The federal prison system has been engaging in a disturbing pattern of abuse against inmates, according to a new report from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The OIG released an explosive report detailing systemic failures in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) related to its use of restraints on prisoners. The report documented several cases in which prison authorities kept inmates in restraints far beyond what could reasonably be justified.
The report noted that one inmate “suffered injury requiring the amputation of part of the inmate’s limb after being kept in restraints for over 2 days.”
Another inmate “suffered long-term scarring and was provisionally diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to ongoing complaints of wrist numbness after being held in four-point restraints for over 3 days.”
Four-point restraints are used to restrain a person by securing both legs and arms to a bed. This method is typically reserved for situations in which a patient is a danger to themselves or others, and other forms of restraint have not worked.