In September 2023, Michael Campbell suffered a profound violation of his safety and dignity when he was sexually assaulted by another incarcerated individual at USP Big Sandy. Instead of receiving support or protection after this traumatic incident, Campbell was threatened by his assaulter, who warned him that his life would be in grave danger if he saw him again in the compound. For Campbell, the fear of more violence was ever-present.
With his safety under constant threat, Campbell urgently requested a transfer to a more secure facility. In accordance with the proper procedures, he submitted official appeals through the BP-8 and BP-9 remedy forms. Yet, his pleas were ignored by Warden Brewer, a dismissal that would have severe consequences for him. What followed was a campaign of retaliation: Campbell was subjected to degrading treatment and isolation, placed in solitary confinement by the same prison officials he had looked to for help. The message from staff members like Warden Brewer and Lieutenant Compton was unmistakable: coming forward about abuse would have consequences and no recourse.
“Even after enduring assault by another incarcerated individual, the staff members made a heartless decision to prolong my suffering by refusing to transfer me to a safer environment, despite the clear and present danger I faced,” Campbell later reflected.
Undeterred, Campbell continued to file appeals with the help of the Remedy Project despite a series of rejections, until June 4, 2024, when his petition reached the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of the BOP. Within two weeks, he was granted a transfer. Yet, as he awaited relocation, Lieutenant Compton made veiled threats about his property, suggesting that his belongings might be “lost” in the wake of the grievances he had filed. Sure enough, after arriving at USP Atwater, Campbell discovered some of his personal property was indeed missing. Among the items unaccounted for were religious materials, cherished family mementos, and important legal documents. Though the specifics of how Lieutenant Compton might have influenced the disappearance remain unclear, the missing items strongly suggest retaliation.
Today, with support from The Remedy Project, Michael Campbell has escaped the overt hostility of USP Big Sandy. Now at USP Atwater, he continues to press for accountability, filing new complaints (BP-8 and BP-9 forms) to address his missing property and seeking some semblance of the fairness he was promised under the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) handbook. This guide claims that individuals in federal custody “will be treated in a respectful, impartial, and fair manner.” But for Campbell, this promise has proven hollow. After experiencing sexual assault, extended isolation, and retaliatory harassment, his rights were disregarded at every turn. Even after his transfer, the punitive actions of Warden Brewer and Lieutenant Compton reverberated through the loss of his personal belongings, a small but significant symbol of his remaining dignity.
The actions of USP Big Sandy staff call into question their adherence to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which requires prison officials to “put forth honest effort in the performance of their duties.” In Michael Campbell’s case, the BOP officials not only failed in their responsibilities; they failed in basic humanity. The Remedy Project is now working to ease Campbell’s suffering and is asking for public support to help end his fight for justice—one that never should have been necessary.
In September 2023, Michael Campbell suffered a profound violation of his safety and dignity when he was sexually assaulted by another incarcerated individual at USP Big Sandy. Instead of receiving support or protection after this traumatic incident, Campbell was threatened by his assaulter, who warned him that his life would be in grave danger if he saw him again in the compound. For Campbell, the fear of more violence was ever-present.
With his safety under constant threat, Campbell urgently requested a transfer to a more secure facility. In accordance with the proper procedures, he submitted official appeals through the BP-8 and BP-9 remedy forms. Yet, his pleas were ignored by Warden Brewer, a dismissal that would have severe consequences for him. What followed was a campaign of retaliation: Campbell was subjected to degrading treatment and isolation, placed in solitary confinement by the same prison officials he had looked to for help. The message from staff members like Warden Brewer and Lieutenant Compton was unmistakable: coming forward about abuse would have consequences and no recourse.
“Even after enduring assault by another incarcerated individual, the staff members made a heartless decision to prolong my suffering by refusing to transfer me to a safer environment, despite the clear and present danger I faced,” Campbell later reflected.
Undeterred, Campbell continued to file appeals with the help of the Remedy Project despite a series of rejections, until June 4, 2024, when his petition reached the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of the BOP. Within two weeks, he was granted a transfer. Yet, as he awaited relocation, Lieutenant Compton made veiled threats about his property, suggesting that his belongings might be “lost” in the wake of the grievances he had filed. Sure enough, after arriving at USP Atwater, Campbell discovered some of his personal property was indeed missing. Among the items unaccounted for were religious materials, cherished family mementos, and important legal documents. Though the specifics of how Lieutenant Compton might have influenced the disappearance remain unclear, the missing items strongly suggest retaliation.
Today, with support from The Remedy Project, Michael Campbell has escaped the overt hostility of USP Big Sandy. Now at USP Atwater, he continues to press for accountability, filing new complaints (BP-8 and BP-9 forms) to address his missing property and seeking some semblance of the fairness he was promised under the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) handbook. This guide claims that individuals in federal custody “will be treated in a respectful, impartial, and fair manner.” But for Campbell, this promise has proven hollow. After experiencing sexual assault, extended isolation, and retaliatory harassment, his rights were disregarded at every turn. Even after his transfer, the punitive actions of Warden Brewer and Lieutenant Compton reverberated through the loss of his personal belongings, a small but significant symbol of his remaining dignity.
The actions of USP Big Sandy staff call into question their adherence to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which requires prison officials to “put forth honest effort in the performance of their duties.” In Michael Campbell’s case, the BOP officials not only failed in their responsibilities; they failed in basic humanity. The Remedy Project is now working to ease Campbell’s suffering and is asking for public support to help end his fight for justice—one that never should have been necessary.
