Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pressing the Trump Administration to more quickly implement his bipartisan law aimed at strengthening security in Federal prisons.
Today, Sen. Ossoff urged Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Director of the Bureau of Prisons, William Lothrop, to accelerate implementation of the bipartisanPrison Camera Reform Act, which was passed and signed into law in 2022.
In March 2023, BOP submitted a report to Congress evaluating the adequacy of its existing camera systems, identifying gaps in coverage, and outlining a plan for improvement.
However, the BOP’s first annual progress report last year revealed the Agency had made little progress in updating camera systems as required by the law. For example, the report found only 12 out of 121 BOP institutions have digital camera systems, and fewer than half have installed updated single-mode fiber optics.
“I write to urge accelerated implementation of the Prison Camera Reform Act to protect civil rights and to improve safety, accountability, and transparency within our federal prison system,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to Attorney General Bondi and Acting BOP Director Lothrop. “The Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) first annual report under the Prison Camera Reform Act revealed too-slow progress towards the Act’s goals to address blind spots and deficiencies in prison camera systems. Faster progress is necessary to meet the Act’s goals and ensure the safety of staff and incarcerated persons alike.”
As part of the inquiry, Sen. Ossoff requested more information about the Agency’s slow progress and how they plan to meet the March 2026 deadline for implementation of their camera upgrades, as required by the law.
“BOP’s first annual report, submitted to Congress last year, raises serious questions about the Bureau’s slow progress and prospective ability to achieve its implementation goals,” Sen. Ossoff wrote.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen security and protect the civil and human rights of inmates and staff.
Earlier this year, Sens. Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the bipartisan Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to mitigate inmate-on-staff sexual assault in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities and help end sexual abuse in prisons.
Last July, President Biden signed into law Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Federal PrisonOversight Act, historic prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prison’s 122 facilities nationwide by mandating routine inspections of all facilities by the DOJ Inspector General and establishing a new Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff led a 10-month bipartisan investigation into corruption, abuse, and misconduct at FCI Atlanta (formerly named U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta), uncovering long-term failures of Federal prison administration that likely contributed to loss of life; jeopardized the health and safety of inmates and staff; and undermined public safety and civil rights in Georgia and the Southeast Region of the United States.
Later in 2022, Sen. Ossoff led an 8-month bipartisan investigation into sexual abuse of female prisoners in Federal custody, which uncovered that BOP employees sexually abused female prisoners in at least two-thirds of Federal prisons that have held women over the past decade.
Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s inquiry.
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