FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2024
April 30, 2024
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE Calls for Immediate Action to Address Health and Safety Concerns at FCC Butner
Categories:
BOP
Employees, inmates have been exposed to dangerous conditions for over a decade
WASHINGTON – The union representing correctional officers and staff at Federal Correctional Complex Butner near Durham, N.C., is voicing concern for employees and inmates following years of failure by prison management to address ongoing health and safety issues at the facility.
The latest incident occurred April 14, when air ducts in the housing unit at FCI Butner Medium II fell from the ceiling onto computers, charging stations, and the floor while staff and inmates were inside the unit. The roof of the same building has been compromised for years, yet the prison has been delaying making the necessary repairs.
“The repeated failure by management at FCC Butner to address these safety concerns is putting federal employees and inmates at risk of getting sick, injured, or worse,” American Federation of Government Employees Local 408 President Delshon Harding said.
“Our union has been sounding the alarm about the hazardous and even deadly conditions inside FCC Butner for over a decade now, and unfortunately our concerns have largely fallen on deaf ears,” Harding said. “The federal government needs to take immediate steps to address these safety concerns before something worse happens.”
The union is seeking a special inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on the structural integrity of the roofing structure, as well as an air quality inspection due to the unknown health effects of inhaling mold and other harmful toxins due to continuous roof leaks.
“The government’s failure to remedy these health and safety hazards is an injustice both to the federal employees who work there and the federal inmates who are housed there,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “Justice delayed is justice denied, and it’s high time for the government to fix these issues once and for all.”
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