Marvin Bickham's Report On The DC Jail's Correctional Treatment Facility

Case 1:21-cr-00024-EGS Document 94-1 Filed 01/17/22 Page 1 of 4
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CRIMINAL NO. 21-cr-24 (EGS)

:
v. :
:
ROBERT GIESWEIN, :
:
Defendant. :
DECLARATION OF MARVIN BICKHAM

I, Marvin Bickham, hereby declare as follows, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746:
1. I am a retired law enforcement special agent with over 33 years of law
enforcement experience. I served as correctional officer, case manager, and detention
correctional specialist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 1989 to 2004. In 2004, I became a
criminal investigator for the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General. From 2006
to 2016, I was a criminal investigator for the Department of Treasury’s Office of the Inspector
General. Since that time, I have served as a Federal Detention Monitor for the United States
Marshals Service. I graduated in 1988 from McNeese State University with a bachelor’s degree
in Criminal Justice.
2. I was assigned to serve as a Federal Detention Monitor at the D.C. Department of
Corrections in mid-November 2021. As a Federal Detention Monitor, it is my job to review and
determine whether the facilities at which federal prisoners are detained appear to comply with
the Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards. Those standards were first promulgated by
the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee in the early 2000s. The responsibilities of the
Federal Detention Trustee were transferred to the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in
2012.
3. The Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards are designed for use in
reviewing non-federal facilities that house federal detainees to ensure these facilities are safe,
humane, and protect detainees’ federal statutory and constitutional rights (available at
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https://www.usmarshals.gov/prisoner/detention-standards.pdf). These standards are routinely

updated, most recently in December 2021.
4. I am aware that the USMS conducted an unannounced inspection of the D.C.
Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities from October 18-22, 2021. I did not participate in
that inspection, but I am familiar with its findings. That inspection found evidence of systemic
failures at the Central Detention Facility (CDF) and resulted in DOC and the USMS entering into
a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve the conditions at CDF only.
5. I have prepared this declaration for filing in the case of United States v. Robert
Gieswein. I am aware that Mr. Gieswein is detained in unit C2B at the DOC’s Correctional
Treatment Facility (CTF). My declaration is therefore limited to my review of the conditions at
unit C2B at CTF.
6. The USMS October 2021 inspection found that the conditions at CTF were
largely appropriate and consistent with federal prisoner detention standards.
7. In my role as a Federal Detention Monitor, I work with DOC to assess its
facilities, and I provide technical assistance, help, and recommendations to enhance and improve
the conditions through the facility. I have no decision-making authority with respect to any DOC
facility (to include CTF), no operational authority or control over any DOC facility, nor am I
responsible for supervisory management of any DOC facility. I cannot direct DOC staff to
comply with any USMS or federal directive or order. My physical access to CTF is subject to the
consent of DOC/CTF staff.
8. I am familiar with the policies and procedures at CTF, and I conduct in-person
inspections to observe and document whether the conditions of confinement appear to conform
to federal prisoner detention standards. A Corrective Action Matrix (CAM) report contains my
documented observations. The CAM is provided to my superiors at the USMS. Documented
observations are for official use only, confidential and law enforcement sensitive. I have not
documented any observations identifying Mr. Gieswein as a subject.
9. In the two months that I have served as a Federal Detention Monitor at DOC, I
have observed the conditions in unit C2B at CTF on at least a weekly basis. I have observed no
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systemic issues that would warrant a modification to the existing MOU to include any other
DOC facility other than CDF. The conditions at CTF appear to conform to the federal prisoner
detention standards. 1
10. I have reviewed CTF’s records for any grievance filed by Mr. Gieswein and have
found two. The first, IGP 20210720-695, was filed by Mr. Gieswein on July 15, 2021. In the
grievance, Mr. Gieswein reported that he was ordered by a correctional officer not to stand near
the cell door of another inmate, and that this was inconsistent with DOC policies both as written
and as previously enforced. DOC found that Mr. Gieswein’s grievance was a “non-grievance”
because he did not establish that the Department policy or procedure personally affected him.
11. The second, IGP 22108241-363, was filed on August 15, 2021, in which Mr.
Gieswein reported that he was not delivered his commissary because he was listed as being
“PHD” [pending discipline] incorrectly. This grievance was resolved favorably, though
informally.
12. In speaking with the individuals housed in unit C2B at CTF, I am aware that they
have complained of certain issues related to their confinement during the November 2021 to
January 2022 referenced time period. I will briefly outline those complaints below.
13. Individuals in unit C2B at CTF have complained that they are not provided access
to haircuts and shaving. I am aware that CTF does not provide haircuts and shaving to prisoners
who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. I am further aware that CTF is providing access to
COVID-19 vaccines. I also understand that CTF will provide grooming services to prisoners in
advance of jury trials.
14. Individuals in unit C2B at CTF also complain that they are not permitted to have
personal visits with family and friends. I am aware that CTF does not permit unvaccinated
individuals to have personal visits. Again, I am aware that CTF is providing access to COVID-
19 vaccines.
1
In my role as Federal Detention Monitor at DOC, I have observed two remediable issues
or deficiencies in other units at CTF, one relating to mold and the other relating to the
maintenance of two CPAP machines. As of December 23, 2021, both issues were remediated
and resolved favorably.
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15. Individuals in unit C2B at CTF are currently permitted two hours of recreation
time out of their cells, in the common area, each day. There is no access to restrooms in the
common area. When individuals need to use the restroom, they are returned to their cells,
shortening their recreation time. CTF is currently restricting individuals to 2 hours of recreation
time due to the spread of COVID-19 in the jail; during longer recreation periods, CTF could take
steps to ensure that individuals are released from their cells after using the restroom. I am of the
belief, however, there are no prohibitions on individuals using the bathroom in their cell prior to
recreation time.
16. Finally, I am aware that individuals in unit C2B at CTF have complained about
access to discovery. Specifically, they have complained that they are allowed access to
computers to review electronic discovery for only 14 days, and that there are not enough
computers to go around.
17. I have considered these complaints carefully and, although they are not trivial, as
of this writing, the present conditions at CTF appear to be largely appropriate and consistent with
federal prisoner detention standards, particularly in light of DOC’s legitimate interest in
protecting inmates and staff members from COVID-19.
18. After careful review and consideration, I believe that the conditions at CTF are
appropriate and consistent with the federal prisoner detention standards.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated: January 17, 2022
____________________
Marvin Bickham
Federal Detention Monitor
United States Marshals Service
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Case 1:21-cr-00024-EGS Document 94-1 Filed 01/17/22 Page 1 of 4

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CRIMINAL NO. 21-cr-24 (EGS)

DECLARATION OF MARVIN BICKHAM

https://www.usmarshals.gov/prisoner/detention-standards.pdf). These standards are routinely

Dated: January 17, 2022

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