The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has offered the COVID-19 vaccine to its entire workforce, but just 49 percent have accepted a vaccine as of last week. Meanwhile, other agencies are seeing their employees accept vaccines in larger numbers, causing members of Congress to question the Bureau of Prisons’ vaccine rollout plan. For example, as of last month, 72 percent of the Veterans Health Administration workforce had accepted the vaccine.

Congressman Fred Keller (R-PA) recently announced the creation of the bipartisan Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Reform Caucus. The BOP Caucus is meant to improve accountability and transparency, address systemic issues within the BOP system, and ensure the health and safety of corrections officers, staff, inmates, and the communities surrounding the prisons.