Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and other lawmakers launched a bipartisan effort to curb organized crime in prisons.
Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have introduced the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at combating the smuggling of contraband cell phones into federal prisons.
The proposed legislation would increase penalties for smuggling contraband cell phones into federal prisons, elevating the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.
The bill is named in honor of Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer who was murdered after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Guaynabo in Puerto Rico in 2013.
Five men later pleaded guilty to the crime, admitting they targeted Albarati because of his role in seizing contraband, including cell phones. One of the inmates who orchestrated the hit used a contraband cell phone to carry out the attack.
“My bipartisan investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the federal prison system have revealed systemic challenges that allow for the dangerous flow of contraband, which is a threat to safety and security,” Ossoff said. “Senator Grassley and I are introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen penalties for smuggling contraband into federal prisons.”
Senator Grassley also expressed his support, emphasizing the growing issue of contraband cell phones within the prison system.
“Contraband cellphones are a deadly and pervasive problem in many of our nation’s federal prisons. Stiffening penalties for cellphone smuggling will go a long way to improve our prison system and keep inmates, prison staff, and the general public safe,” Grassley said.
Helen Andujar Albarati, the widow of Lieutenant Albarati, offered her strong support for the bill, noting that elevating the charge to a felony brings justice for her husband’s sacrifice.
“[I] offer my strong support for the Lt. Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, which you are planning to introduce into the 119th Congress,” she said. “The fact that this bill now makes it a felony instead of a misdemeanor is something that is not only providing some justice for my husband’s sacrifice, but also provides just and proper consequences for a crime that clearly rises to the level of a felony.”
Ossoff has been at the forefront of bipartisan efforts to address corruption and safety issues within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In 2022, he led a 10-month investigation into corruption, abuse, and misconduct at FCI Atlanta, uncovering a widespread issue with contraband cell phones. During a 2021 sweep, authorities discovered 800 contraband phones, which had been used for illegal drug rings and gang activity both inside and outside the facility.
Recent reports from the Department of Justice Inspector General also highlighted the dangers of contraband, noting its role in contributing to violence and insecurity within the prison system. A 2021 report found that contraband contributed to at least one-third of deaths in Federal prisons.
