Crumbling infrastructure has forced the closure of a low-security prison in San Pedro that has housed a host of infamous inmates over the years including Al Capone and Charles Manson, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed this week. <\/p>\n
Conditions at the Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island, which houses nearly 1,000 inmates, have been a years-long problem. An assessment conducted last year by an architectural and engineering firm identified more than $110 million in critical repairs needed at the prison over the next 20 years. The prison is currently home to disgraced celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti and former cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried. <\/p>\n
More recently, officials discovered problems involving the support structure of the steam system used for heating the facility, which \u201cprompted immediate action,\u201d including the relocation of inmates, said Donald Murphy, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe take seriously our responsibility to safeguard the inmates in our care, our staff, and the broader community. Once we have assessed the situation further and ensured the safety of all those involved, we will determine the next steps for FCI Terminal Island,\u201d Murphy said. <\/p>\n
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Entrance to the Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island. <\/p>\n
(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
The prison, which opened in 1938, is the latest federal correctional facility to close over the past year amid serious budgetary and operational challenges, including severe staffing shortages, lack of funding to repair aging infrastructure, sexual assault of inmates and contraband across the prison system. <\/p>\n
In late 2024, the Bureau of Prisons announced that seven facilities, including the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin<\/a>, would be shuttered. Inmates at that prison had dealt with years of sexual abuse<\/a> that led to the firing of top officials and the prosecution of the facility\u2019s former warden and chaplain<\/a>. <\/p>\n It is not clear how long the Terminal Island facility will be closed. Inmates will be moved to other facilities, though officials did not specify where, saying only that the agency is prioritizing keeping people \u201cas close as possible to their anticipated release locations.\u201d <\/p>\n Federal Bureau of Prison Director William K. Marshall III cited problems with underground tunnels containing the facility\u2019s steam heating system in a memo to staff on Tuesday obtained by the Associated Press. <\/p>\n Ceilings in the tunnels have begun to deteriorate, causing chunks of concrete to fall and putting employees and the heating system at risk, he said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are not going to wait for a crisis,\u201d Marshall told employees. \u201cWe are not going to gamble with lives. And we are not going to expect people to work or live in conditions that we would never accept for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time the prison has faced critical infrastructure problems. <\/p>\n