President Joe Biden has signed legislation that backers say will improve safety in federal prisons and create enhanced oversight of the beleaguered system.
H.R. 3019, the “Federal Prison Oversight Act,” which Biden signed on Thursday, mandates that the Department of Justice’s inspector general examine the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ 122 facilities, offer recommendations to fix problems and assign each facility a risk score. Higher-risk facilities would be subjected to more frequent inspections.
Under the new law, the inspector general must report its findings to Congress and the public, and federal prison officials must respond to inspection reports with “a corrective action plan” within 60 days.
“The human rights crisis behind bars in the United States is a stain on America’s conscience,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, said in a statement. “…The United States Congress will no longer tolerate the ongoing and widespread abuse of those who are in Federal Bureau of Prisons’ custody.”
The measure, which drew support from civil rights and criminal justice reform groups, also establishes an independent ombudsman to scrutinize the health, safety, welfare, and rights of those working and incarcerated in federal facilities. The ombudsman would also establish a “secure hotline and online form” for filing complaints and making inquiries.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Georgia, said that with the bill’s signing, “greater accountability to protect staff and incarcerated individuals is now in place for our federal prison system.”
