[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2899 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.2899
One Hundred Seventeenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two
An Act
To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to address deficiencies
and make necessary upgrades to the security camera and radio systems of
the Bureau of Prisons to ensure the health and safety of employees and
inmates.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Prison Camera Reform Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Bureau of Prisons has 122 institutions located
throughout the United States. The Bureau of Prisons employs nearly
38,000 employees and is responsible for more than 150,000 Federal
inmates.
(2) Video footage from security camera systems and reliable
communication over radio systems within Bureau of Prisons
institutions are essential to protecting the health and safety of
Bureau of Prisons employees and Federal inmates.
(3) Based on the experience of Bureau of Prisons correctional
staff, the noticeable presence of functioning security cameras
serves as an effective deterrent to criminal behavior and
misconduct.
(4) Well-documented deficiencies of camera systems at Bureau of
Prisons' facilities have hindered investigators' ability to
substantiate allegations of serious misconduct by staff and
inmates, including sexual and physical assaults, medical neglect,
and introduction of contraband.
(5) In a 2016 report, the Office of the Inspector General for
the Department of Justice determined that ``deficiencies within the
BOP's security camera system have affected the OIG's ability to
secure prosecutions of staff and inmates in BOP contraband
introduction cases, and these same problems adversely impact the
availability of critical evidence to support administrative or
disciplinary action against staff and inmates''.
(6) Shortcomings in the land-mobile radio systems at Bureau of
Prison facilities institutions impede the communication abilities
of staff, slowing or preventing the response of correctional
officers during an emergency or threat of attack, and jeopardizing
the safety of both staff and Federal inmates.
SEC. 3. REQUIRED PLAN FOR REFORM OF BOP SECURITY CAMERA AND RADIO
COVERAGE AND CAPABILITIES.
(a) Plan.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall--
(1) evaluate the security camera, land-mobile radio (referred
to in this Act as ``LMR''), and public address (referred to in this
Act as ``PA'') systems in use by the Bureau of Prisons as of the
date of enactment of this Act; and
(2) submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a
plan for ensuring that all Bureau of Prisons correctional
facilities have the security camera, LMR, and PA system coverage
and capabilities necessary to--
(A) ensure the health and safety of staff and Federal
inmates; and
(B) ensure the documentation and accessibility of video
evidence that may pertain to misconduct by staff or inmates,
negligent or abusive treatment of inmates, or criminal activity
within correctional facilities.
(b) Contents.--The plan required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) identify and include plans to address any deficiencies in
the security camera system in use at Bureau of Prisons correctional
facilities, including those related to--
(A) an insufficient number of cameras;
(B) inoperable or malfunctioning cameras;
(C) blind spots;
(D) poor quality video; and
(E) any other deficits in the security camera system;
(2) identify and include plans to adopt and maintain any
security camera system upgrades needed to achieve the purposes
described in subsection (a), including--
(A) conversion of all analog cameras to digital
surveillance systems, with corresponding infrastructure and
equipment upgrade requirements;
(B) upgrades to ensure the secure storage, logging,
preservation, and accessibility of recordings such that the
recordings are available to investigators or Courts at such
time as may be reasonably required; and
(C) additional enterprise-wide camera system capabilities
needed to enhance the safety and security of inmates and staff;
(3) identify and include plans to address any deficiencies in
the LMR and PA systems in use at Bureau of Prisons correctional
facilities, including those related to--
(A) an inadequate number of radios;
(B) inoperable, outdated, or malfunctioning LMR or PA
systems;
(C) areas of Bureau of Prisons correctional facilities that
lack adequate reception for radio operation;
(D) radios that lack an emergency notification feature
(also known as a ``man down'' function), which automatically
sends an alert and transmits the location of that radio in the
event the wearer is in a prone position; and
(E) any other deficits in the LMR or PA systems;
(4) include an assessment of operational and logistical
considerations in implementing the plan required under subsection
(a), including--
(A) a prioritization of facilities for needed upgrades,
beginning with high security institutions;
(B) the personnel and training necessary to implement the
changes; and
(C) ongoing repair and maintenance requirements; and
(5) include a 3-year strategic plan and cost projection for
implementing the changes and upgrades to the security camera, LMR,
and PA systems identified under paragraphs (1) through (4).
(c) Implementation Deadline.--Not later than 3 years after the date
on which the plan is submitted under subsection (a)(2), and subject to
appropriations, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall complete
implementation of the submitted plan.
(d) Annual Progress Reports.--Beginning 1 year after the date on
which the plan is submitted under subsection (a)(2), and each year
thereafter until the end of the 3-year period described in subsection
(c), the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall submit to the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the
Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of
the implementation of the submitted plan.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.