Legislation is Sen. Ossoff’s 2nd bipartisan bill to pass U.S. Senate already this year
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan bill to improve prison safety and security has passed the U.S. Senate.
Last night, the U.S. Senate passed Sens. Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)’s bipartisan Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to mitigate inmate-on-staff sexual assault in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities and help end sexual abuse in prisons.
The DOJ would then be required to submit data on the prevalence of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment in prisons to the DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and establish a national standard aimed at preventing and reducing sexual abuse in Federal prisons.
The bipartisan bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to a February 2023 report by the DOJ OIG, 40% of more than 7,000 surveyed BOP staff stated they had been sexually harassed by an inmate.
“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,” said Sen. Ossoff.
“No law enforcement officer or federal employee should fear for their safety on the job, and we need to eradicate sexual assault and harassment of vulnerable staff members in our prison system. The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act is a critical move toward protecting prison staff, and I’m pleased to see it one step closer to becoming law,” said Senator Blackburn.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen safety and security in Federal prisons.
Earlier this year, Sens. Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, which would crack down on the smuggling of contraband cellphones into Federal prisons by upgrading the charge of smuggling of a contraband cellphone into a Federal prison from a misdemeanor offense to a felony.
Also earlier this year, Sens. Ossoff and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the bipartisan Births in Custody Reporting Act to strengthen Federal oversight of pregnancy care in prisons and jails.
Last September, Sens. Ossoff and Blackburn launched a bipartisan inquiry with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) into recent reports of inmate-on-staff sexual assault.
Last July, President Biden signed into law Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act, historic prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prison’s 122 facilities nationwide.
Click here to read the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act.
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