BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – We chose a breakfast resturant in College Station to meet on Monday afternoon, with hopes we’d have an uninterrupted discussion about her time at the women’s Federal Prison Camp in Bryan. She’d been fired from the facility for sharing communications from its most notorious inmate, convicted child-sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, with members of the House Judiciary committee in Washington, D.C.Her name is Noella Turnage; she’s 46, resides in south Brazos County, and is a longtime healthcare professional who had been employed by the Bureau of Federal Prisons since 2019.
She is also the so-called ‘whistleblower’ mentioned last week in a CNN report that said Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the sexual abuse operation operated by Jeffrey Epstein, had copies of her correspondence with an attorney and others shared with Maryland representative Jaime Raskin.
“I actually emailed them from work, from my Bureau of Prisons email address, and said, ‘Hey, this is who I am. This is where I work, and I have some things I think you might be interested in, and documents you might potentially be interested in.’ I didn’t even specify what it was,” said Turnage.
Within 30 minutes, a staff member from Raskin’s office reached out.Over the past couple of weeks, she’s received numerous calls from staff members asking follow-up questions.Turnage woudl only let KBTX’s Rusty Surette visually inspect a handful of Maxwell’s emails she had printed and saved.
“I have not shared them with anyone othre than the committee,” said Turnage,calling reports that she shared them with members of the media inaccurate.
Recently, Erik Ortiz at NBC News shared a report detailing some of the emails from maxwell, including her apparent pleasure at being transferred to the Bryan facility from a more restrictive prison in Florida.
“My situation is improved by being in Bryan,” Maxwell wrote in one email.”The institution is run in an orderly fashion, which makes for a safer, more cozy environment for all peopel concerned, inmates and guards alike,” she wrote in another.
Ortiz shared in his report that the emails, first obtained by Turnage, were made available to NBC News through the House Judiciary Committee.
So, why did Turnage do this, and how did she go from being a nurse at the prison to having access to inmate emails?
Turnage says the move was in retaliation for her speaking up about working conditions. She called prison leadership in Bryan toxic and dismissive, especially toward incarcerated women with serious health needs.
Monday, Turnage spent close to an hour outlining several cases in which she documented the mistreatment of inmates that she says triggered her complaints and, ultimately, retaliation, including being reassigned to the “phone room.”
“they call it prison jail,” said Turnage, w
Here’s a breakdown of the key facts from the provided text, formatted for clarity:
Main Subject: Allegations of preferential treatment given to Ghislaine maxwell while incarcerated at a Bureau of Prisons facility in Bryan, Texas.
Key Allegations (as reported by former nurse,Turnage):
* Special Privileges: Maxwell received privileges not afforded to other high-profile inmates (like Elizabeth Holmes),violating Bureau of Prisons policy against favoritism.
* Visitation: The compound was reportedly shut down for Maxwell’s visits, and her family was allowed private meetings disguised as legal consultations.
* Mail Handling: Warden Tanisha Hall personally handled all of Maxwell’s incoming mail.
* Catered Visits: Maxwell’s visitors were provided with drinks, coffee, and snacks during visits.
* Numerous Attorneys: Maxwell seemingly had a large legal team (around 10 attorneys), possibly used to circumvent visitation rules.
* Coded Interaction: Some of Maxwell’s outgoing emails appeared “coded” with unusual formatting, raising suspicions.
Turnage’s Actions & Motivations:
* Leaked Emails: She printed, saved, and shared Maxwell’s emails with media outlets (after seeing a Wall Street Journal story and Rep. Jamie Raskin’s inquiries).
* Whistleblower Claim: She believes she was fulfilling her legal and ethical duty as a whistleblower by reporting perceived wrongdoing.
* Retaliation Claim: She alleges she was pushed out of her job after raising concerns about inmate treatment.
* No Financial Gain: She denies receiving payment for sharing the emails.
* Legal Action: She plans to sue the bureau of Prisons.
* Goal: To expose mistreatment of staff and inmates at the facility.
Bureau of Prisons Response:
* No Comment: Warden Hall and the Bureau of Prisons have not responded to repeated requests for comment from KBTX.
turnage’s Current situation:
* Feels Safe: Despite potential risks, she isn’t overly concerned for her safety, citing her guard dogs.
Source: KBTX News (Copyright 2025)