Senators zeroed in on chronic staffing problems in the federal Bureau of Prisons on Wednesday, as the head of the agency said the system faces a “crisis” in recruiting and retaining employees.
Long-standing staffing shortages were among the problems cited in a scathing watchdog report this month that found systemic and operational failures contributed to scores of prisoner deaths over the years.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters said they have thrown every incentive they can at the problem — such as raising the base salary for correctional officers by $2,000 — but are still not able to compete with the private sector and other law enforcement agencies.
