What does Right To Notify do?

Currently, family members must manually check the Bureau of Prisons' public inmate lookup system for updates on their incarcerated loved ones' locations. Right To Notify simplifies this process by automatically monitoring changes and sending SMS alerts when an inmate is moved. This tool is designed to help families stay informed about the whereabouts of their loved ones without the need for constant manual checking.

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What is the right to be notified?

The US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced criticism for its lack of communication with families regarding the transfer of inmates. Inmates are often kept in isolated facilities called Communications Management Units (CMUs) and transferred around the country without notice to their families.4The Bureau of Prisons' notification system is nonexistent, leaving families dependent on ad hoc and ineffective methods to find out where their loved ones are being held.

CMUs have been criticized for disproportionately targeting Muslim prisoners and individuals with unpopular political views. This overrepresentation of Muslims in CMUs has raised concerns about discriminatory practices within the BOP. In some cases, prisoners have been placed in CMUs for their activism or for providing legal assistance to fellow inmates.5

A report from the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General highlights that the BOP's internal processes and communication strategies have several deficiencies. These include a lack of adequate staffing to handle communications and the inability to effectively manage and relay critical information about inmates, including their transfers.1

There have been legislative efforts to address these issues. For example, a bill introduced in the Senate aims to establish guidelines requiring the BOP to notify families when inmates experience serious health issues or death, but there is no current mandate for notifying families about inmate transfers. This legislation was spurred by numerous incidents where families were left uninformed about their loved ones' conditions until it was too late.2

For more detailed information on this topic, you can refer to the following resources:

References:

1. Federal Inmate Transfer Process

2. DOJ OIG Releases Report on the BOP’s Strategies to Identify, Communicate, and Remedy Operational Issues

3. Bill pushes feds to notify families of sick, dying inmates | The Independent

4. Another Kind of Isolation - The Bureau of Prisons tightens the rules at its secretive “Communication Management Units.” | The Marshall Project

5. CMUs: The Federal Prison System's Experiment in Group Segregation | Center for Constitutional Rights