Washington, DC (July 11, 2024) – Congress has passed the Federal Prison Oversight Act, a bill that bolsters inspections of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by mandating risk-based evaluations of BOP facilities and establishes a Department of Justice (DOJ) Ombudsman to manage complaints and investigations and prohibits BOP retaliation against individuals who make complaints to the Ombudsman. The bill is awaiting the president’s signature.
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) applauds passage of this bill as a long overdue step towards transparency in the federal prison system, which has been plagued by abuse and dangerous conditions. The NACDL Board of Directors adopted a resolution supporting an independent oversight body for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2022.
"From abysmal healthcare to violence and sexual assault by corrections officers, civil rights violations permeate federal prisons," said NACDL President Michael P. Heiskell. "The BOP must address the rampant dysfunction, human rights abuses, and failure to implement congressional directives. The Federal Prison Oversight Act will provide much needed transparency and accountability in support of reform. While not a panacea, it will provide enhanced scrutiny and mechanisms to ensure complaints about conditions are heard beyond the prison walls and taken seriously."
"Defense attorneys are all too familiar with the crisis of neglect and culture of dehumanization in our nation’s federal prisons," said NACDL Executive Director Lisa Wayne. "The passage of this bill is a critical step towards improving the health and safety of those incarcerated in BOP facilities. Oversight measures alone will not solve these crises, but they are an important step in the right direction."
NACDL has long worked to help incarcerated individuals suffering in federal prisons. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 Compassionate Release Project, a partnership with FAMM, recruited pro bono attorneys to file compassionate release motions on behalf of medically vulnerable individuals. The two groups are currently working to secure release of women sexually assaulted at a federal prison in Dublin, California. Learn more about NACDL’s compassionate release initiatives.
