Ghislaine Maxwell’s quiet transfer to a minimum-security prison in Texas has provoked widespread backlash from fellow inmates, who say the disgraced socialite should not be housed alongside non-violent offenders.
Maxwell, 62, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for financier Jeffrey Epstein. She was recently moved from a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Texas, a facility often referred to as “Club Fed” for its relatively lenient conditions.
Her arrival has stirred outrage among inmates. Julie Howell, a 44-year-old prisoner serving a one-year sentence for theft, told The Telegraph she was “disgusted” to learn that Maxwell had been moved there.
They are moving to rewrite Ghislaine Maxwell’s past. The person who groomed and trafficked girls is now innocent.
They’re gonna set her free.
Never stop reposting this. pic.twitter.com/cXZIoJrnX6
— VanDammit™ (@ChaosAgent_42) August 2, 2025
“This facility is supposed to house non-violent offenders,” Howell said. “Human trafficking is a violent crime. Every inmate I’ve heard from is upset she’s here.”
Maxwell’s transfer appears to have been executed under heightened secrecy, with prisoners at the facility reportedly placed on lockdown and window blinds drawn to shield her from view upon arrival.
FPC Bryan, located roughly 100 miles from Houston, houses women convicted of non-violent crimes, many for white-collar offenses. Among the most high-profile inmates currently at the facility is Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
The transfer has triggered concerns not only about the message it sends but also about inmate safety. Some prisoners worry that Maxwell, who has reportedly received death threats in prison, could attract danger to the otherwise low-security facility.
“We’ve heard there are threats against her life, and many of us are worried about our own safety because she’s here,” Howell said.
Maxwell’s transfer comes days after she was questioned by Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general in Donald Trump’s administration. According to the Daily Mail, the nine-hour session included questions about Epstein’s relationships with influential individuals such as Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Bill Gates.
Kelly: He pled guilty to that horrible, sick stuff. But that doesn’t mean that Ghislaine Maxwell is guilty. And there is a hell of a lot of evidence out there that she’s innocent.
Are they preparing you…for Ghislaines’ release? pic.twitter.com/PDondast7e
— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) August 2, 2025
Speculation has mounted that Maxwell may be cooperating with authorities in exchange for leniency. Her legal team has reportedly signaled her willingness to testify before Congress in return for a pardon or commutation, something Trump has not explicitly ruled out.
Inside sources have told British outlets that Maxwell was relocated due to “real and credible threats” on her life in Tallahassee, especially after other inmates began to suspect she was cooperating with prosecutors.
One source told the Mail on Sunday, “As soon as Ghislaine spoke to the government, she was considered a snitch by other inmates. There were very real fears inside Tallahassee that they could not guarantee her safety, which is why she was moved.”
Howell, a former professor who previously worked in children’s education, has a deeply personal reason for objecting to Maxwell’s presence. She said her daughter was trafficked as a teenager and shot by her abuser — a trauma that contributed to Howell’s eventual descent into gambling addiction and theft.
“Having Ms Maxwell here triggered all of those feelings,” she said in an email from prison.
Howell added that Maxwell, who evaded authorities for months before her 2020 arrest, remains a flight risk. “This is a camp you can literally walk out of,” she said. “I don’t care how many people she turns in, it doesn’t take away from her actions. As a mother of a sex-trafficking victim, I’m absolutely disgusted she’s in this facility. Regardless of her reasoning, I don’t think she belongs here.”
