Americans rely on our justice system to hold those accountable who violate the law and cause harm to their fellow citizens. But who is responsible for holding the justice system accountable when it falls short of its own standards?
Recently, Congress provided a partial answer by overwhelmingly passing the bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act. The legislation aims to address the growing crisis in the federal prison system, including severe understaffing; crumbling infrastructure; widespread and unacceptable reports of physical and sexual abuse; lack of adequate health and education programming; and substandard food and nutrition.