| Description |
This thesis investigates how systemic issues within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) enabled widespread sexual and physical abuse of inmates by staff. By comparing available prevalence estimates of both physical and sexual abuse with employee discipline data from the Bureau of Prisons Office of Internal Affairs (OIA), this thesis shows that substantial underreporting, a lack of sustained1 cases of abuse, and negligible rates of criminal prosecution of abuses, even when cases were sustained, contributed significantly to widespread and persistent abuse of inmates by staff in federal prisons. Section (I) discusses the background, prevalence, and cost of sexual abuse in prisons; (II) mirrors section I with a discussion of physical abuse; (III) presents case studies from two institutions with systemic cultures of staff on inmate abuse; (A) FCI Dublin, and (B) USP Thomson; (IV) analyzes ten years of internal misconduct data from BOP OIA; (V) examines systemic issues that contribute to problems within the employee discipline process including: (A) Resource Issues, (B) Data Analysis, (C) Cameras, and (D) Inmate Testimony; (VI) proposes recommendations designed to help alleviate the problems described in section V; and (VII) proposes additional legislative recommendations. |
