Says mitigation changes are significant, but must stop all inmate movement
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) Tuesday responded to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) release of its Phase 5 Action Plan, which will further reduce inmate movement within BOP facilities and significantly reduce inmate movement. The BOP’s updated Action Plan comes amid continued pressure from Congressman Keller to immediately halt all inmate movement in the BOP system until the COVID-19 national emergency ends.
While the updated Action Plan takes significant steps to reduce inmate movement, it does not halt all inmate movement.
In response, Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) made the following comment:
“While I am glad to see the Bureau of Prisons take additional and necessary steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within its own facilities and potentially surrounding communities, the updated Action Plan Phase 5 falls short of immediately halting all inmate movements.
“That is why today I introduced the PANDEMIC Act, bipartisan legislation that would immediately halt all inmate movements within the BOP system. We all need to do our part to flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19, and that includes the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“Tonight, I held a telephone town hall with nearly 4,000 constituents, corrections officers, and their families. Their message to me was clear: The movement of inmates must stop now.
Audio of the telephone town hall will be posted here.
“I hope that in taking these additional steps, the Federal Bureau of Prisons can find a way to work with other government agencies in stopping the movement of inmates across the country immediately until COVID-19 is defeated.”
