President Joe Biden signed the Federal Prison Oversight Act into law on Thursday.
The legislation introduces a rigorous inspection process and establishes an ombudsman within the Department of Justice to enhance transparency and accountability in federal prisons.
The act mandates both announced and unannounced inspections of federal prison facilities, assigning each facility a risk score. Higher-risk facilities will be subjected to more frequent inspections.
The findings from these investigations must be reported to Congress and the public, and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is required to respond with a corrective action plan within 60 days.
The newly created ombudsman will handle complaints and decide on the necessity of investigations. Crucially, the BOP is prohibited from retaliating against anyone who files a complaint or participates in inspections.
The ombudsman is also responsible for educating incarcerated individuals and the public about its role and functions.
Senator Jon Ossoff, who spearheaded the bipartisan investigations into the BOP as chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on investigations, emphasized the importance of this legislation.
“The United States Congress will no longer tolerate the ongoing and widespread abuse of those who are in Federal Bureau of Prisons’ custody,” Ossoff stated.
He introduced the bill in 2022 following alarming reports of abuse within the federal prison system.
JC Hendrickson, Federal Affairs Director for Justice Action Network, praised the bipartisan effort, stating that effective public safety policy requires oversight to ensure that rehabilitation is achievable.
The signing of the act comes in the wake of an Associated Press investigation that exposed severe issues within the federal prison system, including sexual abuse by employees, staffing shortages, and substandard living conditions that exacerbated the spread of COVID-19.
The investigation gained momentum following the 2019 suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, which highlighted critical lapses in prison oversight.
This legislative move is not the first attempt to reform the BOP.
In March, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered the appointment of a special master to oversee the Federal Correctional Institute Dublin, describing it as a “dysfunctional mess that can no longer be tolerated.”
Judge Rogers cited persistent sexual misconduct and exploitation by prison officers, asserting that the BOP had lost its ability to manage with integrity and trust.
