Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) celebrated the passage of her bipartisan and bicameral bill that ensures safety from inmate sexual abuse and misconduct against prison staff.
“I am incredibly proud to see the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act head to the President’s desk and become one step closer to being a law,” Rep. Lee said.
The Bill's Regulations
The bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to implement national standards to prevent, reduce, and punish sexual harassment and assault committed by prison inmates or coworkers against correctional officers or Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) staff.
Additionally, the legislation mandates the BOP to apply DOJ Inspector General recommendations from the “Evaluation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Address Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Committed by Inmates Toward Staff” report.
“For far too long, too many Bureau of Prisons employees have faced sexual harassment and assault by inmates while they are just trying to do their job,” Rep. Lee affirmed. “This bill is a very important step toward strengthening oversight, protecting our hardworking correctional officers, and ensuring inmates who commit these horrific crimes are held accountable to the fullest extent."
2,800 BOP Staff Reported Sexual Assault or Harrassment
According to a Feb. 2023 DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report, 40% of 7,000 surveyed BOP staff stated they had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by an inmate.
Staff reported that the most frequent type of harassment included whistling, catcalling, exposing genitalia, and masturbation in front of staff.
The survey also found that 69% of respondents were female.
“I remain committed to advancing reforms that strengthen public safety, support law enforcement, and improve the justice system,” Congresswoman Lee asserted.
