Ghislaine Maxwell, the 63-year-old British woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking minors in collaboration with Jeffrey Epstein, transferred on August 1, 2025, from the Tallahassee Federal Penitentiary in Florida to the Federal prison Bryan minimum security in Texas.
This move of Jeffrey Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, has caused strong reactions, in particular because of her leaked emails that reveal the fact that she is very satisfied with the conditions of confinement in the new prison.
The emails, obtained by the US House Judiciary Committee and published exclusively by NBC News, show the Ghislaine Maxwell enthusiastically describes her new surroundings.
In a message to her relative, she wrote: “The food is much better, the place is clean, the staff is kind. I have not heard or seen the usual foul language or shouting accompanied by threats from prisoners. I haven’t seen one fight, no drug dealing, no passed out person, no naked prisoners running around or lots of them huddled in the shower! In other words, I feel like I’ve fallen through Alice in Wonderland’s looking glass.”
In contrast to Tallahassee, where she described zombies falling from ceilings, being fried in ovens and mixed with food, Bryan seems to her to be a “much, much happier” place, “safer and more comfortable,” she said, adding that “I feel a lot safer here.”
Ghislaine Maxwell said director Tanisha Hall is a “true professional” and the best representative of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) she has come across.
“VIP treatment” and violations
Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security prison has sparked outrage charges of preferential treatment, as convicted sex offenders are usually barred from such facilities.
According to reports, Ghislaine Maxwell enjoys meals delivered to her room, training sessions late night and possibility shower when the other prisoners are sleeping. Moreover, it seems to have private meetings with “mysterious visitors”, something that is considered unusual.
Democrat MP Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, wrote to Director Hall, accusing her that “not only is Ghislaine Maxwell receiving VIP treatment, but authorities have threatened retribution against inmates who have spoken to the media.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that at least one inmate was transferred after being interviewed about Ghislaine Maxwell, while there was a “ban” on discussing her.
FPC Bryan, which houses about 635 women, is located in a residential area surrounded by barbed wire and has sparked protests from locals. One protester said in August: “We don’t want a convicted sex trafficker here. It has brought unwanted attention to our city.”
The side that supports Ghislaine Maxwell
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, condemned the release of the emails as ‘tabloid behaviour’, stressing: ‘There is nothing journalistic about exposing a prisoner’s private emails. It’s time to get over the fact that it’s in a more secure facility. This is what we should want for everyone.”
Her brother, Ian Maxwell, called the messages “private in nature” and claimed that “stolen and leaked without authorization.”