Bill Would Require Federal Prisons To Notify Families of Serious Illness and Death
For years, families have complained of cruelty from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) when their incarcerated loved ones become seriously ill or die. Now, legislation in Congress is attempting to put a stop to what it calls inhumane treatment.
Sens. Jon Ossoff (D–Ga.) and John Kennedy (R–La.) introduced legislation Wednesday—the Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act—that would require the Justice Department to issue guidance to the BOP for promptly notifying families of individuals in custody who become seriously ill, suffer life-threatening injuries, or die. The Justice Department would also distribute those policies as a model for state and local lockups to follow.
“Too often, the families of those incarcerated never find out about a serious illness, a life-threatening injury, or even the death of a loved one behind bars,” Ossoff said in a press release.
A companion bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D–Calif.), John Rutherford (R–Fla.), Barry Moore (R–Ala.), and Glenn Ivey (D–Md.).
A BOP spokesperson declined to comment on the legislation, citing the agency’s policy of responding directly to members of Congress. However, the spokesperson said that “upon arrival at an FBOP facility, all individuals in our custody are asked to provide a primary point of contact (next of kin) in t
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