Durbin Meets With New Bureau Of Prisons Leadership

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Billy Marshall III and Deputy Director Joshua Smith:

“It was my pleasure to welcome Director Marshall and Deputy Director Smith to my office to talk about reforms I’ve long sought at the Bureau of Prisons under both Democratic and Republican Administrations.

“I shared my concerns about the significant challenges facing the Bureau,including the impacts of understaffing, the health and welfare of employees and incarcerated people, and facility safety and infrastructure, especially given the Administration’s ill-fatedambitionto waste scarce resources to reopen Alcatraz. Additionally, I asked to ensure my bipartisanFirst Step Actcontinues to be thoroughly implemented, so its proven successes continue to build over time.

“We must equip our federal prison system to be safe, secure, and effective and ensure incarcerated people’s successful reentry to society.”

A photo of the meeting is availablehere.

During his tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin prioritized oversight of BOP and established a new Committee practice of holding annual BOP oversight hearings. In April 2021, the Committee held aBOP oversight hearingwith then-Director Carvajal to address chronic understaffing issues and other concerns. Later, Durbincalledfor a new, reform-minded BOP Director after anAssociated Pressreportthat found that BOP is a “hotbed of abuse, graft and corruption, and has turned a blind eye to employees accused of misconduct.” Then-Director Carvajal’s resignation wasannouncedless than two months later.

In September 2022, the Committee held its secondBOP oversight hearingunder Durbin, which was BOP Director Peters’ first time testifying before Congress since taking over as head of the Bureau. At that hearing, DurbinpressedDirector Peters about abuse in federal prisons. In September 2023, Durbin held his third BOP oversight hearing.

In February 2024, Durbin convened a hearing entitled “Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons” at which Director Peters and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified regarding issues related to the operation and management of BOP, including staffing shortages, that contributed to deaths in custody.

Then, DurbinurgedBOP to send a special pay rate request to OPM—andurgedit approve it—to address barriers to BOP’s recruitment and retention of critical employees and improve safety and security at BOP facilities.

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