Norton Releases Federal Bureau of Prisons Response after Agency Visits Hope Village at Her Request

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a letter from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) informing her that BOP had conducted an unannounced site visit to Hope Village, the men's halfway house in the District of Columbia, as Norton had requested. At Norton's request, BOP conducted the site visit after two Hope Village residents died there in the last week. BOP reports that no residents at Hope Village appeared to have been neglected and that the facility and the residents had adequate supplies, food and other necessities. BOP said that it is working to transfer all eligible and appropriate residents to home confinement, as Norton requested. Norton reiterated her urgent call to release to home confinement all eligible Hope Village residents.

"I appreciate that the Federal Bureau of Prisons quickly conducted the site visit I requested to ensure that the residents and staff are safe and have adequate supplies," Norton said. "We must continue our vigilance to ensure that all D.C. residents, wherever they are, are protected from the coronavirus. Most important now, however, is to avoid pressing our luck by acting to release all eligible halfway house residents, including those at Hope Village, to home confinement. Hope Village residents are being held in order to transition them to release. Holding them in necessarily close quarters can only enhance the possibility of spread of the coronavirus"

The BOP's letter follows:

Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Holmes Norton,

This is in response to your correspondence dated April 5, 2020, concerning the Hope Village Residential Reentry Center (RRC) and the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, your letter raises several concerns related to the safety and wellbeing of the residents housed in the RRC, including questions about deaths that were not COVID-19 related.

In response to the pandemic, the Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) has taken, and will continue to take, aggressive steps to protect the safety and security of the inmates in our custody. As part of that response, we continue to provide oversight and guidance to Hope Village RRC, and have been in ongoing communication with the staff and leadership there. Consistent with the findings of the D.C. Corrections Information Council during their March 27, 2020 visit to the facility, we continue to have no evidence to support the assertion that residents at Hope Village are being neglected and deprived of receiving needed toiletries, essentials, food, medication, or other supplies. In addition, Bureau staff performed an unannounced visit to Hope Village on April 7, 2020. During this inspection, they reported observing adequate food and supplies, good hygiene, and sanitary conditions throughout the facility. Hope Village continues to provide modified operations at the RRC in accordance with directives and guidance provided by D.C. Government, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bureau.

Additionally, the Bureau is focused on the transfer of all eligible and appropriate offenders to home confinement. Our staff is working closely with the staff at Hope Village to process these applications quickly and efficiently with an emphasis and priority on those residents who are in the high risk categories for COVID-19.

I trust that this is responsive to your concerns.

Sincerely,

Hugh J. Hurwitz

Assistant Director

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