The bill follows an audit last year that found shortcomings in BOP operations. Image: Plat-Q/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe Senate has joined the House in passing HR-3019, to increase oversight—including through unannounced inspections—of Bureau of Prisons facilities by the Justice Department IG, with an emphasis on high-risk facilities. The measure further creates the position of ombudsman to receive complaints and to investigate and take action in response, and prohibits retaliation against those making disclosures.
The IG’s office praised passage of the bill, citing a report it issued last year that “identified critical shortcomings in BOP operations, including staff shortages in health and education programs, infrastructure in desperate need of repair, and moldy and rotten food being served to inmates.” That report showed that as of September 2022, the BoP had vacancy rates of 13 percent overall and 21 percent among correctional officers.
Among bills recently introduced are:
* S-4630, to create an interagency committee to harmonize any duplicative or contradictory regulations and other compliance requirements issued by various federal entities with authority in the cybersecurity and information security area.
* S-4656, to make agency inspectors general and employees of those offices subject to the more restrictive version of the Hatch Act generally applying to employees in law enforcement and national security positions.
* S-4675, to require the Postal Service to submit a comprehensive proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission before implementing any network changes.
* S-4716, to incentivize DoD contractors to provide full cost data requested by including any failure to comply in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System , which may impact their ability to obtain future contracts.
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