119-hr2879

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2879 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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