U.S. Senate passes bipartisan Braun/Ossoff bill to improve federal prisons through independent oversight
WASHINGTON — The Federal Prison Oversight Act, a bipartisan bill to strengthen Federal prison oversight by Senator Mike Braun, Senator Jon Ossoff, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, has passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to become law.
The bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act will require the Department of Justice’s Inspector General (IG) to conduct comprehensive, risk-based inspections of the BOP’s 122 correctional facilities, provide recommendations to fix problems, and assign each facility a risk score, with higher-risk facilities required to be inspected more often. The IG must also report its findings and recommendations to Congress and the public, and the BOP must respond to all inspection reports within 60 days with a corrective action plan.
The bipartisan bill will establish an independent Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of prisoners and staff. The Ombudsman would also create a secure hotline and online form for complaints and inquiries.
The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); and Tim Kaine (D-VA). Congresswoman Lucy McBath (D-GA-07) and Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL) introduced and led the companion bipartisan bill in the House, which has nearly 40 co-sponsors.
The Federal Prison Oversight Act passed the U.S. House last month.
“More transparency and accountability will create a safer environment for correctional officers and staff who work in our federal prisons as well as the inmates incarcerated in them. This bill does not allow the Department of Justice to intervene into the affairs of state and local jails, and will help to improve working conditions and keep our federal corrections officers safe.”
Senator Braun
“The Council of Prison Locals would like to thank Senator Braun, Senator Durbin, and Senator Ossoff, for spearheading this piece of Legislation. This bipartisan bill will bring more transparency to working conditions that our Federal Law Enforcement work in. Also, identifying the inadequacy of staffing within the Bureau of Prisons, including ratio of staff to inmates at each facility, the staff position vacancy rate at each facility, and the use of overtime, mandatory overtime, and augmentation instead of hiring funded positions. The Council of Prison Locals will continue to work with Members of Congress to create legislation that will provide safer prisons for both Law Enforcement and the inmates that are incarcerated within.”
Steve Markle, National Secretary-Treasurer, Council of Prison Locals
“Our bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act has passed the Senate. This is a major milestone. My bipartisan Senate investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the Federal prison system have revealed an urgent need to overhaul Federal prison oversight,” Senator Ossoff said. “I now look forward to President Biden signing our bipartisan bill into law.”
“Restoring integrity to the Bureau of Prisons and addressing mismanagement in correctional facilities is a top priority of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bipartisan bill would improve prison oversight and ensure the Bureau is fulfilling its duty to provide safe and humane conditions of confinement to prepare incarcerated individuals for a successful return to society. I’m glad the Senate passed our bill and look forward to President Biden signing it into law,” said U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I’m pleased the Senate passed our bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act, which will overhaul federal prison oversight and improve safety for staff and inmates,” said Senator Manchin. “This commonsense legislation is especially important after the serious reports of abuses, staff shortages, and dangerous conditions at federal prisons in West Virginia and across the country. I fought hard to secure a much-needed pay raise for staff at Federal Correctional Complex Hazelton, and this legislation furthers my goal of improving safety and accountability for all federal prison facilities. I look forward to President Biden swiftly signing our legislation into law.”
“Investigations into our Federal prisons produced shocking and alarming findings,” Senator Capito said. “I was incredibly upset to read reports of misconduct by some prison officials, see the conditions of some facilities, and hear stories about the abuse of inmates. I am glad to see the Federal Prison Oversight Act pass the Senate. After discussions with numerous constituents, families, and corrections officers, I strongly support this legislation which aims to correct these issues within the Federal prison system, and I encourage the president to sign it promptly into law.”
“Following horrific stories of abuse and misconduct at prisons across the country, we need to take steps to ensure the health and safety of incarcerated individuals and prison staff. This bipartisan legislation does that by improving oversight of federal prisons,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m glad the Senate unanimously passed it, and I urge President Biden to sign it into law quickly.”
Click here to read the Federal Prison Oversight Act.
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