Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act

Sponsor: Marsha Blackburn (Republican-TN)January 29, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Federal prison staff would get better protection from sexual harassment and assault.

This bill would make the federal Bureau of Prisons follow advice to better protect its staff from sexual harassment and assault by inmates. It would also have the government gather more facts on these events and set up national rules for how to stop and punish them. This aims to fix widespread problems found in a 2023 report.

What Would Change

Today, the Bureau of Prisons does not collect enough facts on sexual harassment and assault against its staff. It also lacks ways to check if its efforts to stop these events are working. Plus, it has not carried out suggestions from a 2023 Inspector General report. After this bill, the Bureau would have to carry out those suggestions within 90 days. The Inspector General would then gather and look at new facts, and the Attorney General would create national rules for stopping, reducing, and punishing such events.

Key Provisions

Requires federal prisons to carry out recommendations to address staff sexual harassment and assault within 90 days.
Makes federal prisons report to Congress if they don't meet the 90-day deadline for implementing recommendations.
Requires the Inspector General to collect and analyze new data on sexual harassment and assault incidents against staff from 2022-2025.
Makes the Inspector General share this analysis and new recommendations with Congress and the Attorney General.
Requires the Attorney General to create national rules for preventing, reducing, and punishing sexual harassment and assault against federal prison staff.