Norton Meets with New Federal Bureau of Prisons Director to Discuss Treatment of D.C. Residents
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today met with the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Colette Peters, to discuss BOP's treatment of District of Columbia residents in BOP custody, including the bill Norton will introduce to require BOP to place D.C. residents serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies in BOP facilities within 250 miles of D.C. Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, individuals serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies are in BOP custody.
"Director Peters and I had a fruitful discussion today, covering a range of issues," Norton said. "I am pleased BOP committed to reviewing my bill to require placement of D.C. residents within 250 miles of D.C. and to explore ways BOP can share information with the D.C. government on D.C. residents in BOP custody to improve reentry. I am also pleased that BOP is transferring some D.C. residents from Pollock, a BOP facility in Louisiana, after two D.C. residents were killed and others attacked there. However, I was disappointed to hear that BOP is not transferring all D.C. residents from Pollock, as I requested in my September 9th letter."
Currently, more than 2,000 D.C. residents are serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies, and they are in BOP facilities across the United States. Norton said that while Congress will not provide funding to BOP to build a new facility for D.C. residents serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies, there are more than enough existing BOP facilities within 250 miles of D.C. to house all such D.C. residents. Under Norton's bill, a D.C. resident who is already in a BOP facility at the time of enactment would be allowed to decline a transfer from the individual's current facility, and BOP would have authority to place a D.C. resident more than 250 miles outside of D.C. if it were in the best interest of the individual or BOP.
In May, the Committee on Oversight and Reform passed Norton's bill that would require BOP to share information with the D.C. government on D.C. residents serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies.
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