It’s hard to know what to believe when it comes to assessing the state of security at the Supermax federal prison in Florence, which holds some of the most dangerous inmates in the country.
During a tour of the facility Wednesday, Barb Batulis, a Supermax guard and union representative, said the prison isn’t adequately staffed. But U.S. Bureau of Prisons chief Harley Lappin said he can safely manage the institution with the staff he has. U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he thinks the facility is secure but could be improved, though he shared no ideas.
That won’t satisfy worried neighbors who want Lappin to erect a $23 million fence – not so much to keep the inmates inside as to keep their accomplices from approaching Supermax from the outside.
There have been troubling signals from the maximum security prison for some time. The question of adequate staffing came into focus last fall with release of a report by the Department of Justice inspector general. It said Supermax didn’t have adequate staff or language skills to monitor communications between inmates and the outside world. The investigation was sparked by March 2005 media reports that said three convicted terrorists involved in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing wrote about 90 letters to Islamic extremists with links to the Madrid train bombings. Prison officials said they’ve taken steps to address the shortages.
But that wasn’t all. Shortly thereafter, an arbitrator ruled that staffing at the prison had gotten so low that working there had become more hazardous. The prison smartly hired more staff; however, union officials say at least some of the hires were destined for other understaffed prisons and not replaced. It’s difficult to know whether the situation has improved or if prison officials are robbing Peter to pay Paul. But we do know this: Despite watching over some of the nation’s most diabolical criminals, Supermax staffing is actually down from when it opened in 1994. Prison officials say the addition of cameras and other technology has lessened the need for guards.
Perhaps that’s true. Or perhaps it’s a convenient justification. Trouble is, everyone defining the problems and creating solutions has a self-interest that could color their assessment.
Colorado’s congressional delegation has been active in pushing to resolve the prison’s shortcomings, and they must work to penetrate the veil of ambiguity. A sweeping review of the prison’s security and staffing should be conducted by the Government Accountability Office. The sooner the better.
