CORY A, BOOKER ewan orc nited States Senate ices March 18, 2020 cos Michael Carvajal Director Federal Bureau of Prisons 320 1° St, NW Washington, DC 20534 Dear Director Carvajal: 1am writing to you to urge the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to institute new policies to allow for people who are incarcerated at its facilities to place telephone calls free of charge and to allow for free video conferencing, where available. On Friday, March 13, 2020, the BOP announced that it was ceasing social visits for 30 days to protect people from the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.! While I understand the necessity for BOP to close its facilities to outside visitors in the interest of public health and safety, I also believe itis critical that incarcerated people are able to maintain contact with their loved ones during this difficult time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of March 16, 2020? there were 3,487 cases of COVID-19 and 68 people have lost their lives to the virus in the United States as of Government officials at the state and federal level are taking unprecedented steps to respond to this public health crisis, including recommending people “socially distance” themselves and avoid congregating in groups of 10 people or more.’ Similarly, BOP has taken certain steps to protect the approximately 175,000 people incarcerated at its facilities and the over 36,000 employees who work at the agency * Indeed, suspending social visits was an appropriate and warranted action given the threat posed by COVID-19. However, during this time itis also critical to ensure that people who are under BOP custody are able to maintain contact with family and friends. Not only is this an incredibly stressful time for Americans dealing with the novel coronavirus, but studies have shown the importance of maintaining family connections of those who are incarcerated in reducing recidivism.> As one study noted, “[F]or some prisoners, familial attachments during a prison sentence can be crucial ' Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Bureau of Prisons COVID-19 Action Plan, hitps:/Avwrw.bop goviresources/news!20200313_covid-19.jsp (last visited Mar. 16, 2020). 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Cases in the U.S., hitps:/www.ede-gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html (last visited Mar. 16, 2020). ® Siobhan O'Grady etal, Live updates: Trump says outbreak could last months and gatherings should be limited to 10 people, WASH. POST (Mar. 16, 2020), http://www. washingtonpost.com/ world/2020/03/16/coronavirus-latest- news * Bureau of Prisons, supra note 1; Federal Bureau of Prisons, About Our Agency, hitps:/Avww.bop gov/about‘agency/ (last visited Mar. 16, 2020). 5 BERNADETTE RAAUY AND DANIEL KOPF, SEPARATION BY BARS AND MILES: VISITATION IN STATE PRISONS, PRISON Pout INITIATIVE (2015), https’//www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/prisonvisits. htmlfor managing the pressures of prison life, providing hope for when they are released, and granting essential support during the resettlement process.” As you work to ensure the health and safety of incarcerated people and BOP employees, we ask that you take steps to mitigate the negative effects of BOP’s COVID-19 response. Allowing people in prison to place free telephone calls to family members and friends and permit free video conferencing where available will encourage contact and maintain those relationships while social visits are suspended. L appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, Cory A. Booker United States Senator ® LAN BRUNTON-SMITH AND DANIEL J. MCCARTHY, THE EFFECTS OF PRISONER ATTACHMENT TO FAMILY ON RE- ENTRY OUTCOMES: A LoNarTUDAL ASSESSMENT I (2016), available at https://warwick.ae.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/bruntonsmith/brunton-smith_and_mecarthy_~_prisoner_fami pa.