Last week, the Federal Bureau of Prisons posted a video of Deputy Commissioner Josh Smith vowing to “make the BOP great again.” The seven-minute video echoes a promise that leaders of change agencies have been repeating in video releases for months as the BOP struggles with staffing and budget constraints.
As a reporter covering the federal prison system, what I want to know is, “What’s going on?”
This year has been a turbulent year for prisons. The agency chief was fired on the same day President Trump took office. The bonus was then discontinued. The union contract was canceled. Dozens of prisoners and prison staff said they were running out of basic necessities, from toilet paper to food. And as I reported last week, hundreds of exhausted police officers are retiring, many lured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s better pay.
The same day my article was published, the agency posted another video of Smith, this time announcing plans to lift the BOP by reinstating “significantly enhanced” retention incentives and providing one-time bonuses paid in part from savings from canceled union contracts.
“Now we can all work as one team,” he said. “Not everything will be solved quickly, but the hard work has begun and, thanks to President Trump, we are building a department that every employee can be proud to serve.”
The announcement infuriated union officials. In an email to members, union leaders wrote that the video was “intended to create a narrative that the union is the problem” and that terminating the contract somehow “solved” the problem.
I’ve been researching the federal prison system for years and will report on what’s coming. I’m particularly interested in tips about leaders’ priorities, contract and budget decisions, and concerns about fraud and abuse of power. And I’m always interested in any documents or data you can share to paint a complete picture of what’s happening within the Bureau.
At ProPublica, we appreciate you sharing your story and we value your privacy. I am collecting these articles for reporting purposes and will contact you if you would like to publish any part of the article. While we may not be able to respond to everyone individually, we promise to read everything you send.
If you are currently a prison employee or have particularly sensitive information to share, please contact me directly through Signal (KeriB.123).
