Federal Prison Officer John Bellhouse Sexually Abused Women in His Custody. He Got 63 Months in Prison.

 

Federal Prison Officer John Bellhouse Sexually Abused Women in His Custody

John Bellhouse was a federal correctional officer at FCI Dublin, the California women’s prison that became notorious for widespread sexual abuse by employees.

Between 2019 and 2020, Bellhouse sexually abused an incarcerated woman.

Federal prosecutors said the abuse occurred repeatedly in places throughout the prison, including inside the prison’s safety office and within the housing units.

In 2023, a federal jury convicted Bellhouse of two counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual contact.

His sentence was 63 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $25,500 in restitution.

Bellhouse became one of numerous FCI Dublin employees prosecuted as investigators uncovered a culture of sexual abuse involving correctional officers, a chaplain, and even the prison’s warden.

The women inside that prison were entirely dependent upon the institution and its employees for their safety.

The people holding the keys became the people they needed protection from.