Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst doubled down on a request for information from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons regarding reports of sexual misconduct at a troubled federal prison in Illinois, near the Iowa border.
On Tuesday, Ernst sent a letter to Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters asking how the agency responded to and disciplined instances of sexual harassment against staff that were reported at U.S. Penitentiary Thomson in Thomson, Ill.
Ernst first sent a letter in December 2022 with similar questions, and in the new letter said the agency’s initial response was not adequate.
“I’m standing up for current and former USP Thomson staff who had to endure an unconscionable workplace environment,” Ernst said in a written statement. “I am dismayed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ slow response to this situation and apparent lack of corrective action, and I will continue pushing the agency to take this seriously on behalf of BOP employees across the country.”
The Thomson prison closed its high-security special detention unit in February and began operating as a low-security facility. The bureau said at the time it had “identified significant concerns with respect to institutional culture and compliance with BOP policies.” In August, it became a permanent low-security prison and named a new warden.
In 2022, Thomson employees, many of whom live in Iowa, complained of rampant sexual assault and misconduct at the then-high-security prison. The union representing the employees said there were more than 275 reported incidents in 2022 and more than 500 in 2021. The incidents included inmates exposing themselves and masturbating in front of employees, as well as threats of sexual violence.
The prison reported 125 staff left in 2022, according to Ernst’s letter.
The prison also has been plagued by allegations of abuse on inmates by staff. Prison guards were accused of overuse of solitary confinement, abusive use of restraints, and racism, according to a July report from the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. That report also alleged staff sexually assaulted inmates on multiple occasions.
In a written statement provided by Ernst’s staff, the president of the union that represents employees at Thomson said the federal government must address the sexual assaults toward staff.
“The Federal Bureau of Prisons neglected its staff at USP Thomson, and many staff are still suffering trauma from the sexual attacks,” said Jon Zumkehr, American Federation of Government Employees Local 4070 president. “The sexual attack on staff is a widespread problem, it should not be normalized as part of the job. The BOP must protect the staff, and they have failed.”
Ernst asks for discipline information
In the letter, Ernst asked the bureau to provide its plan to address the incidents of inmate sexual assault that occurred at the Thomson prison and how inmates will be held accountable.
She also asked whether the agency is following its policy requiring a multidisciplinary hearing for violations of rules against sexual misconduct by inmates.
She asked that the agency explain when a sexual misconduct offense rises to the level of prosecutorial punishment and how many code violations and prosecutorial referrals were made by USP Thomson in 2022 and 2023.
In response to Ernst’s December letter with similar questions, a Bureau of Prisons official noted the change in security at Thomson and said no sexual harassment allegations have been made since that change.
“Whenever there are instances of misconduct, employees are able to report such conduct for appropriate action,” the agency said in the letter, which was dated July 5. “Additionally, employees who report having been subjected to acts of sexual misconduct are provided with information about the Bureau’s Employee Assistance Program, which provides counseling resources and, confidential, on-demand support to employees with personal or professional problems.”
In her new letter, Ernst said the bureau’s initial response was “frankly, unhelpful, as it did not answer any of my questions.”
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson declined to comment, saying the agency responds directly to members of Congress.
“Out of respect and deference to members, we do not share our congressional correspondence with media,” spokesperson Randilee Giamusso said.
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