A disturbing turn of events at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago has led to the indictment of a correctional officer. Brittany Hall, 31, has been charged with allegations of sexually abusing four female inmates at the federal prison facility. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Hall faces five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual contact, with the former charges carrying potentially 15 years in federal prison each, while the latter could lead to up to two years each.
According to the indictment, which was filed Tuesday, Hall was stationed on the 12th floor of the correctional center, where she allegedly took advantage of her position of authority to "make sexual contact" with the inmates in a series of separate instances throughout December 2023. ABC7 Chicago detailed that the nature of these contacts included touching breasts, genital penetration, or making oral contact with genitalia.
Upon her indictment, Hall was scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain for an arraignment Thursday afternoon. As this case has quickly to begun unfold, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been reticent to comment directly due to ongoing litigation concerns.
In response to the case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons released a statement, firmly distancing themselves from Hall’s alleged actions. "Due to the ongoing litigation, we cannot comment on this case specifically. However, we can say that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) strongly condemns all forms of sexually abusive behavior and takes seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody as well as to maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community," the statement elucidated. "We have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse of any kind and every person has the right to be safe from sexual abuse." ABC7 Chicago quoted the agency in reinforcing its stance that the majority of its employees act with integrity and called for accountability to be held to the fullest extent of the law.
