S. 307: Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act

This bill, known as the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, aims to improve the safety of staff working in federal prisons by specifically addressing issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault that may occur between incarcerated individuals and Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees. Here is a summary of the key provisions outlined in the bill:

Findings

The bill begins with findings based on a 2023 report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, which highlighted significant issues within the Bureau of Prisons, including:

• Widespread incidents of sexual harassment and assault by inmates towards prison staff.
• Insufficient data collection on such incidents, preventing a clear understanding of their scope.
• The absence of effective evaluation systems for existing strategies meant to combat these issues.
• Failure of the Bureau to implement the recommendations made in the Inspector General’s report to address these failures.

Implementation of Recommendations

The bill mandates that the Bureau of Prisons must:

• Implement all recommendations from the Inspector General’s report within 90 days of the bill becoming law.
• If unable to fully implement these recommendations, the Bureau must provide Congress with a detailed report explaining the delays and outlining a timeline for when the recommendations will be put into place.

Data Collection and Analysis

Following the implementation of the recommendations, the Inspector General will:

• Request updated data from the Bureau on the frequency and nature of sexual harassment and assault incidents from 2022 to 2025.
• Conduct an analysis of the provided data and submit its findings to Congress and the Attorney General, including any further recommendations.
• Assess the current disciplinary measures in place for incidents of sexual harassment and assault over the past five years.

Rulemaking by the Attorney General

Within one year of receiving the Inspector General's analysis, the Attorney General is required to establish national standards aimed at:

• Preventing and reducing incidents of sexual harassment and assault against Bureau employees.
• Ensuring appropriate punishments for such offenses.

In summary, the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act is designed to foster a safer working environment for correctional officers and other Bureau staff by mandating better reporting, data collection, and the implementation of protective measures against sexual misconduct within the prison system.

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