Inspection of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Federal Correctional Institution Berlin

Staffing Challenges

• FCI Berlin struggled to meet staffing needs and was experiencing staffing gaps that were particularly acute in the Correctional Services, Health Services, and Psychology Services Departments.
• FCI Berlin used short-term solutions, including temporary duty assignments, augmentation, and overtime, to help fill staffing gaps.
• The additional custody population of ICE detainees presented challenges for the already strained BOP staffing complement at FCI Berlin, including:
  • a higher volume of turnover that generated greater processing needs in receiving and discharge;
  • incomplete or inaccurate medical and criminal histories that required additional research and evaluation;
  • requirements that BOP inmates and ICE detainees remain separated, which necessitated movement restrictions and additional custody duties; and
  • in-house healthcare needs, which were addressed by BOP personnel when U.S. Public Health Service staff were not on site.

Medical and Mental Healthcare

• FCI Berlin generally conducted required screenings, such as intake examinations and examinations for those with chronic conditions, consistent with BOP policy.
• Vacant positions, including physician and psychologist positions, affected FCI Berlin’s ability to provide healthcare in certain instances.
• FCI Berlin struggled to address BOP inmate requests for routine medical care inside the institution and to arrange for BOP inmates to see outside medical providers. We identified months-long delays between some BOP inmates’ initial requests for care and their encounters with providers.
• We observed unsafe conditions and practices in Health Services areas, including improper placement and storage of sharp implements and hazardous chemicals, inadequate supervision of BOP inmate workers, unsafe medication administration practices, and risks with treatment for opioid use disorder.

Safety and Security

• Correctional Officers did not consistently conduct required rounds to monitor BOP inmates and ICE detainees, increasing the risk of self-harm, violence, and other illicit activities.
• FCI Berlin employees did not fully comply with the BOP’s policy for tracking sexual misconduct complaints.
• New digital cameras produced higher-quality video, but FCI Berlin experienced issues storing and producing footage from these cameras.
• Contraband was present and highly visible in inmate housing units, contraband interdiction equipment was not operational, and employee search practices were not completed according to policy.

Physical Conditions and Infrastructure

• The institution’s major infrastructure systems were operational but approaching the end of their projected lifespan.
• FCI Berlin has requested over $17 million for infrastructure projects, including heating system repairs.
• There was water damage in housing unit bathroom and shower areas, and many fixtures produced water outside required temperature ranges.
• Nearly half of the Food Service Department pieces of equipment were in need of repair or replacement, some of which had been out of service since 2020.

Inmate Programming

• FCI Berlin is dedicated to BOP inmate programming and has the space and materials to offer various programming opportunities to BOP inmates.
• Staffing shortages in the Psychology Services Department, as well as the reassignment of non-custody Education Department employees into Correctional Officer posts, limited availability of personnel to provide programming and created significant backlogs for inmate participation.
• Restrictions on BOP inmate movement, necessitated by the presence of ICE detainees, exacerbated challenges FCI Berlin experienced in offering programming to BOP inmates.