Ongoing staffing shortages along with an influx of ICE detainees are straining operations inside the federal men's prison in Berlin, according to an audit by the U.S. Department of Justice released Thursday.
Investigators from the department’s Office of the Inspector General praised the prison’s leadership and employees, calling them “dedicated to maintaining a safe environment,” but said the facility was struggling to conduct regular monitoring of inmates and was failing to arrange medical appointments with outside providers in a timely manner.
The auditors made a series of recommendations, including better tracking of inmate health requests and ensuring correctional officers are conducting regular rounds inside the facility.
The facility’s warden did not respond to a request for comment. The Inspector General’s on-site inspection took place in January as part of a national program to ensure federal prisons are complying with laws and regulations.
On average over the last year, the federally operated medium-security prison in Berlin incarcerated approximately 800 men, as well as another 62 inmates in a minimum security building on its complex. The audit didn’t disclose the number of ICE detainees in custody in Berlin, but said that the addition of those people “presented challenges for the already strained” staff at the facility.
Auditors noted months-long delays in scheduling appointments for some inmates who require outside medical attention. The facility’s own internal health care setting was also flagged for unsafe conditions and inadequate supervision of inmate workers.
Nearly half of the appliances inside the kitchen were broken, according to the report, with some out of operation since 2020. Overall, the facility needs an estimated $17 million in repairs for infrastructure, including its heating system.
The audit highlighted inmate programming as a strength inside the prison, including carpentry, electrical wiring, and hydroponic gardening initiatives. The prison has struggled to fully staff these training programs, though, in part because of the demands of increased numbers of ICE detainees.
