By Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Van Brimmer
Photo: U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., championed a bill that called for more oversight of federal prisons. Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
PRISON LAW. President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill sponsored by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, to increase oversight of federal prisons.
The bill requires the Justice Department to routinely inspect facilities, provide recommendations to address concerns and assign each prison a risk score. Facilities deemed the most at risk would be inspected more frequently.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., championed a bill that called for more oversight of federal prisons.
The legislation also creates a new ombudsman position to investigate complaints about the treatment of prisoners and staff.
“Those incarcerated and the staff who work in our prisons every day deserve an environment free from unnecessary dangers,” McBath said in a news release. “With the signing of our bill, H.R. 3019, into law, greater accountability to protect staff and incarcerated individuals is now in place for our federal prison system.”