U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
||
|
||
For Immediate
Release October 26, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
|
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.
# # #
|
||