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U.S.
Senator Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Monday, April 21, 2008 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-494-8790 |
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| Sen. Salazar Continues Push for Immediate Action on Florence Prison Staffing & Security Issues
DENVER, CO – In response to incidents like this weekend’s riot that resulted in two deaths and several injuries at the United States Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado and repeated requests for the Administration to take action, United States Senator Ken Salazar today wrote a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey expressing his continued concern regarding escalating violent incidents largely due to staffing shortages and security shortfalls there. Senator Salazar also asked the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to take immediate action to address these problems and requested an independent report on security at the Florence campus. In his letter Senator Salazar requested, “an immediate response to the incidents that took place at the United States Penitentiary (USP), a high-security prison in Florence, CO on Sunday April 20, 2008.” Senator Salazar also wrote, “I believe your evaluation of this violent incident should take into account the security concerns I and others have pointed out over the last several years, and I urge the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to take immediate action to address these problems. I am also asking for an independent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess security at the facilities on the Florence campus, including the USP, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) and the Administrative Maximum Facility, or Supermax.” Senator Salazar has repeatedly urged the administration to take action on this issue. In February 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales joined Senator Salazar to tour the Florence campus, where they met with officials to discuss the safety needs of the correctional officers. On March 1, 2007, Senator Salazar wrote to Attorney General Gonzales expressing his continued concern with security, including staffing levels. Near the end of 2007, in response to the increasing levels of violence, Senator Salazar successfully included language in the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill directing the BOP to allocate the necessary resources to address the staffing and security needs of the ADX, which will also aid in boosting security at the other prisons. To date, the BOP has not allocated additional staff to correct the problem. Senator Salazar’s entire letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey is included below.
Dear Attorney General Mukasey: I write to request an immediate response to the incidents that took place at the United States Penitentiary (USP), a high-security prison in Florence, CO on Sunday April 20, 2008. I believe your evaluation of this violent incident should take into account the security concerns I and others have pointed out over the last several years, and I urge the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to take immediate action to address these problems. I am also asking for an independent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess security at the facilities on the Florence campus, including the USP, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) and the Administrative Maximum Facility, or Supermax. As you know, a large fight broke out in the recreation area of the USP, endangering security personnel and leaving two inmates dead and five others severely injured. There were reports of hundreds of rounds of ammunition being fired to break up the incident. As I’ve discussed with Director Lappin and then-Attorney General Gonzales, the safety and security of the prison staff at the Florence complex is critically important. The incident this weekend demonstrates a continued pattern of violence that has been escalating over several years on the Florence campus, not only at the USP, but at the Supermax as well. Warden Wiley has indicated that correctional officers can be transferred between each prison facility to meet specific security needs at a certain time, and I am concerned that this may leave the other facilities dangerously understaffed. Since March 2005, the American
Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council of Prison Locals 1302,
the union representing the correctional officers on the Florence campus,
has been asking for adequate levels of staffing needed to ensure the
safety and security of the prison facilities on the Florence campus.
Early last year, after seven staff members were hurt in what the BOP
called a "near riot," a union representative asked Congress
to authorize more correctional officers for the USP. I have urged the administration to take action on this issue repeatedly throughout my tenure as a United States Senator. In 2006, I requested President Bush to take appropriate action to address the staffing needs on the Florence complex. In 2007, in response to the increasing levels of violence, I included language in the report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill directing the BOP to allocate the necessary resources to address the staffing and security needs of the Supermax, which would also aid in boosting security at the other prisons. I also wrote to Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Harvey Lappin urging him to use funds from the FY08 Omnibus Appropriations Bill to meet the safety and security needs at Supermax. To date, the BOP has not allocated additional staff to correct the problem. The GAO report I am requesting will objectively examine the critical staffing and security needs of the Florence campus, which I believe is necessary given the failure by the Department of Justice to address these security concerns in a meaningful way. Meeting the security and staffing challenges on the Florence facility are of paramount importance to the hard-working men and women who staff the four prisons. As yesterday’s riots demonstrated yet again, it is time for the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons to immediately address the safety and security needs of the Florence federal correctional facilities. I ask that you provide an immediate report regarding the steps that are being taken to address these critically important safety issues. Sincerely,
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