Blog Article 

 Senate Committee on BOP Operations 

Michael Santos

Michael Santos

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Senators on the Judiciary Committee held an open hearing on the Bureau of Prisons. We got to hear from the current Director Peters and others, including leaders of the prison system as well as a woman who once worked inside a federal prison.

A US Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing to oversee operations in the Bureau of Prisons. We published the entire video on our website. A significant portion of the hearing focused on problems associated with staffing in the agency. Low staffing levels have ancillary consequences, including the agency’s ability to fully implement the First Step Act.

The new Director’s give hope that she will bring meaningful reforms.

Senator Durbin:

Between March 2020 and July 2022, the BOP released 11,043 people to home confinement under the CARES Act. Only 17 people returned. The Senator said that many people in prison do not need to be there.

This statement encourages me. We will continue to advocate for this very important data point.

Data from the pandemic show us that the BOP can release people to community-based programs, and those programs can lead to safer communities by lowering recidivism rates.

Grassley:

Cited disturbing factors in the BOP and the agency’s failure to implement the FSA. Concerned about money in commissary accounts.

The comments suggest that we will see more oversight over the amount of money in a person’s commissary account, and whether the BOP should do more to apply those funds to fines and restitution orders.

Senator Cotton:

Wants to eliminate home confinement, saying soft on crime. He wants people going back to prison if they’re on home confinement.

Director Peters:

During the Q and A, Director Peters responded to questions by saying that she believes people can change and that she would implement the First Step Act fully. She makes a commitment to improving conditions in the BOP.

She spoke a great deal about the problems with staffing, and the efforts she’s making to expand staffing to address shortfalls in the BOP.

Senator Ossoff:

Discussing USP Atlanta, a joint visit with the Director, and looked for the Director’s support of an oversight committee. She agreed to support the oversight committee and to work closely to improve the system.

She accepts full responsibility for what goes on in the BOP.

Senator Whitehouse:

Comments on First Step Act, saying that it is going well. It lowers recidivism. Out of 11k people released, she knows only 17 people returned for new crimes, and 400 returned for technical reasons. She characterized the FSA program as being very effective.

Cecilia Cardenas

Senator Durbin introduced Cecilia Cardenas, a formerly incarcerated woman who served a 10-year sentence. The BOP released her under CARES. She served her sentence at FPC Bryan and FPC Pekin. She offered

John E. Wetzel

A former leader of the Pennsylvania prison system. He talks about a staffing crisis in the BOP, and also argues on the need for an oversight division. He argues strongly for independent oversight.

Shane Fausey

Union head for the BOP opens by talking about the danger that comes with the staffing shortage.

Senator Durbin starts with questions and talks about the importance of letting people serve the sentence on home confinement.

Senator Grassley asked about recidivism, and he asked John Wetzel why the BOP couldn’t get a handle on recidivism. He spoke about staffing, but Senator asked where the money goes. BOP budgets increased by more than $1 billion over the past five years. He wants to know where the funds went.

We heard Mr. Wetzel speak about the importance of transparency in prison, and advocated for an independent oversight committee that Senator Ossoff wants to see.

Senator Booker wants to know if we incarcerate too many people, and whether people should go to community-based programs. The union leader agreed, saying we squander resources confining minimum-security people that would be better in a home confinement program. He argues to invest in helping to prepare people for success.

John Wetzel also argues on the importance of investing in wellness for the prison system. He argues on the importance of addressing trauma.

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