Sens. Blackburn, Ossoff launch bipartisan inquiry into sexual abuse of federal prison staff

Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., announced the launch of a bipartisan inquiry to protect federal prison staff from being sexually harassed or assaulted. 

This inquiry comes in the wake of reports that inmates have been sexually harassing or abusing prison staff. 

A report from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General that came out last year revealed that 40% of staff within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said they had been harmed sexually by a prisoner. 

"The DOJ OIG report, as well as personal testimony BOP staff has provided to my office, strongly suggest that BOP’s reporting and corrective procedures for inmate-on-staff sexual assault/harassment are inadequate, creating an institutional culture that lacks accountability and endangers BOP employees," Blackburn and Ossoff  wrote in a letter to the BOP director. 

In the past, senators have introduced legislation to protect BOP staff.

Ossoff and Blackburn requested that the BOP outline its procedures for handling such matters and answer a series of questions by Oct. 4.