The Department of Justice is preparing to send formal letters to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, confirming a probe into whether female inmates’ constitutional rights have been violated by housing biological males in women’s facilities. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon confirmed the move Thursday, zeroing in on specific prisons already tied to serious accusations.

At the center of the investigation: the California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County, Central California Women’s Facility in Madera County, and Maine Correctional Center in Windham. All three have been linked to claims of sexual assault, harassment, and intimidation involving transgender inmates housed with women.

Federal officials say the inquiry will examine whether these policies—particularly California’s Senate Bill 132—have led to a “pattern or practice” of rights violations. That law allows inmates to be housed based on self-declared gender identity, without requiring surgery, hormone treatment, or psychological evaluation.

Critics argue that loophole has opened the door to abuse.

One of the most alarming cases involves Tremaine Carroll, a transgender inmate accused of raping three women while housed at a California women’s prison. Prosecutors say one alleged victim became pregnant. The case is now drawing national attention, especially after a judge ruled Carroll must be referred to with female pronouns in court—sparking backlash from the local district attorney, who warned the decision could confuse jurors in a rape trial legally defined as involving a male perpetrator.

Meanwhile, in Maine, convicted double murderer Andrea Balcer—serving a 40-year sentence—has been accused by fellow inmates of repeated sexual misconduct after being transferred to a women’s facility. Allegations include unwanted physical contact, explicit propositions, and threats. Some inmates claim their complaints have gone ignored.

The DOJ says it will evaluate potential violations of the First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments, focusing on whether female prisoners were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment or denied equal protection under the law.

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Pamela Bondi, now serving as Attorney General, put it bluntly: housing biological males in women’s prisons is “a matter of safety and constitutional rights,” adding the administration “will not stand by” if abuse is being enabled under current policies.

The investigation comes as activist groups ramp up pressure. Mobile billboards across California are now broadcasting stark messages, pointing directly at SB 132 and warning of what they describe as unchecked danger inside women’s prisons.

New York Post