[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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