President Donald Trump signed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act into law this week, requiring the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to take additional steps to address sexual harassment and sexual assault of prison staff by incarcerated individuals.
The White House announced Wednesday that Trump had signed Blackburn’s bill and S. 32, the Local Access to Courts Act, into law.
The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act establishes requirements for the BOP, which operates within the U.S. Department of Justice, to address sexual harassment and sexual assault involving BOP employees.
Prison staff should never have to fear sexual assault when they show up to work.
Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for signing my Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act into law and protecting the women and men who keep our federal prisons secure.https://t.co/k4vgvxMeLD
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) September 17, 2026
The legislation was sponsored in the Senate by Blackburn and co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA). U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15) carried companion legislation in the House.
“No law enforcement officer should have to fear for their safety when they show up to work,” Blackburn said in a statement Thursday. “I am pleased the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act—which will help us end the appalling sexual abuse of prison staff by inmates—has been signed into law by President Trump.”
Lee said the law will strengthen protections for federal correctional officers and staff.
“The men and women who serve in our federal prisons put their safety on the line every day, and they deserve to know that the law stands behind them,” Lee said, going on to thank Blackburn for her partnership and Trump for signing the legislation into law.
My bill the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act has been signed into law, strengthening protections for correctional officers and staff against sexual harassment and assault by incarcerated individuals. The men and women who serve in our federal prisons put their safety on the…
— Congresswoman Laurel Lee (@RepLaurelLee) September 17, 2026
The law requires the BOP, within 90 days of enactment, to fully implement recommendations contained in a 2023 report from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) examining inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and sexual assault.
The OIG report examined sanctioned inmate-on-staff sexual incidents from fiscal years 2015 through 2021 and found that the BOP lacked adequate data to determine the full scope of the problem. The OIG also identified deficiencies in the bureau’s systems for evaluating the effectiveness of its strategies to mitigate sexual harassment and assault.
If the BOP does not implement all of the recommendations within the 90-day period, the law requires the bureau to report to Congress explaining why and provide a timeline for implementation.
The law also requires the OIG to obtain and analyze BOP data covering fiscal years 2022 through 2025 after the recommendations have been implemented. The analysis must examine the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault against BOP employees, as well as punishments imposed for such conduct.
The Attorney General will then have one year after receiving the OIG analysis to establish national standards for preventing, reducing, and punishing sexual harassment and sexual assault against BOP staff.
Blackburn’s bill was endorsed by the American Correctional Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Council of Prison Locals 33.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
