Elizabeth Smart decries Maxwell 'country club' prison treatment
Survivor and advocate says reports of privileged conditions for Ghislaine Maxwell at a Texas federal prison are sickening and betray victims.
Elizabeth Smart, the kidnapping survivor turned child-safety advocate, said she was horrified by reports that Ghislaine Maxwell is receiving favorable treatment at a federal prison in Texas, describing the so-called “country club” conditions as sickening and a betrayal of other victims. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Smart said: “When I hear that Ghislaine’s in the country club of prisons, it just makes me sick to my stomach. How could she betray other women like that? How could she stand aside and watch young girls be abused — and be OK with it? Not just be OK with it, but encourage it? It’s disgusting.” She added that the situation echoes the trauma she knows all too well, noting that Maxwell’s actions resemble those of her own captor and that the abuse of vulnerable girls is a trust she believes should never be broken.
The reporting comes amid renewed scrutiny of Maxwell’s confinement at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas. Maxwell, 63, arrived at Bryan last summer after meeting with federal prosecutors and before the Supreme Court denied her appeal. The Wall Street Journal reported that inmates at Bryan, a minimum-security facility with about 622 inmates, had been warned not to discuss her case with reporters. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for procuring girls for Epstein, with a potential release date in 2037. The Journal noted that the Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Smart also reflected on the broader impact of Epstein and Maxwell’s offenses. She said Maxwell’s alleged conduct—facilitating abuse and failing to protect victims—reminded her of the betrayal she felt during her own kidnapping. “The whole situation is just horrific, nightmarish and hellish — the way [she and Epstein] preyed on vulnerable girls,” Smart said. “And this woman facilitated the rape and abuse of so many girls.” She drew a direct line between that betrayal and the survivors who must live with the consequences of their abuse, stressing that society bears responsibility for supporting victims and not trivializing their experiences.
Smart, who authored Detours: Hope & Growth After Life’s Hardest Truths, has spent years advocating for missing and exploited children through her foundation. She described trauma as something that can derail a person’s life but said healing is possible with the right support. “One woman should never betray another. A grown woman should never hurt or help facilitate the abuse of young girls,” she said, adding that victims deserve recognition, justice, and ongoing care.
The Journal’s reporting on Maxwell’s conditions at Bryan included accounts from a prison consultant who works with clients involved in high-profile cases. Sam Mangel, who has advised on cases involving Sam Bankman-Fried and Steve Bannon, told Fox News Digital that Maxwell has been treated more like a guest in a hotel than an inmate in a federal prison. He described a controversial episode in which guards reportedly locked down the camp to allow Maxwell to have a private visit in the chapel, with visitors entering through a side door to avoid visibility.
“The visiting arrangements would upset other inmates and their families—especially those with daughters close in age to Maxwell’s victims,” Mangel said. He characterized the hotel-like treatment as unprecedented for someone convicted of sex crimes and asserted that “strings were pulled at the highest possible levels of the DOJ” to relocate Maxwell from Tallahassee to Bryan after she began cooperating with prosecutors. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons did not respond to requests for comment on those specifics.
Maxwell’s case continues to unfold in court. She has petitioned a federal judge to vacate her sex-trafficking conviction, arguing that substantial new evidence indicates constitutional violations tainted her trial. Maxwell’s move to Bryan followed her 2023 extradition from Florida after prosecutors and the defense navigated appeals and deadlines related to her case. She remains under supervision as she serves a 20-year sentence and remains eligible for release in 2037, subject to ongoing federal review and potential future developments in her appeals.
Elizabeth Smart noted that the revelations surrounding Maxwell underscore the broader ongoing fight against child sexual abuse and trafficking. She recalled her own abduction and the years she spent recovering, stating that every survivor carries a unique burden but that accountability and safeguarding other children must remain priorities for families, law enforcement, and policymakers alike. Smart has used her platform to push for safety education and support networks for victims, stressing the importance of community vigilance and early intervention to prevent abuse.
Smart’s advocacy work has grown out of her own experience of captivity and recovery. She has become a vocal voice for missing and exploited children, urging schools, communities, and authorities to implement comprehensive safety measures and trauma-informed support. Her comments come as the Epstein-Maxwell case continues to receive intense media attention and as victims and advocates call for accountability at all levels of the justice system.
In addition to her work and public statements, Smart has emphasized the resilience of survivors. She has encouraged anyone who has experienced abuse to seek support and to connect with resources designed to assist families and individuals affected by exploitation. “You are not alone, and you are not defined by what happened to you,” Smart said. “You are worthy of love, safety, and joy, and you deserve every chance at healing.”
The broader Epstein network has drawn extensive scrutiny for years, with investigations examining how powerful people may have exploited vulnerable individuals. Maxwell’s case remains a focal point in that conversation, as victims and advocates alike seek to understand how incarceration conditions and media narratives intersect with justice and trauma recovery. Fox News Digital and The Wall Street Journal contributed to reporting on Maxwell’s location, security measures, and the related court actions that continue to unfold in federal courts.