Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing a bipartisan bill to crack down on organized crime in Federal prisons.
This week, Sens. Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, which would crack down on the smuggling of contraband cellphones into Federal prisons by upgrading the charge of smuggling of a contraband cellphone into a Federal prison from a misdemeanor offense to a felony.
The legislation is named in honor of Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer who was murdered after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Guaynabo in Puerto Rico in 2013. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband, including cellphones. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cellphone.
“My bipartisan investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the Federal prison system have revealed systemic challenges that allow for the dangerous flow of contraband, which is a threat to safety and security,” Sen. Ossoff said. “Senator Grassley and I are introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen penalties for smuggling contraband into Federal prisons.”
“Contraband cellphones are a deadly and pervasive problem in many of our nation’s federal prisons. Stiffening penalties for cellphone smuggling will go a long way to improve our prison system and keep inmates, prison staff, and the general public safe,” Grassley said.
“[I] offer my strong support for the Lt. Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, which you are planning to introduce into the 119th Congress. The fact that this bill now makes it a felony instead of a misdemeanor is something that is not only providing some justice for my husband’s sacrifice, but also provides just and proper consequences for a crime that clearly rises to the level of a felony,” said Helen Andujar Albarati, wife of fallen Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati.
“A cell phone in a prison is a deadly weapon. Lieutenant Albarati was a true hero, selflessly dedicated to making MDC Guaynabo and his community safer by preventing criminal activity inside the facility. I commend Senators Grassley and Ossoff for honoring his memory by sponsoring this public safety reform and for recognizing the severity of this problem,” said Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff led a 10-month bipartisan investigation into corruption, abuse, and misconduct at FCI Atlanta (formerly named U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta). Among its many findings, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan investigation uncovered a particular need to remove the massive number of illegal cellphones in the facility. For example, a 2021 sweep found 800 contraband cell phones, which had been used, among many things, to run illegal drug rings and gang activity in and outside the facility.
A recent DOJ Inspector General report also identified contraband, like cellphones, as a critical threat to safety and security not only to prison staff and inmates, but also to the entire community.
Another recent Inspector General report found FCI Atlanta had the most deaths of any Federal prison nationwide between 2014-2021. The same report also found that nationwide, contraband contributed to at least 1/3 of deaths in Federal prisons.
Sen. Ossoff continues to advocate for transparency and accountability in the Federal prison system.
Last year, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act was signed into law, historic prison reform legislation to overhaul independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ 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.
Sens. Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last month introduced the bipartisan Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which would require the DOJ to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to mitigate inmate-on-staff sexual assault at all BOP facilities and help end sexual abuse in Federal prisons.
In December 2022, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Prison Camera Reform Act was signed into law, requiring the Federal Bureau of Prisons to upgrade outdated and broken security camera systems, ensuring all facilities have the coverage necessary to protect the safety of incarcerated people and staff.
Click here to read The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act.
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