Dear Senators Blackburn and Ossoff,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 5062, the “Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act.”
Federal correctional officers and other prison staff deserve the same standards of safety as law enforcement patrolling our communities. The staggering number of sexual assault incidents documented by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in our prisons in 2022 alone highlights the dangerous environment within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), its insufficient/ineffective reporting system, and the subsequent need for substantial Congressional action. Every employee—officer and staff alike—deserve a safe working environment free from violence and abuse.
Your legislation would require the OIG to conduct reviews and analysis into cases of sexual harassment and assault, report those findings to Congress, and subsequently have corrective rules promulgated by the U.S. Attorney General. As a result, inmates would be held accountable, the basic human rights and dignity of prison employees would be better preserved and safeguarded, and employees would be better suited to perform their duties at full capacity without fear.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you both for your leadership on this issue. If I can be of any help or provide additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President