Justice Department announces sweeping reforms to curb suicides in federal prisons and jails

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is ramping up efforts to address a crisis of suicides and systemic failures in federal prisons and jails, announcing sweeping reforms aimed at overhauling how mental health care is provided behind bars.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco outlined the measures in a memo and report Tuesday, directing the Bureau of Prisons to update suicide prevention protocols, improve mental health assessments for inmates, and adopt data-driven strategies to reduce deaths in custody. The reforms will also apply to facilities overseen by the U.S. Marshals Service, a broader effort to address chronic shortcomings across the federal detention system.

The 14-page report said the measures “will strengthen the Department’s capacity to reduce the risk of suicide by adults in federal custody and advance a culture of safety in its institutions.”

The announcement comes after increasing scrutiny on the federal prison system and a scathing report from the Justice Department’s inspector general earlier this year, which found that systemic lapses—like those that allowed financier Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death—have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of federal inmates over the years.

An ongoing Associated Press investigation has exposed serious issues in the Bureau of Prisons, including rampant misconduct, sexual abuse by staff, dozens of escapes, chronic violence, and staffing shortages that have left its employees ill-equipped to respond to emergencies.

Monaco, who has prioritized prison reform during her tenure, has been pressing agency officials to tackle these issues, holding regular meetings to drive change in one of the federal government’s most troubled institutions.

In the memo, obtained by The Associated Press, Monaco said the Justice Department must “strive to avert every preventable death of an individual in its custody.”

“In pursuit of that goal, individuals who are detained or incarcerated in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) or Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) should receive timely mental health assessments and ready access to potentially life-saving mental health services,” the memo said.

The Justice Department would embrace a “multifaceted approach to reducing the risk of suicide and self-directed violence” for both inmates and staff, according to the memo.

“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the health and safety of every individual in our custody,” Monaco said in a statement. “Today’s reforms—recommended by experts from across the Department’s litigation, law enforcement, and policy operations—will reduce the risk of suicide among adults in federal facilities. Simply put, these measures can help us save lives."