FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2008
February 11, 2008
Enid Doggett, Jason Fornicola
(202) 639-6419
(202) 639-6419
Union for Federal Prison Officers to Hold Protest Outside Justice Department
WHO: AFGE National President John Gage
AFGE Council of Prison Locals President Bryan Lowry
AFGE Council of Prison Locals Phil Glover
WHAT: Continued lack of funding and inadequate staffing throughout the federal Bureau of Prisons has left federal correctional officers and the surrounding communities in grave danger. Staffing levels are decreasing while inmate population levels are increasing.
AFGE and its Council of Prison Locals, which represents the federal correctional officers, will
hold a protest and press conference to educate the public and request full funding throughout the
Bureau of Prisons.
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 13
11:30 a.m. – Protest
12:00 p.m. – Press Conference
WHERE: U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
WASHINGTON — American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President John Gage, Council of Prison Locals (CPL) President Bryan Lowry, and CPL Legislative Coordinator Phil Glover will hold a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 13 to draw attention to the continued lack of funding and inadequate staffing throughout the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). This critical situation puts federal correctional officers in grave danger, and threatens the security of surrounding communities.
AFGE and CPL will also highlight the need for the Federal Prison Industries program (also known as UNICOR), which is a federal work program used to keep inmates occupied and productive throughout the day. Some legislators are trying to eliminate the program, which would put federal correctional officers at greater risk of an attack at the hands of an inmate.
The Union says serious inmate overcrowding and correctional worker understaffing such as that at the Florence, Colo. federal prison campus, which includes the ADX Supermax, plague the BOP system nationwide, and create hazardous conditions for federal prison inmates, federal correctional workers, and the communities in which they work.
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