TL;DR
- Ghislaine Maxwell is in federal prison at Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Bryan, Texas, according to the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator as checked on Oct. 13, 2026.
- She is serving a 20-year sentence for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls. Her projected release date is July 17, 2037.
- She was moved to Bryan, a minimum-security camp, from a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, on Aug. 1, 2025, about a week after two days of interviews with the Justice Department’s No. 2 official.
- Her court options are nearly gone. The Supreme Court turned down her appeal in October 2025, and on Aug. 25, 2026, a federal judge rejected her bid to throw out the conviction, calling her claims “meritless” and mostly “frivolous.”
- A reconsideration motion she filed on Sept. 23, 2026 is still pending. The government has until Oct. 14 to screen it for victim names before it goes on the public docket.
- Her lawyer has said she wants clemency. No pardon or commutation has been granted. The full Senate went on record against one in July 2026.
As of October 2026, Ghislaine Maxwell is an inmate at Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum-security women’s facility in Bryan, Texas, with a projected release date of July 17, 2037. The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lists her as register number 02879-509, age 64, at “FPC Bryan” on its public inmate locator. She is still there more than 14 months after her August 2025 transfer, and she has not been released or pardoned.
In the past 14 months she has changed prisons, pleaded the Fifth before Congress, lost her last direct appeal and a sweeping challenge to her conviction, and become the subject of a Senate resolution. Here is where everything stands.
Where Is Ghislaine Maxwell Now?
Maxwell is held at FPC Bryan, a federal prison camp in southeast Texas. Her current status at a glance:
- Location: Federal Prison Camp Bryan, Bryan, Texas (minimum security, women only)
- BOP register number: 02879-509
- Sentence: 240 months (20 years) in federal prison, plus five years of supervised release and a $750,000 fine
- Convictions: Five federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor (verdict Dec. 29, 2021)
- Projected release date: July 17, 2037, per the BOP locator
- Direct appeal: Over. The Supreme Court denied review on Oct. 6, 2025
- Latest court ruling: Her pro se motion to vacate the conviction was denied in a 67-page opinion made public Aug. 25, 2026
- Still pending: A Sept. 23, 2026 motion asking the same judge to reconsider
- Clemency: Sought in public statements by her lawyer; not granted
You can check this yourself by searching her name or register number on the BOP locator. A projected release date is the BOP’s current estimate, not a fixed promise. It can shift with credits earned or lost, or with a court order or clemency.
Why Is Ghislaine Maxwell in Prison?
Federal agents arrested Maxwell on July 2, 2020, and she was first brought before a federal court in New Hampshire that afternoon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors charged her with helping Epstein recruit, groom and abuse minor girls. Epstein himself had died in federal custody in August 2019, before he could stand trial.
After a monthlong trial, a Manhattan jury convicted her on Dec. 29, 2021 of five of the six counts at trial. Those counts were:
- Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts
- Transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts
- Sex trafficking conspiracy
- Sex trafficking of a minor
She was acquitted on one count, the substantive enticement charge.
According to the Justice Department’s sentencing announcement, the evidence showed that from about 1994 to 2004, Maxwell helped Epstein target girls as young as 14. She befriended victims, took them shopping and to the movies, normalized sexual topics, and was present for, and in some cases took part in, the abuse. Victims were groomed or abused at Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida and New Mexico, and at Maxwell’s home in London.
On June 28, 2022, Judge Alison J. Nathan sentenced her to 240 months. That was slightly above the advisory guidelines range of 188 to 235 months that the judge had calculated, according to the August 2026 court opinion that summarizes the case history. The judge said Maxwell had “directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport, and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Prison Transfer to FPC Bryan
For most of her sentence, Maxwell was held at FCI Tallahassee in Florida, a low-security prison that housed both men and women. That changed on Aug. 1, 2025.
“We can confirm, Ghislaine Maxwell is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas,” the BOP said in a statement reported by NBC News. The move came about a week after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Maxwell and her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, for nine hours over two days.
Why the move was so controversial
Under the BOP’s own designation policy, Maxwell appeared to be ineligible for a minimum-security camp because she is a convicted sex offender, NBC News reported at the time. CNN, in reporting republished by ABC7 New York, added that it is also unusual for someone with more than 10 years left on a sentence to be placed in a camp.
The family of Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, joined by accusers Annie and Maria Farmer, objected in a statement quoted by NBC: “This move smacks of a cover up. The victims deserve better.”
Markus has framed it differently. He wrote that the transfer happened because Maxwell needed “a safer placement” after facing “serious danger in Tallahassee,” according to CNN. Blanche has also defended the move as necessary for her safety, citing threats against her, The Guardian reported.
What FPC Bryan is like
FPC Bryan is a women-only camp where most inmates are serving time for nonviolent and white-collar crimes, according to NBC. When Maxwell arrived, its other well-known inmates included Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah, NBC reported. The Guardian put the camp’s population at about 635 women in June 2026.
Camp life is looser than in a higher-security prison, but not every program is open to her. CNN reported that Canine Companions, which runs a puppy-training program at Bryan, said it would not accept her because it bars anyone convicted of crimes against animals or minors. CNN also reported that one inmate who criticized the transfer in the press was later moved to a detention center in Houston.
Claims of Special Treatment Inside the Prison Camp
Maxwell’s time at Bryan has been dogged by allegations that staff treat her better than other prisoners.
In November 2025, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to President Donald Trump citing whistleblower material from the camp. As described by NOTUS, the letter alleged custom meals delivered to her, private visits arranged by the warden where guests were allowed computers, private after-hours recreation, and time with a service dog.
The same whistleblower material included an email from Maxwell to her lawyer with the subject line “Commutation Application.” In it she wrote: “I will need the brief back at some point to go through it.”
In January 2026, Raskin and Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Oversight Committee Democrat, told then Attorney General Pam Bondi that more than a dozen whistleblowers had come forward, The Guardian reported.
The BOP has said that its conduct rules “explicitly” prohibit preferential treatment for any inmate and that such allegations are “taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.” Markus rejected the claims in a statement to The New York Times quoted by The Guardian: “Humane treatment isn’t special treatment.”
The June 2026 congressional staff visit
On June 16, 2026, staff from the House Oversight and Judiciary committees toured FPC Bryan. Garcia and Raskin said afterward that BOP leadership “repeatedly shut down our lines of questioning,” The Guardian reported. The BOP said it had facilitated “an extensive and transparent visit.”
Garcia told CNN that the warden said Maxwell is the only convicted sex offender among the 600-plus women at the camp, and that the warden did not know why she was moved there. Staff were not given access to Maxwell herself.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Appeals: Where Her Court Fight Stands in 2026
Maxwell has always maintained her innocence. Her legal fight has gone through three stages.
The direct appeal is over
Her main appeal argued that a 2007 non-prosecution agreement Epstein signed with federal prosecutors in Florida should have protected her from being charged in New York. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected that and her other arguments in 2024, and it denied rehearing on Nov. 25, 2024, according to the August 2026 opinion.
She then asked the Supreme Court to step in. On Oct. 6, 2025, the Supreme Court denied review, which left her conviction and sentence in place.
The Aug. 25, 2026 ruling
On Dec. 17, 2025, Maxwell filed a pro se motion (one filed on her own, without a lawyer) asking the trial court to vacate her conviction under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. She later added claims based on records released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed in November 2025.
U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer denied every claim. “Maxwell’s claims are all meritless and all or almost all are frivolous,” he wrote. He said the supposedly new evidence was “largely irrelevant” and that, “to the extent it is relevant, far from exculpating her, it incriminates her or reinforces the correctness of the legal rulings Maxwell challenges.”
He went further, according to ABC News:
- He called her filings “lengthy and meandering” and said they rested on “speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods.”
- He rejected her claim that she was prosecuted as a stand-in for Epstein, calling the case “the epitome of a virtuous prosecution.”
- He refused to hold an evidentiary hearing.
- He declined to grant a certificate of appealability, the permission a prisoner needs to appeal this kind of ruling, and said any appeal “would not be taken in good faith.”
Maxwell’s family said the ruling carried “a tone of sarcasm and disdain” and that she “will continue to pursue every available legal avenue,” according to The Guardian.
The motion still pending in October 2026
On Sept. 23, 2026, Maxwell emailed the court a pro se motion asking Engelmayer to alter or amend his ruling under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e). In a court order filed the same day, the judge said he could not confirm that her motion and exhibits were free of victim-identifying information. He gave the government until Oct. 14, 2026 to review the papers, redact them if needed, and send them back for public docketing. The order did not rule on the motion or grant her any relief.
Former federal prosecutors told The Guardian she could still ask the Second Circuit directly for a certificate of appealability, but that it is unlikely to succeed. Former prosecutor Neama Rahmani put it bluntly: “Her only chance of ever seeing the light of day before her sentence runs is a presidential pardon.”
Will Ghislaine Maxwell Be Pardoned?
No pardon or commutation has been granted to Maxwell as of Oct. 13, 2026. But clemency has become the main question surrounding her case.
What Maxwell’s side has said
The February 2026 deposition. On Feb. 9, 2026, Maxwell appeared by video before the House Oversight Committee and refused to answer questions, repeating: “I invoke my Fifth Amendment right to silence,” CBS News reported. Markus told the panel she “is prepared to speak fully and honestly if granted clemency by President Trump.” He also said she would testify that “both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing.” Committee chairman James Comer called her refusal “very disappointing.”
The April 2026 comments. Markus told Politico there was “a good chance and for good reason that she would get a pardon,” according to The Independent. He said she “obviously wants clemency” but that he had not yet spoken to the White House and did not think it was the right time.
In August 2026, Maxwell’s family told The Guardian that, to the best of their knowledge, no pardon application had been filed, and that legal routes have to be exhausted first.
What the White House and Justice Department have said
Trump has never ruled a pardon in or out. “I don’t rule it in or out, I don’t even think about it,” he said in remarks the White House cited in August 2026, according to The Guardian. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said he was not considering a pardon, per The Independent.
In May 2026, Blanche, then acting attorney general, told senators he would not recommend a pardon, according to Axios.
The Senate resolution
On July 29, 2026, the Senate passed S. Res. 608 by unanimous consent, with no senator objecting. Introduced by Sen. Jacky Rosen in February, it states that the president “should not grant a pardon, commutation, or any other form of executive clemency to Ghislaine Maxwell.” The resolution is nonbinding and does not limit the president’s pardon power, Axios noted, but it puts the entire chamber on record.
When Will Ghislaine Maxwell Be Released?
If nothing changes, the answer is July 17, 2037, the projected release date on her BOP record. Based on her current listed age of 64, she would be in her late 70s by then.
Three things could change that date:
- Clemency. A pardon or commutation, the route most experts point to and the one the Senate has opposed.
- A court reversal. Engelmayer would have to change course on the Sept. 23 motion, or the Second Circuit would have to take up and win her a new appeal. Both are long shots.
- Credits. Projected dates can shift slightly as credits are earned or lost.
After release, she would still face five years of supervised release under her sentence.
Ghislaine Maxwell Timeline: Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Aug. 10, 2019 | Jeffrey Epstein dies in federal pretrial custody in New York |
| July 2, 2020 | Maxwell arrested and charged |
| Dec. 29, 2021 | Jury convicts her on five of six counts |
| June 28, 2022 | Sentenced to 20 years in prison |
| Nov. 25, 2024 | Second Circuit denies rehearing after affirming her conviction |
| July 2025 | Two days of interviews with Deputy AG Todd Blanche |
| Aug. 1, 2025 | Transferred from FCI Tallahassee to FPC Bryan |
| Oct. 6, 2025 | Supreme Court denies review |
| Nov. 2025 | Raskin letter cites whistleblower claims and a “Commutation Application” email |
| Dec. 17, 2025 | Files pro se motion to vacate her conviction |
| Feb. 9, 2026 | Pleads the Fifth before the House Oversight Committee |
| June 16, 2026 | House committee staff tour FPC Bryan |
| July 29, 2026 | Senate passes S. Res. 608 opposing clemency |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Judge Engelmayer’s ruling denying her motion is made public |
| Sept. 23, 2026 | Files motion asking the judge to reconsider |
| Oct. 14, 2026 | Deadline for government privacy review of that motion |
| July 17, 2037 | Projected release date |
Why the Ghislaine Maxwell Case Still Draws So Much Interest
Maxwell is the only Epstein associate convicted at trial for his abuse of underage girls, which puts her at the center of every new Epstein story. Each release of Epstein files, each congressional hearing, and each question about clemency sends people back to the same search: where is she now?
For readers following other long-running cases, our roundup of infamous killers and where they are now in 2026 and our tracker of true crime cases with major 2026 updates cover the same kind of prison-status questions. Our guide to where Samuel Bateman is now follows another federal case involving crimes against minors. And if you want to go deeper on cases like this, start with our list of the best true crime podcasts of 2026.
FAQ
Where is Ghislaine Maxwell being held now?
She is at Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum-security women’s prison camp in Bryan, Texas. The Bureau of Prisons locator lists her there as of Oct. 13, 2026.
Is Ghislaine Maxwell still in prison in 2026?
Yes. She has not been released, pardoned or had her sentence commuted. She is serving a 20-year federal sentence.
When is Ghislaine Maxwell’s release date?
Her projected release date is July 17, 2037, according to the BOP inmate locator.
Why was Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a prison camp in Texas?
No reason was given at the time, CBS News reported. She was moved on Aug. 1, 2025, about a week after two days of interviews with Deputy AG Todd Blanche. Blanche has defended the move as a safety measure, citing threats against her. Critics note that BOP policy generally keeps sex offenders out of minimum-security camps.
Did Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal work?
No. The Second Circuit affirmed her conviction, and the Supreme Court declined to hear her case on Oct. 6, 2025. A separate challenge to her conviction was denied on Aug. 25, 2026.
Has Trump pardoned Ghislaine Maxwell?
No. Trump has said he does not rule a pardon in or out, and the Senate passed a nonbinding resolution in July 2026 opposing any clemency for her.
Did Ghislaine Maxwell testify to Congress?
She appeared by video before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 9, 2026, but invoked the Fifth Amendment and answered no questions. Her lawyer said she would speak if granted clemency.
Sources
- Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator (checked Oct. 13, 2026)
- BOP, FPC Bryan facility page
- U.S. Attorney’s Office SDNY, arrest and charges (July 2, 2020)
- U.S. Attorney’s Office SDNY, sentencing (June 28, 2022)
- NBC News, transfer to FPC Bryan (Aug. 1, 2025)
- CNN via ABC7 New York, life at Bryan (Aug. 15, 2025)
- NOTUS, Raskin letter and “Commutation Application” email (Nov. 10, 2025)
- CBS News, House Oversight deposition (Feb. 9, 2026)
- The Independent, lawyer’s pardon comments (April 17, 2026)
- The Guardian, congressional staff visit to FPC Bryan (June 17, 2026)
- Axios, Senate resolution (July 29, 2026)
- S. Res. 608, as agreed to by the Senate
- Maxwell v. United States, Opinion and Order (S.D.N.Y., Aug. 2026)
- ABC News, judge rejects challenge (Aug. 25, 2026)
- The Guardian, legal options and pardon question (Aug. 30, 2026)
- S.D.N.Y. order on Rule 59(e) motion, ECF 870 (Sept. 23, 2026)
