Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act aims to address inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and sexual assault in Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities. Building on a 2023 Inspector General report, the bill requires the Bureau to promptly implement every IG-recommended action from that report, improve data collection, and establish evaluation systems to gauge effectiveness. If the Bureau fails to implement the recommendations on time, it must brief Congress with explanations and a detailed timeline. After full implementation, the Inspector General must analyze updated incident data (covering FY 2022–2025) and assess whether the Bureau is identifying the scope of the problem and taking adequate steps to mitigate it. Finally, the Attorney General would be required to issue a rule establishing national standards for prevention, reduction, and punishment of such misconduct by incarcerated individuals against Bureau staff.
Key Points
- 1The Bureau must fully implement every recommendation from the Inspector General’s 2023 report within 90 days of enactment.
- 2If any recommendation is not fully implemented by that deadline, the Bureau must report to Congress with explanations and a detailed timeline for completion.
- 3Within one year after full implementation, the Inspector General must obtain updated incident data (FY 2022–2025), analyze it, and provide Congress and the Attorney General with findings and recommendations, including an assessment of punishments and overall efforts to identify and mitigate incidents.
- 4The Attorney General must issue a rule, within one year of receiving the IG’s analysis, establishing national standards for prevention, reduction, and punishment of inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and sexual assault in Bureau facilities.
- 5The bill clarifies key terms (Bureau, correctional officer, incarcerated individual, sexual harassment, sexual assault) to ensure consistent understanding across agencies and reporting.