May 21, 2024–Statement by Shana-Tara O’Toole, Founder and President of Due Process Institute, on the House of Representatives passing the Federal Prison Oversight Act:
“We applaud the House of Representatives for passing the Federal Prison Oversight Act (H.R. 3019) by a 392-2 vote. Given the history of inhumane prison conditions inside the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the recent Inspector General report on deaths in custody, this legislation was desperately needed and long overdue. The bill will improve safety for incarcerated people and prison staff by requiring inspections of all BOP facilities and reporting the findings to Congress. It will also establish an independent Department of Justice ombudsman to receive complaints from incarcerated persons on health and safety issues.
We thank Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-At Large) and Lucy McBath (D-GA-7), along with a long list of bipartisan cosponsors, for their leadership in supporting this bill. The 196 Republican and 196 Democrat members of Congress who voted for this bill demonstrate commonsense criminal legal reform still has wide bipartisan support. We now urge the Senate to take up and pass this bill with desperately needed oversight of the Bureau of Prisons. It is time for accountability, transparency, and safety in our federal prison system.”