Senator Jon Ossoff breaks down what will change
ATLANTA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – In front of the King Center on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced the Federal Prison Oversight Act has been signed into law.
Senator Ossoff and activists told reporters the Federal Prison Oversight Act is a landmark piece of legislation that will help protect inmates from abuse. According to Ossoff, the new law will make the following changes to the federal prison system:
- Require routine, independent, unannounced inspections of all Federal Bureau of Prison facilities.
- The Inspector General of the Department of Justice must publish the results of those inspections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons must publicly respond to results within 60 days.
- Establish a new office dedicated to investigating claims of abuse from inmates, their loved ones, and their legal representatives.
- Allow people to anonymously report abuse in prison through a hotline.
According to Senator Ossoff, there is a human rights crisis happening in prisons and jails. Just last week, Ossoff’s Human Rights Subcommittee heard testimonies from women affected by the prison system. A Georgia woman told the subcommittee prison staff forced her to have a C-section while incarcerated. Days later, the woman says she was put in solitary confinement without air conditioning or medical assistance.
Emphasizing the need for more transparency, Senator Ossoff says separate investigations have found shocking abuse of inmates. That includes sexual assault by prison staff and nearly 1,000 unreported deaths over the course of a single year. Ossoff says that for several years, abuse at U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta even started before inmates were convicted. He adds that staff put detainees through 23-hour lock downs.
According to Ossoff, the Atlanta prison also forced inmates to wear paper pajamas, denied access to basic hygiene products and isolated detainees from their attorneys.
Although the Federal Prison Oversight Act will have a nationwide impact, Ossoff says Georgia activists played a key role.
“This would not have happened without consistent advocacy from Georgia’s civil rights leadership,” he said. “I’m grateful to the King Center for having us here today, and it’s fitting that we’ve come to this citadel of civil rights here in the State of Georgia—a beacon to the whole world about Georgia’s legacy in the civil rights movement to celebrate this achievement.”
Senator Ossoff, who thanked supporters from the House and Senate, says the law gained support from both Democrats and Republicans. Ossoff also paid thanks to the Corrections Officers Union. Although this legislation is designed to protect inmates, Ossoff says poor conditions are dangerous for corrections officers as well.
Several activists also spoke to reporters at Tuesday’s news conference. Each echoed Senator Ossoff in both praising the new law and calling for more action. Georgia Justice Project Executive Director Doug Ammar pulled attention to the power of your vote.
“To my brothers in the barber shop, the vote got you police reform,” he said. “And it doesn’t stop here. We gotta continue to show up, we gotta continue to show out.”
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