Ghislaine Maxwell’s latest prison move is raising a lot of eyebrows — and not in a good way. The 63-year-old, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, was quietly transferred last week to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas. Since her arrival, security has ramped up noticeably, even though officials haven’t confirmed any threats to her or the facility.
According to NBC News, the sudden increase in visible security includes members of the Bureau of Prisons’ elite Special Operations Response Team now stationed at the entrance of the camp, checking IDs — something that employees say is completely out of the norm for the usually low-key, all-women’s facility.
FPC Bryan, located in a residential part of Central Texas, normally doesn’t see this kind of activity. One employee, speaking anonymously, said, “It’s not like ones at the penitentiary or medium [security].” The camp houses around 635 inmates and typically holds women convicted of nonviolent or white-collar crimes. Unlike higher-security facilities, the prison has dorm-style housing, no locked rooms, and inmates have access to outdoor and recreational spaces.
Maxwell’s new placement is controversial, not only because of the nature of her crimes but because, under normal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy, sex offenders are not eligible for minimum-security facilities unless a specific waiver is granted. It’s unclear if such a waiver was approved in her case, and that’s part of what’s fueling the backlash.
A former federal prison warden, Charles Lockett, says the transfer makes no sense and that he would’ve never signed off on it. “They don’t have the manpower there to deal with such people, and they don’t have the hardened structure,” he said. “I just find it unbelievable.”
Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact that her move came just days after she reportedly had a private, nine-hour meeting over two days with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee. The purpose of that meeting hasn’t been disclosed, but a source told NBC News the Trump administration is considering releasing the transcript.
Trump himself claimed he had no idea about the transfer until after it happened and brushed it off as routine. But current and former BOP staff aren’t buying it. They say her presence at FPC Bryan puts staff and inmates at risk and undermines standard security protocol.
The criticism isn’t just coming from inside the system. The family of Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, along with Annie and Maria Farmer — both of whom have accused Maxwell — said in a statement that she “should never be shown any leniency.”
For now, BOP isn’t commenting on the specifics. A spokesperson said the agency doesn’t discuss individual security procedures, especially involving high-profile inmates. Maxwell’s attorney hasn’t responded to questions either.
But the silence isn’t quieting the anger. A woman convicted of sex trafficking minors now living among nonviolent offenders in an open-campus-style prison? Many are calling it not just irresponsible, but outrageous.