In the wake of revelations of systemic corruption in the federal prison system, the head of the federal Bureau of Prisons plans to quit.
According to a story from The Associated Press that was corroborated by Fox News, Michael Carvajal, who was nominated to his current post during the Trump administration, informed Attorney General Merrick Garland that he is departing from the FBI after 30 years of service.
Carvajal hopes to continue on till his successor is named.
Carvajal’s impending departure comes months after the Associated Press reported that the Bureau of Prisons “is a hotbed of abuse, graft, and corruption, and has turned a blind eye to employees accused of misconduct.” Since 2019, more than 100 BOP employees have been arrested, convicted, or sentenced for crimes, with one warden facing sexual abuse charges. COVID-19’s distribution among convicts in federal prisons has also been a source of debate.
The AP’s story prompted a congressional probe and increased calls for Carvajal’s resignation from politicians.
“Director Carvajal was handpicked by former Attorney General Bill Barr and has overseen a series of mounting crises, including failing to protect BOP staff and inmates from the COVID-19 pandemic, failing to address chronic understaffing, failing to implement the landmark First Step Act, and more. It is past time for Attorney General Garland to replace Director Carvajal with a reform-minded Director who is not a product of the BOP bureaucracy.” At the time, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, remarked.
Carvajal’s resignation was applauded by Durbin, who called it “an opportunity for fresh, reform-minded leadership at the Bureau of Prisons.”
