Washington, D.C.—Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) sponsored a bill, with Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), that will arm Federal Correctional workers with pepper spray. The bill is named after Eric Williams, a Federal Correction Officer who was brutally killed by an inmate last year; a fallen hero.

“Any worker who enters his or her workplace should feel safe and protected every day,” said Rep. McKinley. “But that’s not the case with federal correction workers who have no line of defense during conflicts inside prison walls. This bill will give them a needed tool to keep them and their co-workers protected while keeping order if a conflict arises.”

This legislation will make permanent a Federal Bureau of Prisons pilot program that allows correctional workers who could respond to conflicts to carry pepper spray. In addition, it will expand the pepper spray availability to medium and higher security facilities and require Federal Correctional workers to complete training courses before carrying and using the spray.

“Since the tragic death of Officer Eric Williams, I have been committed to finding ways to provide a safer work place environment for these men and women,” said Cartwright. “Correctional Officers and prison employees put their lives on the line every day to meet inmates’ needs and keep our communities safe. This legislation is a great first step, but more needs to be done to address severe underfunding and a lack of adequate staffing to safeguard prison workers.”

The legislation is supported by the National Association of Police Organizations, the Council of Local Prisons, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Additionally, the legislation was found by the Congressional Budget Office to have no cost to the taxpayers.