AFGE Local 4070 Commends Senator Grassley for Prison Safety Legislation

THOMSON, IL, UNITED STATES, February 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- AFGE Local 4070, representing federal law enforcement officers at Thomson Federal Prison, expresses deep gratitude to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for his attentive leadership in addressing critical prison safety concerns. The Senator's introduction of the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act demonstrates his commitment to protecting federal corrections officers.

"We are profoundly grateful to Senator Grassley for listening to our officers and taking decisive action," said Jon Zumkehr, President of AFGE 4070. "The Senator's bipartisan legislation would strengthen our ability to combat contraband by upgrading the charge for smuggling or possessing contraband cellphones from a misdemeanor to a felony."

The urgency of this legislation is underscored by alarming statistics at Thomson Federal Prison, where more than 400 contraband cellphones were discovered in 2024 alone, with zero resulting prosecutions. This challenge extends beyond Thomson, pointing to a broader systemic issue within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officer was murdered in 2013 after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Guaynabo. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband, including cellphones, by Albarati and other correctional officers. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cellphone.

"Congress must act now and pass the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act before another staff member is killed in the line of duty because of contraband cellphones," Zumkehr emphasized. The safety of our corrections officers and the security of our prisons hang in the balance."

JON ZUMKEHR
AFGE 4070
jzumkehr@afge4070.org
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