# Prison Staffing Reform Act of 2023

Federal prisons across the country are significantly understaffed, and this bill requires the Bureau of Prisons to figure out exactly how bad the problem is and create a plan to fix it. The Bureau of Prisons runs 121 facilities with about 35,000 employees, and the bill's sponsors argue that not having enough staff is creating serious problems for everyone involved—prisoners, guards, and the public.

The main requirement is straightforward: within six months, the Bureau of Prisons must hire an outside organization (not the Bureau itself) to conduct a thorough review of staffing levels and their impact. This independent review will look at how understaffing affects prisoners' access to medical care, mental health treatment, educational programs, and protection from violence or abuse. It will also examine how it affects prison guards, who often work mandatory overtime and face stressful, unsafe conditions. The review will include input from prison employee unions, civil rights organizations, and groups focused on helping people avoid returning to crime. Additionally, an independent medical organization will specifically evaluate whether prisoners are receiving adequate healthcare.

Based on this review, the Bureau of Prisons must then create a detailed staffing plan that includes specific numbers of guards and support staff needed for different types of facilities and security levels. The plan must address how to recruit new employees, fill vacant positions, reduce excessive overtime, and improve overall staffing across the system. The Bureau has three years to actually implement this plan, and must report back to Congress annually on their progress. While this bill doesn't directly give the Bureau new money or force them to hire immediately, it does require them to be transparent about the problem and commit to a concrete solution with a deadline.