Federal Prison Employees Fear Staff Shortages and Mass Reassignments as COVID-19 Cases Spike

Government Executive: Federal prisons around the country are increasingly relying on teachers, librarians and even nurses to conduct law enforcement duties as COVID-19 spikes exacerbate existing staffing shortages, leading employees to fear for their safety or head for the exits.

The Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department component that manages 122 facilities nationwide, has expanded its use of a practice called “augmentation” during the novel coronavirus pandemic, in which employees typically assigned to other jobs are forced into correctional officer roles.

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