How 2020 Impacted the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services
Across the board, federal law enforcement officers have spent the vast majority of 2020 dealing with unprecedented challenges. Rising tensions between the public and law enforcement and the increasing dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a landscape that has been tremendously difficult to navigate. While many of the struggles and successes of our law enforcement officers have been well-covered in the news, the challenges faced by two agencies have been comparatively underreported: the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.
COVID-19 has radically altered the job responsibilities of Bureau of Prisons officers, forcing them to drastically modify operations within an extremely tense prison environment. With the fear of potential outbreaks hanging over their heads, BOP officers have made wholesale changes in an attempt to provide a COVID-mitigating environment for themselves and detainees. Like all “essential” workers, BOP employees have had to carry the additional stress of working in environments that may increase the COVID exposure of themselves and their families.
Due to the 2020 social movements concerning law enforcement, BOP officers have also been dealing with public criticism over the treatment of prisoners. The actions of dedicated officers have been criticized, often without the benefit of full knowledge of the surrounding context or details. With this additional public attention has come increased agency pressure on job performance, amplifying the pressures accompanying BOP jobs.
As COVID-19 spikes have forced a broad and unprecedented release of prisoners onto federal probation, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services officers have come under extraordinary job pressures. These releases have significantly increased the workload of probation officers, putting them even further at risk for allegations based on administrative oversights.
Mass releases of federal prisoners present a direct threat to public safety and must be meticulously overseen by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. Despite officers’ unwavering efforts to keep the public safe, they are at risk for being blamed for any fallout from these overwhelming prisoner releases.
As we near the end of this unprecedented year, it’s imperative that federal law enforcement officers start planning for 2021. Historically, existing social tensions and inequalities have intensified both during and after periods of epidemics, and the continued psychological effects of everything that happened in 2020 will likely be unknown until well into 2021.
Use the unusual break from holiday celebrations this year to ensure you and your family are doing everything you can to protect yourselves. As demonstrated by the experiences of BOP and Probation and Pretrial Services officers, all federal law enforcement officers should be prepared for a likely increase in civil suits resulting from intensified interaction with the public, as well as a potential increase in agency-directed disciplinary actions. Professional liability insurance gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have legal defense against allegations and coverage for financial judgments. For more information about what FEDS Protection can offer federal law enforcement officers, please visit www.fedsprotection.com or call (866) 955-FEDS Monday – Friday 8:30am – 6pm ET.