Shackled for weeks: Federal report finds abuse of restraints in prisons – Georgia Public Broadcasting

A new Justice Department Inspector General report found that the federal Bureau of Prisons violated its own rules by excessively restraining prisoners, including cases where an individual died after being shackled for over two days and another required a limb amputation due to restraints being applied too tightly. The report reviewed six years of records and identified thousands of incidents where inmates were held in restraints for 16 hours or longer, with some lasting weeks. While the report does not name specific prisons, it follows prior investigations by NPR and The Marshall Project that documented similar abuses at facilities in Thomson, Illinois, and Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The BOP stated it agreed with the report’s recommendations and would revise its policies, though the agency noted it is still reviewing the inspector general’s proposals. The article does not directly address Georgia’s state prison system or the Georgia Department of Corrections.