GOP rep plans to introduce bill allowing Bureau of Prisons to stop inmate movement amid coronavirus

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Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., said Thursday that he plans to introduce a bill next week aimed at halting the movement of inmates in the federal prison system during the coronavirus pandemic, giving the Bureau of Prisons the authority to keep prisoners in place.

A release from Keller's office said the Republican had spoken with Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal by phone. He explained that although Carvajal was concerned about the spread of the coronavirus, he is required by law to defer to courts and the U.S. Marshal's Service when it comes to moving inmates to, from and between federal prisons.

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"After several days of talking with members of Bureau of Prisons leadership, today I spoke directly with Director Carvajal," Keller said in the statement. "While Director Carvajal shared my concern about ongoing inmate movement, he believes that doing so requires statutory authority. As a result, I have immediately started work on introducing legislation that would give the Bureau of Prisons the authority it needs to stop inmate movement during COVID-19 mitigation efforts. As I continue down this path, I will also be exhausting all available remedies with the Department of Justice to immediately halt all inmate movement."

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But Keller's bill, even if it passes quickly in the House of Representatives, could be stalled for weeks. After passing a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package earlier this week, the Senate has adjourned until April 20.

While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he could reconvene the body before April 20, it is unlikely he would call back senators from across the country for anything other than an important vote on a large bill. Keller says that he is also trying other approaches to stop inmate movement in American prisons.

"While I hope, given the national urgency to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, any legislation stopping BOP prisoner movement can pass Congress quickly, it is just one avenue I am pursuing," he told Fox News. "The fastest way to stop inmate movement is for those in charge of this process to see the danger continued inmate movement poses to BOP employees and their communities and stop it immediately."

Keller's efforts to stop federal inmate movement come after 32 federal inmates were transported from Oklahoma to FCC Allenwood, a prison in his district. Two of those inmates had symptoms lining up with those of the coronavirus and one was taken to a hospital and tested for the virus.

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"These set of facts are disturbing and unacceptable," Keller said at the time. "Clearly, BOP cannot guarantee the safety of BOP inmates, employees, their families, or the broader community. As such, continuing to move inmates throughout the BOP system while COVID-19 continues to spread is a mistake and must be immediately stopped."

As Keller works to keep prisoners where they are, others are raising the alarm about the danger the coronavirus could pose to U.S. inmates.

"The projections for the toll that the coronavirus might inflict on U.S. cities like New York are terrifying. But for prisons and jails, which are like small cities unto themselves, it is likely to get even more dire. Detention facilities are ripe for the spread of disease, given the rampant overcrowding and subpar health care," Jesse Lerner-Kinglake of Just Detention, which advocates for prisoner rights nationwide, told Fox News. "Worse still, many prisoners have HIV, diabetes, heart disease and other serious illnesses that put them at risk for developing complications from the coronavirus. Imagine New York City, but more crowded and with more sick people — and far fewer medical staff."

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It is difficult for prisons to take the kind of precautions being pushed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, including social distancing and not sharing communal space. Hand sanitizer is even banned due to its high alcohol content.

At least 15 different states have begun to release at least some low-level or vulnerable prisoners to protect them from the outbreak.

Fox News' Hollie McKay contributed to this report.