Congressman Dan Goldman Fights to Address Mismanagment, Misconduct, and Abuse within Federal Prisons

'Federal Prison Oversight Act' Aims to Create a Safer Environment for Prison Staff and Incarcerated Individuals 

Legislation Requires Department of Justice to Conduct Comprehensive, Risk-Based Inspections of 122 Correctional Facilities 

Washington D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Representatives Lucy McBath (GA-7) and Kelley Armstrong (ND-AL) in introducing the ‘Federal Prison Oversight Act’ in the House of Representatives to improve the state of Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities. This legislation would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to inspect the Bureau’s 122 correctional facilities, provide recommendations to fix problems, and assign each facility a risk score, with higher-risk facilities required to be inspected more often. Under the legislation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) must respond to all inspections within 60 days with a corrective action plan. The federal prison MDC Brooklyn is located in Congressman Goldman’s NY-10 district.

“The state of our federal prisons has reached a crisis point with incarcerated individuals and correctional officers both fearing for their safety,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “We need meaningful oversight and reform in our prisons to ensure that they are effectively serving as institutions that rehabilitate and prepare Americans for reentry into society while simultaneously caring for the safety and wellbeing of corrections officers. I’m proud to join my fellow colleagues in fighting for greater transparency and accountability to create a safer environment for everyone.”  

The Federal Prison Oversight Act would also establish an independent Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff. The Ombudsman would create a secure hotline and online form for family members, friends, and representatives of incarcerated people to submit complaints and inquiries. 

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