On May 7, 2024, the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) honored 26 corrections officers and contractors who lost their lives in the line of duty at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial park in Washington D.C. The most recent casualties were Eric J. Williams and Osvaldo Albarati, who were killed on consecutive days in February 2013 at different institutions. Albarati’s shooting death was carried out with the assistance of federal inmates housed at MDC Guaynabo who relayed information to assailants outside the prison. This week marks National Correctional Officers Week, recognizing the challenges and hazardous conditions faced by 30,000 correction officers across the country.
During the ceremony, the American Federation of Government Employees highlighted the sacrifices made by correctional officers and the invaluable role they play in the justice system and society. BOP Director Colette Peters and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller addressed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of creating safe and humane conditions in confinement and helping prisoners re-enter society as productive members. Retired BOP Director Charles Samuels listed each of the fallen officers in his retirement announcement, urging the agency to take care of one another and never forget the fallen heroes.
The BOP faces challenges such as staffing shortages to supervise and care for over 150,000 federal prisoners nationwide. Ceremonies like this serve as a remembrance of fallen officers and a show of commitment from the BOP to recognize the difficult job they do each day. Following the deaths of Williams and Albarati, improvements were made to protect BOP employees, including the Eric Williams Correctional Officer Protection Act of 2015, which authorized the issuance of pepper spray to correctional officers at federal prisons. Legislation is also being considered to stiffen penalties for cell phone introduction into prisons and deploy jamming equipment to render phones useless.
During the ceremony, 26 roses were placed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial’s seal by an honor guard as the names of the fallen officers were read and a bell rang in remembrance. The Memorial, located in Washington D.C., features the names of over 23,000 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. Despite criticism of the BOP’s lack of transparency, the ceremony was a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who serve their country. As the event concluded and the sky cleared, it was a reminder that honoring service to the country and coming together as a community are important traditions that unite us in tackling the challenges of the day.
