U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) have initiated a bipartisan inquiry aimed at safeguarding federal prison staff from sexual assault and harassment.
Their letter to Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters comes in response to alarming reports of inmate-on-staff sexual misconduct.
A February 2023 report from the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General revealed that 40% of surveyed BOP staff experienced sexual harassment by inmates. In their letter, the Senators expressed concern that BOP’s procedures for handling these incidents are insufficient, leading to a lack of accountability and jeopardizing the safety of prison employees.
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As part of their inquiry, Senators Blackburn and Ossoff requested detailed information on BOP’s reporting procedures, corrective measures, and staff support programs, including data from facilities like FCI Atlanta and other federal prisons across the nation.
“The DOJ OIG report, as well as personal testimony BOP staff has provided to my office, strongly suggest that BOP’s reporting and corrective procedures for inmate-on-staff sexual assault/harassment are inadequate, creating an institutional culture that lacks accountability and endangers BOP employees,” the Senators wrote.
Senator Blackburn, who previously co-sponsored the Federal Prisons Accountability Act, continues her efforts to enhance oversight and accountability within the federal prison system. Tennessee houses one federal prison, FCI Memphis, located in Shelby County.
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