Bill would require Senate confirmation for US prison chief – By Michael R. Sisak and Michael Balsamo (Associated Press) / January 14, 2022
Days after the head of the troubled federal Bureau of Prisons said he was resigning amid increased scrutiny over his leadership, lawmakers have introduced a bill to require Senate confirmation for future bureau directors — the same process used to vet leaders of the FBI and other federal agencies.
The bill, introduced late Thursday by the chairman of the House’s Bureau of Prisons Reform Caucus, seeks to strengthen congressional oversight over the crisis-plagued bureau by adding checks and balances to how its director is chosen. Currently, the attorney general can just appoint someone to the position.
Rep. Fred Keller’s bill would shift the responsibility of picking a director to the White House, authorizing the president to nominate someone to the post, with that person then facing questioning at a Senate hearing before a confirmation vote. It would also limit the director to one 10-year term.
The Bureau of Prisons is the Justice Department’s largest agency, with about 37,500 budgeted positions, an annual budget of nearly $8 billion and more than 150,000 inmates. Yet, it’s the only Justice Department agency whose director isn’t subject to Senate confirmation.
