I have been critical of BOP operations based on what I see at the ground level, especially over the past few years. But while I am skeptical of some of their press releases, photo ops and listening tours, the new administration has been responsive to the issues we have brought to its attention. It’s the first administration that hasn’t ghosted us and has acted on issues we bring to their attention. We are encouraged that some of their early emphasis is on issues we focus on and write about – mainly leadership!
For example, one of my criticisms has been how wardens are chosen on their ability to follow rather than lead and have far too much power. When the agency was progressive, the leadership consisted mostly of college-educated professionals with a correctional programs background and orientation. However, during the tough-on-crime era and build-out of the federal prison infrastructure, the emphasis became incapacitation rather than treatment. This, in combination of the difficulty to filling positions, lowered the bar for candidates and created conditions that were ripe for abuse.
That’s why I was encouraged to see Director Marshall make warden selection and training a priority, acknowledging that promotions based on a resume and “who you know” are a disservice to everyone.
I am personally aware of people who could barely put two sentences together having their subordinates write their applications for leadership positions. It’s toxic when combined with the “daddy” system – in which yes men and women follow their sponsors around the system, then into the private sector of the prison-industrial complex. Wardens should not be given carte blanch authority like an unchecked king.
I was also heartened by Deputy Director Smith’s video about increasing the monthly telephone minutes available to prisoners from 300 to 510. To be honest, that should have been the case for a while now, since it was called for by the First Step Act. And while he’s at it, I would like to see more telephones and computers installed in the prisons, due to the increased demand generated by this change. This is especially true in the high-security facilities, where they are locked down so frequently and the telephones are controlled by certain cars.
I’d also like to note that a blog post published on the BOP website indicated the Director Marshal and Deputy Director Smith recently visited the Colorado Supermax (ADX) prison. Unlike the releases issued for previous visits, this announcement didn’t reference any interaction with the inmate population. We hope they did meet with a few of them or at least reviewed the status of the people held there. There have been many individual in the ADX for long periods who policy dictates should have been stepped down to alternate housing. The façade of inmate program reviews at the ADX should be looked at by the administration, just as it should examine the practice in mainstream prisons, where a paper is slid under a cell door to suffice as a program review.
Missing from the BOP press releases is any talk of the Federal Prison Oversight Act and the independent ombudsman that is so needed as a check on internal abuses. PERA stands ready to offer support of and feedback on such an ombudsman once it’s created.
Bottom line: The new administration is saddled with the remnants of the dysfunctional management dumpster fire that took hold over the past few decades. And I remain skeptical of the reform efforts until I start seeing more proof on the ground, but so far so good.
