[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PRISON CAMERA REFORM ACT OF 2021

  Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 2899 
and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2899) 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.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 2899) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                S. 2899

       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.

     

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