Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to call on the Bureau of Prisons to permanently allow for localized hiring authority at the Hazelton Federal Prison in Preston County, West Virginia, in my district. The prison has struggled for years to fill critical staffing shortages, which has resulted in unsafe conditions for both correctional officers and inmates. I helped lead the charge for the authorization of retention bonuses at the facility and am pleased that the Bureau of Prisons has authorized local hiring to speed up the process and provide jobs for hardworking West Virginians. Prior to this authorization, applicants were required to apply through the Bureau of Prisons headquarters in Texas. This bureaucratic process slowed down and discouraged hiring. Local hiring authority has already resulted in a class of seven new officers, which are desperately needed at this facility, which doesn't have enough people there. I join the correctional officers' union in calling for this authority to be made permanent as the prison works to fill the 90-officer shortage.”