Duckworth, Booker Re-introduce Bill to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery Plans in Prisons

On August 3, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) re-introduced the “Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act,” a bill that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans protect the health, safety and civil rights of incarcerated individuals during natural disasters and public health emergencies. JustLeadershipUSA President and CEO DeAnna Hoskins issued the following statement:

“Sen. Duckworth’s Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act underscores what we have been advocating for years – an emphasis on human dignity for all, including the often marginalized individuals within the prison system.

The expansion of the NIC advisory board to include a formerly incarcerated individual; the mandated reporting of disaster impact; and the prioritization of familial contact for incarcerated people to provide meaningful support, are all central to JustLeadershipUSA’s #JustUS campaign. We see these not only as critical steps forward as we look at re-imaging the criminal legal system, but integral to protecting the lives of the most vulnerable. We are privileged to be working with the Senators as a partner to help shape this legislation.”