WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) today announced the introduction of the Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2023. This bill would bring greater accountability to our nation’s federal prisons by requiring the Director of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Currently, the BOP Director is not subject to Senate confirmation despite having significant authority over taxpayer dollars and federal personnel. Unlike most U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) administrators and directors, the BOP Director is appointed by the U.S. Attorney General – not the President – without Senate consideration.

The Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2023 would require the President to appoint the BOP Director with the advice and consent of the Senate. The bipartisan legislation would also limit any newly confirmed BOP Director’s tenure to a single, 10-year term at the head of the Bureau.

“Any government agency that has over 30,000 employees, manages a multi-billion dollar budget, and directly impacts thousands of lives should not be exempt from Senate oversight,” said Senator Blackburn. “This bipartisan bill extends the Senate’s duty of advice and consent to the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, fostering greater transparency for employees and further protecting taxpayer dollars in the federal prison system.”

“The Senate plays a vital role in staffing the federal government, evaluating the qualifications of more than a thousand presidential nominees to ensure transparency and accountability. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons oversees more than 34,000 employees and a multi-billion dollar budget, and should be subject to Senate review and confirmation as well,” said Senator McConnell. “Our bipartisan bill would extend the Senate’s advice and consent role to the Bureau of Prisons Director and expand supervision over this federal agency. The thousands of Americans – and hundreds of Kentuckians – employed by the Bureau of Prisons deserve Senate oversight and an added layer of protection from harm.”

Joining Blackburn and McConnell as co-sponsors were Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.).

BACKGROUND:

• The BOP Director supervises the federal prison employees who serve in over 120 facilities across the country working under hazardous conditions to protect the public from harm.
• The legislation announced today would subject the Director to the same congressional scrutiny as other top law enforcement agency chiefs within the DOJ, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Directors and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator.
• By extending Senate consideration to the BOP Director, this legislation would encourage the Bureau to provide greater responsiveness to the safety needs of its dedicated federal corrections workers.