Grassley, Ossoff Aim to Pull the Plug on Prison Contraband

Grassley, Ossoff Aim to Pull the Plug on Prison Contraband

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen penalties for smuggling contraband in federal prisons. The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act would upgrade the charge for smuggling or possessing a contraband cellphone in federal prison from a misdemeanor to a felony.

"Prisoners are increasingly using contraband cellphones to coordinate illegal activity from within correctional facilities. That's an obvious safety risk to prison staff, other inmates and the public," Grassley said. "Stemming the flow of contraband by stiffening the penalty for cellphone smuggling will go a long way to improve our federal prison system and keep the public safe."

"My bipartisan investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the Federal prison system have revealed systemic challenges that allow for the dangerous flow of contraband, which is a threat to safety and security," Ossoff said. "Senator Grassley and I are introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen penalties for smuggling contraband into Federal prisons."

"A cell phone in a prison is a deadly weapon. Yet, as our investigative work continues to demonstrate, contraband cell phones have proven to be pervasive inside many federal prisons, a reality that undermines the safety and security of these institutions for BOP staff, inmates, and the public. Lieutenant Albarati was a true hero, selflessly dedicated to making MDC Guaynabo and his community safer by preventing criminal activity inside the facility. I commend Senators Ossoff and Grassley for honoring his memory by sponsoring this public safety reform and for recognizing the severity of this problem," Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz said. "By making the introduction of a cell phone into a prison a felony, as numerous states have already done, the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act will allow investigators and prosecutors to more effectively bring to justice those introducing cell phones into prisons, curb the flow of illicit cell phones into prisons, make our communities and prisons safer, and help to save lives."

"Getting contraband cellphones out of prisons is very near and dear to my heart as I lost my husband - and my children lost their father - due to this. My husband was brutally murdered because he confiscated cell phones in a federal prison. And inmates used a contraband cellphone to put out a hit on him. Cell phones allow inmates to engage in and coordinate criminal activities both inside and outside the prison, including drug trafficking, extortion, violence, etc. I believe addressing this is crucial for the safety and security of our communities, and the employees of the Federal Bureau of Prisons,"Mrs. Helen Albarati, widow of Lt. Osvaldo Albarati said.

The legislation is endorsed by the Council of Prison Locals and Voices of JOE.

Download bill text HERE.

Background:

The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act builds on the Grassley-Feinstein Cell Phone Contraband Act, which became law in 2010 designating cellphones as contraband in federal prison.

Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer who was murdered in 2013 after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband, including cellphones, by Albarati and other correctional officers. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cellphone.

A recent DOJ report from Inspector General Horowitz found nearly a third of deaths inBOP custody have occurred as a result of contraband, drugs or weapons.

Grassley's BOP Oversight:

Grassley is a fierce advocate for transparency and accountability within the federal prison system. He is a cosponsor of the Federal Prisons Accountability Actto make the role of BOP Director - who's responsible for overseeing a multi-billion-dollar budget - a Senate-confirmed position.

Grassley's oversight of the BOP has revealed serious allegations of abuse, document falsification and erroneous prisoner releases at Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Hazelton in West Virginia and United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson in Illinois. Grassley has personally met with the BOP Director to discuss efforts to root out staff misconduct in the federal prison system.

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