Marino on President Obama's Visit to Federal Prison

Press Release

Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) reacted to the news of President Obama's visit to the El Reno Correctional Institution outside of Oklahoma City today urging him and the Department of Justice to focus more closely on prison officer safety and the assurance of adequate resources for officer protection.

Marino said the following of President Obama's visit to the facility in Oklahoma:

"I appreciate President Obama's decision to visit a federal prison today. When he visits the El Reno Correctional Institution, I hope he focuses on the well-being of our federal corrections officers and providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safely. The President must remember that in 2013 two federal corrections officers, including Senior Officer Eric J. Williams in PA-10, were killed in the line of duty. I am proud to work in Congress on behalf of the Bureau of Prisons employees at FCC Allenwood, USP Lewisburg and USP Canaan. My first priority is to make sure corrections officers have exactly what they need to do one of the most difficult jobs in America."

Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation late last week introduced by Pennsylvania State Representative Gerald Mullery dedicating a Conyngham Township bridge to be named after Senior Officer Eric J. Williams. Officer Williams tragically lost his life in the line of duty at United States Penitentiary (USP) Canaan, a federal facility located inside Marino's district.

In January of this year, Congressman Marino signed on as an original cosponsor to H.R.472 -- the Eric Williams Correctional Officer Protection Act of 2015.

In late June, Marino, Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law and full committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte visited Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Allenwood and United States Penitentiary (USP) Lewisburg as part of their efforts to connect with Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials regarding officer safety.

On July 14, 2015, Congressman Marino signed a letter with 18 Republican Members of the House Judiciary Committee pressing Attorney General Lynch for answers regarding the President's "unprecedented clemency program." Marino and his colleagues expressed their concerns over the legality of DOJ's clemency program and the release of dangerous criminals into otherwise safe communities across the country.

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