U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

October 26, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


  Sen. Salazar Asks President Bush to Bolster Security & Funding at ‘Supermax’

Denver, CO – United States Senator Ken Salazar, in a letter today, asked President Bush to ensure the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) fulfills its mandate to monitor the communications of high-risk inmates at the ‘Supermax’ federal prison in Florence, Colorado. Senator Salazar asked the President to take action to 1) ensure that the BOP addresses security failures; 2) conduct a prompt review of all security procedures and staffing needs at BOP facilities; and 3) provide additional funds for staffing in the Fiscal Year 2008 budget.

In his letter to President Bush, Senator Salazar wrote, “we in Colorado are proud of this facility. The Bureau of Prisons and the hardworking men and women who work in Florence play a pivotal role in the war on terror, and they do so at great personal risk.”

Senator Salazar is scheduled to visit the ‘Supermax’ in Florence, Colorado soon. Senator Salazar’s concern stems from a recent report issued by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) which concluded that there were significant security breaches at the Supermax. Specifically, the OIG investigation concluded that the BOP has failed to adequately monitor high-risk inmate's mail and telephone calls, did not hire any full-time Arabic language specialists to translate inmate communications until 2005, and has not adequately shared intelligence with the FBI.

A full copy of Senator Salazar’s letter is available by clicking here.



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