Saturday, February 03, 2024

Bureau of Prisons union leader asks Biden 'to prioritize and address' staffing


LUKE BARR
Fri, 2 February 2024 


The head of the Bureau of Prisons union has written to President Joe Biden asking him to seriously consider the impact staffing shortages are having on the nation's federal prisons.

"The current staffing shortage within our agency have reached a critical level, placing an unsustainable burden on our existing workforce, and compromising the safety and security of both staff and inmates," president of the Council of Prison Locals 33, Brandy Moore-White wrote to Biden in a letter obtained by ABC News.

Moore-White represents nearly 30,000 federal corrections employees.

BOP has lost 9,000 staff members since 2016, which "has raised serious concerns about our ability to effectively carry out our responsibilities," the letter said.

"These shortages have resulted in increased workloads, mandatory overtime, a practice called augmentation or reassignment (where non-correctional officers are assigned to perform the duties of a correctional officer and vacate their positions), and heightened stress levels for our staff, ultimately jeopardizing the well-being of all involved," it said.


 The seal for the Federal Bureau of Prisons is seen at Federal Bureau of Prisons headquarters in Washington
(Carolyn Kaster/AP, FILE)

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Moore-White says in addition to the staffing levels, pay "insufficiency" has become a "significant concern" for officers.

"The current pay structure within the Bureau is significantly lower than that of other Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, including the US Marshals, Immigration and Customs (ICE) and Border Patrol," she said.

She said the pay scale doesn't compare to state and local law enforcement jobs or jobs in the private sector.

This concern has been confirmed by the director of the Bureau of Prisons, who said one of the main competitors for BOP recruitment is often times the local big box store.

"I urge you to prioritize and address these pressing issues within the Federal Bureau of Prisons," Moore-White wrote to Biden. "By investing in our personnel, you will not only improve the working conditions of thousands of public servants, but also enhance the integrity and effectiveness of our nation's federal correctional system."

In an interview done for the CBS News program "60 Minutes," BOP Director Collette Peters said she is aware of the staffing issues in the federal prison system and is working to address it.

The BOP and the White House have not commented on the letter.

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