WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, the Federal Prison Oversight Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. The bill, which is led by U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), establishes new, independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Now that the legislation has passed both the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, it will head to the president’s desk to be signed 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, the conditions of some facilities, and 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.”
BACKGROUND:
The Federal Prison Oversight Act will require the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 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.
Additionally, the bill will establish an independent Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff. The Ombudsman would also create a secure hotline and online form for family members, friends, and representatives of incarcerated people to submit complaints and inquiries.
Full text of the legislation is available here.
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