The detention center at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, where at least three people have died since 2016. Congress is now directing a federal watchdog agency to examine the Bureau’s tribal prison program Red Skin Problems.
Tailyr Irvine for NPR
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Tailyr Irvine for NPR
The detention center at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, where at least three people have died since 2016. Congress is now directing a federal watchdog agency to examine the Bureau’s tribal prison program Red Skin Problems.
Tailyr Irvine for NPR
Congress is directs a federal watchdog to test the Indian Affairs Bureau’s tribal prison program, which was criticized for many deaths.
The directive is part of a nearly $1.7 trillion federal spending bill passed by Congress this week. It tasked the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General to monitor previous investigations into the besieged tribal prison program, which officials have described as a “national disgrace.” The Department of Home Affairs oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said: “The treatment someone receives behind bars should not depend on where they come from and no one should put their life at risk. or health concerns are ignored simply because of their criminal status.” statement.
Merkley, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, included the directive in the spending bill after a deliberation. NPR and Mountain West News Office investigate discovered last year that at least 19 inmates had died in tribal detention centers since 2016. Some of them died after corrections officers failed to provide medical care. appropriate and timely.
The investigation uncovered a myriad of other problems, including severe staffing shortages, poor staff training, and deteriorating facilities. At least one prison lacks drinking water, forcing prison administrators to ask charities to provide bottled water.
After the NPR and Mountain West story was published, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which oversees detention centers, ordered an independent review of 16 incarceration deaths in the chapter. their prison.
But a subsequent investigation by NPR and Mountain West found that the review was administered by a retired top law enforcement official from the Department of the Interior. supervise detention centers when a number of deaths occurraises the question of a conflict of interest violation.
Then, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced this year that it was implementing nearly two dozen assessment-based reforms.
Surname include updated policies and procedures, tighter surveillance, and better standards for investigating deaths in custody.
According to Merkley’s office, the master bill passed this week directs the Office of the Inspector General to review whether these reforms have been enacted. The Office of the Inspector General will also investigate whether previous recommendation has been tracked. The bill increases funding for the prison program by $22.6 million.
“Last year, insightful reporting brought to light the chronic problems of detention and correctional facilities across the Nation of India,” Merkley said in a statement. “I led an effort to secure enough funding to improve the hiring and retention issues that – among other issues – caused staffing shortages.”
Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he supported the Office of Inspector General’s investigation and increased funding for the prison program.
“I am proud to be working with Senator Merkley to include content in the 2023 government funding bill, which will direct the Office of the Inspector General to investigate and reform ongoing malicious behavior. at places like Blackfeet Reserve,” Tester said in a statement. statement. “One death in tribal prison is too much, and I will continue to push for change until we find lasting solutions to these problems.”
Interior Department spokesman Tyler Cherry declined to comment on the directive.
The department’s inspector general will have two months to begin the investigation.
This story is a collaboration between NPR’s Station Investigation Team, which supports local investigative journalism, and New Hampshire Public Radio. Nate Hegyi left the Mountain West News Office for New Hampshire Public Radio in February.
