Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
Plain Language Summary
# Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act Summary **What It Does:** This bill requires the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to create and enforce national standards aimed at preventing and addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault of correctional staff by incarcerated individuals. It also requires the Bureau of Prisons to implement recommendations from a previous DOJ Inspector General report on the topic. Essentially, it mandates a more coordinated, standardized approach to protecting prison employees from sexual misconduct by inmates. **Who It Affects:** The bill directly impacts Bureau of Prisons employees and correctional officers working in federal prisons.
Indirectly, it affects the incarcerated population subject to these standards and taxpayers funding federal corrections. The DOJ and its agencies will need to develop and oversee these new requirements. **Current Status:** The bill (S 307) has passed the Senate and is moving through the legislative process. It was sponsored by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
CRS Official Summary
Prison Staff Safety Enhancement ActThis bill establishes requirements for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and component agencies to assess and respond to incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault by incarcerated individuals against Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff.Specifically, the bill requires DOJ to adopt national standards for the prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual harassment and sexual assault by incarcerated individuals against correctional officers or other employees of the BOP.Additionally, the bill requires the BOP to fully implement the recommendations of the DOJ Inspector General contained in the report titled Evaluation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Address Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Committed by Inmates Toward Staff.
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