Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Commerce, Justice, Science, And Related Agencies Of The House Committee On Appropriations - American Federation Of Government Employees -- Council Of Prison Locals

Statement

Good afternoon. I would like to welcome Mr. Bryan Lowry, the President
of AFGE's Council of Prison Locals, and Mr. Phil Glover, the National Legislative
Director for the Council of Prison Locals, to our hearing this afternoon on major
challenges facing the Federal Prison System. We have asked you to come back
again to testify this year because your perspective, from the inside of the Federal
prisons, is critical for us to understand as we make funding decisions about the
Federal Prison System.
This Subcommittee has worked hard over the last few years to provide
funding increases, above the Administration's budget request, to ensure that the
Bureau of Prisons would be able to meet its basic operating expenses and would be
able to significantly increase its staffing levels. Although those staffing levels are
not yet what they need to be, we are committed to keep pushing them higher.
There are many other challenges facing BOP, including an inmate
overcrowding rate that has reached 37 percent, a growing facility maintenance
back000log, and an inmate population that, by most accounts, is becoming more
violent and more difficult to manage. We will want to discuss these and other
issues with you this afternoon.
Gentlemen, in a moment, I will ask you to each provide brief remarks
summarizing your joint written statement, which will be inserted into the hearing
record. But first I would like to recognize Mr. Wolf for any introductory
comments he would like to make.

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