The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, a bill aimed at addressing the alarming prevalence of sexual assault and harassment against employees of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by inmates. The legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), seeks to implement crucial reforms and provide greater protection for federal prison staff.
Senator Blackburn emphasized the importance of the bill, stating, “No law enforcement officer or federal employee should fear for their safety on the job, and we need to eradicate sexual assault and harassment of vulnerable staff members in our prison system. The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act is a critical move toward protecting prison staff, and I’m pleased to see it one step closer to becoming law.”
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Echoing this sentiment, Senator Ossoff highlighted the bipartisan effort behind the bill: “I remain focused on oversight of the Federal prison system and ending sexual abuse in prisons and jails, including the abuse of prison staff. Senator Blackburn and I brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass this bipartisan bill to help end sexual abuse in Federal prisons.”
The urgency of this legislation is underscored by a troubling February 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG).
The report revealed that a staggering 40% of the 7,000 BOP staff surveyed reported experiencing sexual harassment or sexual assault by an inmate. Furthermore, the OIG report highlighted the BOP’s inadequate data collection on inmate-on-staff sexual misconduct, hindering a full understanding of the widespread problem.
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The report also offered several key recommendations for the BOP to improve its understanding and mitigation of this issue.
The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act directly addresses these concerns by mandating several key actions:
- Full Implementation of OIG Recommendations: The BOP will be required to fully implement the recommendations outlined in the Inspector General’s 2023 report concerning the prevention and mitigation of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and assault, as well as improving data collection to accurately assess the scope of the problem.
- DOJ OIG Analysis of Punishments: The DOJ OIG will be tasked with conducting an analysis of the current punishments for sexual harassment and sexual assault within BOP facilities.
- National Standards for Prevention and Punishment: The U.S. Attorney General will be required to establish national standards through rulemaking for the prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual assault and harassment of BOP staff by inmates.
Prior to the bill’s introduction, Senators Blackburn and Ossoff had already taken steps to address this issue by sending a letter to former BOP Director Colette Peters, requesting information on reporting procedures, correctional methods, and staff assistance programs related to inmate-on-staff sexual misconduct.
The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act has garnered significant support from organizations representing correctional officers and law enforcement. Council of Prison Locals 33 National President Brandy Moore White and Fraternal Order of Police National President Patrick Yoes both penned letters expressing their strong endorsement of the legislation.
The American Correctional Association and the National Association of Police Organizations have also voiced their support for this crucial bill.
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