangel says Maxwell is the first person with a, quote, “sex charge” he knows of who has been housed in a federal prison camp.
MANGEL: To transfer her to a camp, strings had to have been pulled. No question about it.
P DAVIS: Mangel says it’s the DOJ’s prerogative where it sends inmates, and the Bureau of Prisons’ first priority is the safety of its staff and prisoners, regardless of their crime.
MANGEL: I believe that when you cooperate with the government, you definitely have a target on your back.
P DAVIS: But one former inmate claims her time in the Bryan Federal Prison Camp was no walk in the park. Jenna Ryan spent 60 days at the prison camp for her involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Ryan says she spent her entire sentence in a COVID quarantine that was supposed to last two weeks. She says she never tested positive for COVID and was denied phone and email access while at the camp.
JENNA RYAN: Let me promise you that is not a pleasant experience. It may sound nicer. However, you have to create alliances. You have to know who not to mess with. You have to be sure to be careful because people would get beat up in the bathroom.
P DAVIS: As the debate over Maxwell’s transfer continues, Nunez, the college student, posed a question.
NUNEZ: Do I think it’s ideal? No.
P DAVIS: But Nunez says there is no ideal place for people convicted of the crimes Maxwell was sentenced for.
For NPR News, I’m Patrick Davis in Bryan, Texas.
