Rep Lieu Introduces Bill To Improve Disaster Preparedness In Federal Prisons

Statement

Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) introduced legislation that will help ensure federal prisons are better prepared in the event of a natural disaster or public health emergency. The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), would protect the health and safety of incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and other personnel employees during a presidential disaster declaration. The legislation comes after reports of health and safety violations within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and state prisons during natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. Congressman Randy Weber (R-TX) is an original cosponsor of the bill.

"Throughout the pandemic, we saw a disturbing string of COVID-19 outbreaks at federal and state prisons across the country, impacting both inmates and staff," said Rep. Lieu. "During the pandemic, the conditions under which some incarcerated individuals were placed when social distancing was not possible were cruel. I'm grateful to Representative Weber for joining me as an original cosponsor of this legislation to ensure our prisons are better prepared to protect the health and safety of all human beings involved."

"Living on the Gulf Coast of Texas, our District is no stranger to hurricanes and other weather disasters that greatly impact our community," said Rep. Weber. "The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act will ensure our prisons are prepared to quickly respond to natural disasters. I am glad to be part of this solution that will assist FCC Beaumont and other facilities across our nation."

The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act would:

Strengthen oversight by requiring the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide an annual damage assessment report to Congress after a presidential disaster declaration and its effects on Federal inmates' health and safety, as well as corrective actions to resolve preparedness gaps.
Expand the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Advisory Board membership by permanently appointing three new members: (1) a formerly incarcerated individual, (2) an emergency coordinator and (3) a public health expert with an educational and professional background working with communicable diseases to evaluate emergency preparedness and correctional policies.
Require the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Advisory Board to publicly examine how correctional facilities can better incorporate considerations for incarcerated individuals in their emergency preparedness plans and recovery efforts.
The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act is endorsed by JustLeadershipUSA.

"We applaud Rep. Lieu's efforts to bring much-needed attention to the Correctional Facility Preparedness Act," said DeAnna Hoskins, President and CEO of JustLeadershipUSA. "Legislation that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans to protect the health, safety, and civil rights not only of incarcerated individuals but also the people who work in those facilities has never been more urgent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and other natural and manmade disasters from the last few years. It is time for Congress to pass this common-sense bipartisan legislation."

Background:

In 2020, Congressman Lieu supported the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to expand the Bureau of Prisons' authority to place inmates in home confinement. In response to the massive COVID-19 outbreak at Terminal Island Federal Prison in Southern California in April of 2020, Congressman Lieu and Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA) penned a letter to former BOP Director Michael Carvajal calling for the home confinement or compassionate release of inmates in accordance with the recommendations of public health officials. In that letter, the Members also requested information on BOP's plans for addressing COVID-19 outbreaks at all BOP facilities.

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