SUMTERVILLE, Fla. — The Office of the Inspector General say it’s now reviewing whether the Federal Bureau of Prisons properly used home confinement to minimize spreading coronavirus among the federal prison population.
What You Need To Know
- 3 inmates, 1 staff member at FCC Coleman have died of coronavirus
- Inspector General's office now reviewing entire prison system
- RELATED: Feds Inspect Coleman Prison Following 2nd Coronavirus Inmate Death
Spectrum News's Watchdog Reporter Stephanie Coueignoux has been investigating this question for months, after three inmates and one staff member died from COVID-19 at FCC Coleman in Sumter County.
Saferia Johnson is one of the three inmates who died. Federal officials denied her petition for release, even though she met home confinement criteria.
In August, the OIG reviewed whether FCC Coleman and a handful of other facilities complied with federal coronavirus policies, but has not yet published its findings. Now the office is doing a review of the entire federal correctional facility system.
The OIG’s review comes after members of Congress, including Reps. Val Demings and Darren Soto, issued letters demanding more home confinement for qualified inmates.