Sen. Ossoff first introduced bipartisan bill in 2022 after leading multiple bipartisan Senate investigations into Federal prison conditions, including in Georgia
Atlanta, Ga. — Civil rights leaders across Georgia are praising U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan prison reform law.
Last week, President Biden signed into law Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act, prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prison’s 122 facilities nationwide by mandating routine inspections of all facilities by the DOJ Inspector General and establishing a new Ombudsman to investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of incarcerated people and staff.
Sen. Ossoff first introduced the bipartisan bill in 2022 after leading multiple bipartisan Senate investigations into corruption, abuse, and misconduct within the Federal prison system, including in Atlanta’s Federal prison.
Sen. Ossoff’s investigations uncovered a lack of oversight of the Federal prison system that led to long-term failures likely contributing to loss of life; jeopardizing the health and safety of incarcerated people and staff; and undermining public safety and civil rights — which his new law aims to remedy.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been proud to champion efforts to enact meaningful, thoughtful prison reform to improve our entire criminal justice system,” said Ambassador Andrew J. Young, civil rights leader. “I commend and thank Senator Ossoff for his leadership in shepherding this historic bill to passage and now law. Senator Ossoff promised to fight for civil rights and human rights, and with this new bipartisan law, he is making progress to ensure equal protection under the law for all Georgians and all Americans.”
Gerald Griggs, President of the Georgia NAACP and renowned civil rights attorney, today applauded the official enactment of the Federal Prison Oversight Act, marking a significant step forward in addressing systemic issues within the U.S. prison system.
“Today, we witness a monumental stride toward justice and accountability within our federal prison system with the Federal Prison Oversight Act becoming law. This legislation represents not only a victory for those advocating for human rights but also a crucial acknowledgment of the urgent need to address the conditions within our prisons,” stated Gerald Griggs, President of the Georgia NAACP. “Our fight for transparency, humane treatment, and rehabilitation over punishment has gained a powerful ally in the form of this law. It is imperative that we continue to push for policies that ensure the dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of their circumstances. I commend the lawmakers and advocates who have tirelessly worked to bring this act to fruition and urge for its swift and thorough implementation. This law will shine a much-needed light on the inner workings of our federal prisons, holding them to a standard that respects the humanity of all individuals. It is a pivotal step in our ongoing mission to reform the criminal justice system and ensure justice for all,” Griggs concluded.
“We thank Senator Ossoff for his tireless work to establish a system for accountability in Federal Prisons,” said Andrea Young, Executive Director of the ACLU of Georgia. The ACLU is proud to be a partner in this effort. The independent oversight and transparency required in this new law will help protect the civil liberties and dignity of the people incarcerated in federal prisons and protect people in custody who initiate a complaint, investigation, or inspection from retaliation. This bipartisan law creates a model for oversight of our state and local prisons and jails.”
“This bipartisan legislation is a life-saving measure and will give people who are incarcerated in the federal system a rare opportunity to get help amidst such a deadly crisis,” said Rev. James Woodall of Lindsay Street Baptist Church and former State President of Georgia NAACP. “We are thankful for the bipartisan leadership and glad President Biden signed it into law.”
“For more than 35 years, Georgia Justice Project has represented, counseled, and walked alongside thousands of our neighbors who are touched by the prison system. We have seen up close how humane prison conditions are essential not only to respect the inherent human dignity of those living in prisons but also to address deep trauma, promote successful reentry, and enhance public safety. And yet, both federal and local prisons are in a state of crisis,” the Georgia Justice Project said. “We commend Senator Ossoff for his leadership authoring the Federal Prison Oversight Act, knowing both its impact to improve the federal prison system and the model it creates for states like Georgia who similarly seek solutions to improve prison transparency, accountability, and safety.”
“As Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda, we advocate for and work to advance meaningful criminal justice reform each and every day,” said Helen Butler, Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda. “I’m proud to support Senator Ossoff’s Federal Prison Oversight Act and see it be signed into law. Senator Ossoff’s criminal justice reform law will not only improve oversight of our Federal prisons, but also give family and friends more confidence their loved ones will be safe.”
“As President of the Bartow County NAACP, I thank and applaud Senator Ossoff’s leadership in authorizing and passing the Federal Prison Oversight Act,” Dexter Benning, President of the Bartow County NAACP, said. “This new law will help protect the civil rights of incarcerated individuals in Georgia and ensure they don’t fall harm to abuse and neglect and that all inmates are treated with dignity and respect. This legislation will also provide comfort to family members, knowing that their loved ones are being treated like human beings.”
“For far too long, Federal prisons have been able to subject the people they incarcerate to abuse, danger and catastrophic lapses in health and safety,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. “This bill is a necessary step to improve the humanity and dignity of the conditions within federal prisons. I thank President Biden for signing this bill into law and Sen. Ossoff for his leadership on this critical civil rights issue.”
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