Memphis Standard

The Senate has passed the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Jon Ossoff aimed at addressing sexual assault and harassment of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees by inmates.

Senator Blackburn highlighted the urgency of the issue, stating, “Last year, nearly half of surveyed Bureau of Prisons staff stated they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by an inmate. This statistic is appalling and unacceptable. No federal employee or law enforcement officer should have to fear for their safety when they show up to work, and I’m pleased to see the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act move one step closer to becoming law.”

Senator Ossoff emphasized bipartisan cooperation in addressing this problem: “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.”

A report from February 2023 by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found that 40% of 7,000 BOP staff surveyed reported being sexually harassed or assaulted by inmates. The report criticized BOP’s data on these incidents as inadequate and suggested significant recommendations for improvement.

At United States Penitentiary Thomson in Illinois, over 300 incidents were reported in 2022 alone despite housing only 875 inmates. This situation reflects broader issues with BOP's procedures for handling such cases.

The proposed act mandates several measures: full implementation of recommendations from the Inspector General’s report; analysis by DOJ OIG on punishments for these offenses within BOP facilities; and establishment of national standards by the U.S. Attorney General for prevention and punishment related to inmate-on-staff assaults.

Senators Blackburn and Ossoff also requested information from BOP Director Colette Peters about current reporting procedures, correctional methods, and support programs for affected staff.

Council of Prison Locals 33 National President Brandy Moore White expressed support for this legislation through a letter.