By DAWN BORMANN
The Kansas City Star
U.S. Reps. Dennis Moore and Nancy Boyda rallied support today in Leavenworth for an $837 million increase in federal prison funding.
The Kansas Democrats say the country's federal prison system has become overcrowded, which poses dangerous conditions for corrections officers and inmates.
The two privately toured the U.S. Penitentiary in the afternoon and held a press conference to call for more funding for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The press conference follows up on a letter signed by Boyda, Moore and others to leadership of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science and Related Agencies.
The letter urges the subcommittee to provide a $427 million funding increase for salaries and expenses and a $410 million increase for buildings and facilities in order to ease overcrowding issues at some facilities.
"The BOP is simultaneously experiencing record lows in staffing and record highs in overcrowding. This is dangerous combination that creates a situation that is simply not safe for our correctional officers or federal inmates," the letter said.
"We can't claim to be tough on crime and ignore our prisons," Boyda said today at the press conference in Leavenworth.
Boyda and Moore acknowledge that the Leavenworth facility appears to be adequately staffed. However, the two said this is a national issue that needs to be addressed long before it becomes a crisis.
"This is about our prison system nationwide," Moore said.
To reach Dawn Bormann, call 816-234-5992 or send e-mail to dbormann@kcstar.com.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/176136.html
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