Now, Congress is finally working to change the BOP’s toxic reputation with the partisan House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s 41-1 approval of the Federal Prison Oversight Act last week.
Perhaps coincidentally, the department announced this week the closure of one of its most shameful prisons, the Federal Correctional Facility in Dublin, California. The facility is a women’s facility that has earned the nickname “rape club” among workers and prisoners, the Associated Press reported. Even its former warden and pastor were convicted of sexual abuse.
Instead of calling for new facilities or significant increases in personnel, the bill would focus on transparency and an “inspection regime” strengthened by an empowered Justice Department inspector general and a new ombudsman position dedicated to the Bureau of Prisons. I’m leaving it there. Gaining “access to all Department facilities” at any time and without advance notice, as the bill provides, would shed light on dark and dangerous practices in the system.
Rep. Lucy McBath’s motivations for introducing this bill were personal, but not what you might expect.
“My son, Jordan Davis, was killed by a gunman at just 17 years old and is currently serving a life sentence,” the Georgia Democrat said in an email. “Through my family’s suffering, I found the strength to forgive my son’s killer. Advocates and leaders at the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons have told me that more reforms are needed to protect staff and inmates in our prison system. I heard that this was necessary and submitted this bill to the House of Representatives.
In March, David C. Fatih, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project, denounced the BOP as a “deeply broken government agency” in an interview with the Post. Now he’s even more optimistic, calling the bill “a huge step toward transparency” in a phone interview. …Prison surveillance is truly essential. Prisons are closed institutions that house unpopular and politically powerless people. Therefore, without some supervision, it can lead to neglect, abuse, and abuse. ”
The bill, which must be approved unanimously by the House and Senate before becoming law, would require the Justice Department’s inspector general to regularly inspect prisons. The attorney general has a duty to ensure that the inspector general has “access to targeted facilities, including incarcerated persons, detainees, staff, bargaining unit representatives, and other necessary information.”
The law states that the evaluation “may include” conditions of incarceration. Suitability and working conditions of staff. Availability of recidivism reduction programs. Solitary confinement and restrictive confinement practices. Prison medical and mental health services. Allegations of violence, sexual abuse, and excessive force.
Following the inspection, a report on the findings will be made available to Parliament, staff organizations and the public. Prison officials must respond in writing to the report within 60 days, and the report must include a “corrective action plan.”
A “risk score” based on a variety of issues will be created for each facility by the Office of the Inspector General and sent to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. High-risk prisons will be inspected more frequently.
One of the new elements in prison responsibilities is that complaints from inmates, staff, and others “concerning matters that may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare, or rights of incarcerated people or staff” It is a dedicated prison ombudsman who receives complaints. The ombudsman will determine the merits of each complaint and report the results to the BOP. If the ombudsman determines that there are “significant health, safety, welfare, working conditions or rehabilitation” issues at hand, the agency will report it to the Attorney General and Parliament. The ombudsman will also be given powers to monitor internal disciplinary actions “to ensure a fair and objective process”.
The Oversight Act also provides reporting tools, such as online forms and telephone hotlines, to “representatives of incarcerated people” and “multiple internal ways for incarcerated individuals to privately submit complaints.” I’m looking for it.
Like Fatih, other strong critics of the BOP also welcomed the bill.
Eddie Ellis, 48, of Montgomery County, Maryland, recalled the problems he faced during his time as a federal inmate in two facilities, including inadequate health and psychological care, filthy conditions, and poor diet. After explaining, he praised the bill. She calls it “a checkbox to see if it humanizes the people in the space.” He has been out of prison for 18 years and is currently co-director of the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth.
But this isn’t just a checkbox, it’s more like, “Even if something isn’t happening right, something can happen before things get worse, or worse than they are.” He added that he pointed out measures that incorporated the opinions of
“This bill would provide, for the first time, truly comprehensive, specific, and independent oversight of the federal prison system,” said Daniel Landsman, vice president of the criminal justice group FAMM (formerly Families Against Mandatory Minimums). ” he said. ”
The bipartisan nature of the bill was demonstrated by its support from the Conservative Political Action Conference. David Safabian, general counsel for the American Conservative Union, CPAC’s parent group, said: Praising “increased prison oversight,” the BOP said it “costs $8 billion of taxpayer dollars each year with little meaningful oversight by policymakers.””
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong (N.D.), said prisons are “the only places where people are cared for, detained, and controlled,” and who are ultimately responsible. policymakers and legislators, he said. “Is this going to solve everything? Probably not. But this will help us understand where we are really being left behind and where we need funding most to get back up to speed.” And it’s a step in the right direction.”
