HR3353-119

What This Bill Does

The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act amends 18 U.S.C. 1791, the federal prison contraband statute. For a violation involving provision of an object covered by subsection (d)(1)(F), meaning a phone or other electronic communication device, the bill adds imprisonment for not more than two years, a fine, or both. It also directs the Bureau of Prisons Director, within one year, to review BOP policies on inmates who make, possess, obtain, or attempt to make or obtain prohibited objects and to update those policies as needed to improve protections for incarcerated individuals and staff.

Who Benefits and How

Federal correctional officers benefit from a stronger penalty against people who supply phones or communications devices to inmates. Incarcerated individuals benefit if updated contraband policies reduce violence, coercion, or exploitation linked to illicit phones. BOP contraband investigators benefit from a clearer penalty tied to phone-provision cases. Federal prosecutors benefit from an explicit two-year penalty option for providing prohibited phones or electronic devices.

Who Bears the Burden and How

People providing phones to inmates face imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both. BOP policy staff must review and update contraband policies within one year. Federal defenders may handle more cases or plea negotiations involving phone-provision charges. Visitors or intermediaries bringing phones into prisons face higher criminal exposure.

Key Provisions

• Adds up to two years of imprisonment for providing a prohibited phone or electronic communication device to an inmate.
• Modifies 18 U.S.C. 1791 penalty paragraphs to distinguish phone-provision violations.
• Requires the BOP Director to review contraband policies within one year.
• Requires BOP policy updates as needed to improve protections for incarcerated individuals and staff.