Notes Bureau of Prisons is failing to stop the spread of COVID-19
Washington, D.C. – The federal Bureau of Prisons on Saturday confirmed a staff member at USP Canaan has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The staff member-confirmed diagnosis comes after an inmate was confirmed with a case of COVID-19 earlier this week.
USP Canaan sits just outside of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District with many staff members commuting between the facility and places within the district.
Currently, across the Bureau of Prisons system, there are 50 staff members and 91 inmates with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Despite the continued spread of COVID-19 within the federal prison system, including a number of inmate deaths, the latest Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 action plan still allows for the movement of inmates to prisons across the country.
While continuing to pursue administrative changes to this policy, Congressman Keller introduced the PANDEMIC Act of 2020 this week with bipartisan support. The legislation co-sponsored by Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Congressman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), and Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) would immediately halt the movement of inmates across the federal prisons system.
In response to the staff member at USP Canaan being diagnosed with COVID-19, Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) made the following comment:
“The fact that a staff member at USP Canaan, right in the backyard of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, has been diagnosed with COVID-19 is the latest indication of failure on behalf of top officials at the federal Bureau of Prisons to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“Those working in our federal prisons do a great job day-in and day-out protecting America from some of the worst criminals in the world. The fact that the Bureau of Prisons cannot keep them safe from this dangerous virus is a failure of leadership.
“We must continue to work to prevent the further spread of this virus among the prison system nationwide and hope that it does not infiltrate into our local, rural communities that have limited capacity to deal with a major outbreak in one of these large federal facilities in addition to serving the community.
“In order to mitigate the continued spread of COVID-19 further throughout the federal system, I urge BOP Director Michael Carvajal to work within the Department of Justice to stop all inmate movement immediately. In the alternative, I call for the quick consideration of the PANDEMIC Act of 2020 when Congress returns to session so the ill-conceived practice of continued inmate movement can finally end for the duration of this national emergency.”
