117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2899 

AN ACT 

To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to address 

deficiencies and make necessary upgrades to the security 

camera and radio systems of the Bureau of Prisons 

to ensure the health and safety of employees and inmates. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prison Camera Reform 

3 Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The Bureau of Prisons has 122 institutions 

7 located throughout the United States. The Bureau 

8 of Prisons employs nearly 38,000 employees and is 

9 responsible for more than 150,000 Federal inmates. 

10 (2) Video footage from security camera systems 

11 and reliable communication over radio systems with12 in Bureau of Prisons institutions are essential to 

13 protecting the health and safety of Bureau of Pris14 ons employees and Federal inmates. 

15 (3) Based on the experience of Bureau of Pris16 ons correctional staff, the noticeable presence of 

17 functioning security cameras serves as an effective 

18 deterrent to criminal behavior and misconduct. 

19 (4) Well-documented deficiencies of camera sys20 tems at Bureau of Prisons’ facilities have hindered 

21 investigators’ ability to substantiate allegations of 

22 serious misconduct by staff and inmates, including 

23 sexual and physical assaults, medical neglect, and in24 troduction of contraband. 

25 (5) In a 2016 report, the Office of the Inspec26 tor General for the Department of Justice deter-
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1 mined that ‘‘deficiencies within the BOP’s security 

2 camera system have affected the OIG’s ability to se3 cure prosecutions of staff and inmates in BOP con4 traband introduction cases, and these same problems 

5 adversely impact the availability of critical evidence 

6 to support administrative or disciplinary action 

7 against staff and inmates’’. 

8 (6) Shortcomings in the land-mobile radio sys9 tems at Bureau of Prison facilities institutions im10 pede the communication abilities of staff, slowing or 

11 preventing the response of correctional officers dur12 ing an emergency or threat of attack, and jeopard13 izing the safety of both staff and Federal inmates. 

14 SEC. 3. REQUIRED PLAN FOR REFORM OF BOP SECURITY 

15 CAMERA AND RADIO COVERAGE AND CAPA16 BILITIES. 

17 (a) PLAN.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 

18 enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Pris19 ons shall— 

20 (1) evaluate the security camera, land-mobile 

21 radio (referred to in this Act as ‘‘LMR’’), and public 

22 address (referred to in this Act as ‘‘PA’’) systems in 

23 use by the Bureau of Prisons as of the date of en24 actment of this Act; and 
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1 (2) submit to the Committee on the Judiciary 

2 of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary 

3 of the House of Representatives a plan for ensuring 

4 that all Bureau of Prisons correctional facilities have 

5 the security camera, LMR, and PA system coverage 

6 and capabilities necessary to— 

7 (A) ensure the health and safety of staff 

8 and Federal inmates; and 

9 (B) ensure the documentation and accessi10 bility of video evidence that may pertain to mis11 conduct by staff or inmates, negligent or abu12 sive treatment of inmates, or criminal activity 

13 within correctional facilities. 

14 (b) CONTENTS.—The plan required under subsection 

15 (a) shall— 

16 (1) identify and include plans to address any 

17 deficiencies in the security camera system in use at 

18 Bureau of Prisons correctional facilities, including 

19 those related to— 

20 (A) an insufficient number of cameras; 

21 (B) inoperable or malfunctioning cameras; 

22 (C) blind spots; 

23 (D) poor quality video; and 

24 (E) any other deficits in the security cam25 era system; 
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1 (2) identify and include plans to adopt and 

2 maintain any security camera system upgrades need3 ed to achieve the purposes described in subsection 

4 (a), including— 

5 (A) conversion of all analog cameras to 

6 digital surveillance systems, with corresponding 

7 infrastructure and equipment upgrade require8 ments; 

9 (B) upgrades to ensure the secure storage, 

10 logging, preservation, and accessibility of re11 cordings such that the recordings are available 

12 to investigators or Courts at such time as may 

13 be reasonably required; and 

14 (C) additional enterprise-wide camera sys15 tem capabilities needed to enhance the safety 

16 and security of inmates and staff; 

17 (3) identify and include plans to address any 

18 deficiencies in the LMR and PA systems in use at 

19 Bureau of Prisons correctional facilities, including 

20 those related to— 

21 (A) an inadequate number of radios; 

22 (B) inoperable, outdated, or malfunc23 tioning LMR or PA systems; 
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1 (C) areas of Bureau of Prisons correctional 

2 facilities that lack adequate reception for radio 

3 operation; 

4 (D) radios that lack an emergency notifica5 tion feature (also known as a ‘‘man down’’ 

6 function), which automatically sends an alert 

7 and transmits the location of that radio in the 

8 event the wearer is in a prone position; and 

9 (E) any other deficits in the LMR or PA 

10 systems; 

11 (4) include an assessment of operational and 

12 logistical considerations in implementing the plan re13 quired under subsection (a), including— 

14 (A) a prioritization of facilities for needed 

15 upgrades, beginning with high security institu16 tions; 

17 (B) the personnel and training necessary 

18 to implement the changes; and 

19 (C) ongoing repair and maintenance re20 quirements; and 

21 (5) include a 3-year strategic plan and cost pro22 jection for implementing the changes and upgrades 

23 to the security camera, LMR, and PA systems iden24 tified under paragraphs (1) through (4). 
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1 (c) IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE.—Not later than 3 

2 years after the date on which the plan is submitted under 

3 subsection (a)(2), and subject to appropriations, the Di4 rector of the Bureau of Prisons shall complete implemen5 tation of the submitted plan. 

6 (d) ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS.—Beginning 1 

7 year after the date on which the plan is submitted under 

8 subsection (a)(2), and each year thereafter until the end 

9 of the 3-year period described in subsection (c), the Direc10 tor of the Bureau of Prisons shall submit to the Com11 mittee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee 

12 on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report 

13 on the progress of the implementation of the submitted 

14 plan. 

Passed the Senate October 20, 2021. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2899 

AN ACT 

To require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons 

and safety of employees and inmates. of the Bureau of Prisons to ensure the health grades to the security camera and radio systems to address deficiencies and make necessary up-