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House of Representatives

Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act

2026-08-31 Issue 137 Showing 1–2 of 2

Official Congressional Record ↗

Laurel M. Lee

Republican 4:30 p.m.

“I want this bill to pass so the government can claim it is helping prison staff. I don't like that opponents slow it down.”

Laurel M. Lee

Republican 4:30 p.m.

“I want this bill to pass. It will help protect prison staff from harassment and assault. The problem is big. Many staff are harassed or assaulted. I want the government to study this problem and make rules to protect staff. We should help the people who keep our prisons safe. This is not a partisan issue. I want my colleagues to support this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, my bipartisan legislation to better protect the men and women who serve in our Federal corrections facilities. Every day, correctional officers and other Bureau of Prisons employees go to work in an environment that is inherently challenging and, at times, dangerous. We ask these law enforcement professionals to maintain order and security in Federal prisons, often working in close proximity to individuals who have been convicted of serious crimes. There are risks that come with that responsibility, but sexual harassment and sexual assault should never be accepted as simply part of the job. The scope of this problem is deeply troubling. A Department of Justice survey of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees found that 40 percent of them reported experiencing sexual harassment or sexual assault by an inmate--40 percent. These are men and women who are serving our country and protecting our communities. They deserve to know that their safety matters, that misconduct against them will be taken seriously, and that those responsible will face meaningful consequences. That is why I introduced the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act. This legislation takes a straightforward, fact-driven approach. First, it requires the Department of Justice inspector general to conduct a comprehensive review of the incidents and the effects of sexual harassment and sexual assault committed by incarcerated individuals against correction officers and other Bureau of Prisons employees. Importantly, we aren't just asking how often this is happening. The inspector general must also examine what happens to inmates who engage in this conduct, including what sanctions and consequences are available and how those consequences have actually been used over the preceding 5 years. That matters because rules on paper mean very little if they aren't effectively protecting the people who work inside these institutions. The inspector general will then report these findings to the Attorney General and to Congress. Based on that work, the Attorney General will be required to establish national standards for the prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Bureau of Prisons personnel. This is what responsible oversight should look like: understand the scope of the problem, determine whether existing consequences are working, and establish clear standards to better protect the people we ask to do this difficult and dangerous work because, ultimately, this bill is about the men and women in the uniform. Our correction officers and prison employees are public servants. They maintain order in some of our Nation's most challenging institutions, and the work they do inside those walls keeps the rest of our communities safe. We ask a great deal from them, and we also should stand up for them. I am proud that this has been a bipartisan effort. I am grateful to Senators Marsha Blackburn and Jon Ossoff for their work advancing the Senate companion. Protecting the men and women who serve in our Federal prisons should not be a partisan issue. No correctional officer should have to accept sexual harassment or assault as a condition of their job. They deserve our respect. They deserve our support, and they deserve our action. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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