Please assist FIRST-Network (Federal Inmates Requesting Sanctioned Treatment Network) in asking your Senator to sponsor the Federal Oversight Bill (S.1401) that will hold the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) accountable for their performance. Having a third-party independent overseer is essential in any healthy democracy and we need your HELP!

On May 21, 2021, the House of Representatives voted 392-2 to pass the H.R. 3019 Federal Oversight Bill and it has now moved to the Senate for consideration.

This Bill will provide oversight by an independent third party, conduct random inspections and act as the liaison between all parties to maintain safe and humane conditions for federal facilities and those housed within.

Research supports the proposition that oversight boards with authority, independence, and the ability to conduct random inspections can produce positive results. Such boards should be trained and should establish measurable goals that can be easily evaluated. They should play an advisory role, rather than possessing operational authority, but should be equipped with the power to obtain data, analyze it, and distribute findings to the public.

For a correctional oversight board to be effective, it “must be primarily related to either investigation of wrongdoing or monitoring of conditions in prisons or jails.” Independence is also essential. The board must retain the unfettered ability to oversee operations, policies, and conduct. To ensure their independence, oversight boards should neither report solely to nor receive funding from the agencies they oversee.

Please assist us in sending an email to your Senator requesting sponsorship of this bill.

#FIRST-Network

Heather Pirtle, President