[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2879 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2879
To direct the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to conduct a
comprehensive review of understaffing across the Bureau, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2025
Mr. Obernolte (for himself, Ms. Chu, Mr. Carbajal, and Mr. Weber of
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to conduct a
comprehensive review of understaffing across the Bureau, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Prison Staffing Reform Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Bureau of Prisons has 121 institutions located
throughout the United States and employs nearly 35,000
employees. Understaffing across the agency jeopardizes the
health, safety, and well-being of staff and inmates alike.
(2) Understaffing at Bureau of Prison institutions poses a
threat to inmates, who will consequently lack access to
lifesaving medical care, efficient review of their casework,
sanitary living conditions, access to vital recidivism
reduction programming, and protections against abuse or sexual
misconduct.
(3) Understaffing at Bureau of Prison institutions will
also result in reduced staff safety, escalated workplace abuse,
stressful work conditions, enhanced mental and physical health
concerns, and unacceptably long work shifts for employees.
(4) Mandated overtime, misuse of augmentation or
reassignment, and overworked employees will reduce prison
security and threaten public safety.
SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF UNDERSTAFFING ACROSS BUREAU OF PRISONS.
(a) Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall--
(1) complete a thorough external review, in accordance with
subsection (b), of staffing across the Bureau of Prisons, as
well as the impact of any understaffing on employees,
individuals in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, and
overall agency spending; and
(2) submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House
of Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary of the
Senate, and the Council of Prison Locals C-33 within the
American Federation of Government Employees Organization--
(A) a plan for recruiting job applicants, filling
vacancies, reducing mandated overtime and misuse of
augmentation, and strengthening staffing across the
Bureau of Prisons; and
(B) a guideline for staffing requirements
including--
(i) the number of correctional officers
needed per individual in the custody of the
Bureau of Prisons for each housing unit,
building, or location where individuals in the
custody of the Bureau of Prisons are located;
and
(ii) the number of employees, including
teachers, counselors, case managers, and
medical staff, needed per individual in the
custody of the Bureau of Prisons for non-
correctional departments, disaggregated by the
three primary shifts, security levels, and any
special mission within the Bureau of Prisons.
(b) Requirements of Review.--The external review completed under
subsection (a)(1) shall be conducted by a non-Bureau of Prisons
organization, in consultation with--
(1) the Council of Prison Locals C-33 within the American
Federation of Government Employees Organization;
(2) civil rights organizations; and
(3) organizations focused on reducing recidivism through
educational, mental health, and substance use disorder
programming.
(c) Contents.--The review required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) identify and address the effects of understaffing on--
(A) the length of time during which individuals in
the custody of the Bureau of Prisons are placed on
waiting lists to receive care or programming;
(B) the availability of medical care for
individuals in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons,
including substance use disorder treatment programs,
mental health programs, and maternal health programs;
(C) the processing of an individuals' in the
custody of the Bureau of Prisons application for
compassionate release, home confinement, and time
credits established under title I of the First Step Act
of 2018 (18 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.);
(D) the availability of teachers, therapists, and
other support staff for evidence-based recidivism
reduction programs and productive activities (as such
terms are defined in section 3635 of title 18, United
States Code);
(E) adequate protections for staff and individuals
in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons against
violence, neglect, and sexual misconduct;
(F) the availability of sanitary and efficient food
services;
(G) prison security, including the detection of
contraband;
(H) the efficient installation of security cameras
and plans to remedy deficits in security camera
systems;
(I) the conversion of existing analog radio systems
to digital radios equipped with the man-down feature;
(J) stressful work environments, mandated overtime,
augmentation, and other workplace conditions that may
jeopardize employees' mental and physical health; and
(K) additional costs incurred by the Bureau of
Prisons, including costs associated with augmentation
and overtime;
(2) include an independent review, conducted by the
National Academy of Medicine, a nonprofit organization, or
other type of organization determined by the Director to be
capable of conducting such review, of the adequacy and quality
of medical care available to individuals in the custody of the
Bureau of Prisons;
(3) include a comparison of the various methodologies used
by the Bureau of Prisons to assess staffing levels, as well as
any possible misalignments and inconsistencies in terminology
between these methodologies; and
(4) include a 3-year strategic plan and cost projection for
filling existing vacancies and maintaining staffing across the
Bureau of Prisons.
(d) Implementation Deadline.--Not later than 3 years after the date
on which the plan is submitted under subsection (a)(2), and subject to
appropriations, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall complete
implementation of the submitted plan.
(e) Annual Progress Reports.--Beginning 1 year after the date on
which the plan is submitted under subsection (a)(2), and each year
thereafter until the end of the 3-year period described in subsection
(c), the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall submit to the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Council of Prison
Locals C-33 within the American Federation of Government Employees
Organization a report on the progress of the implementation of the plan
submitted under subsection (a)(2).
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