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MCC New York's failure to ensure that its security camera system was fully functional and make timely repairs is consistent with the OIG’s previous observations regarding weaknesses in the BOP’s overall system of security cameras. Dating back to at least 2013, the OIG has repeatedly observed inadequacies in the BOP’s overall system of security cameras, including inoperable cameras, an insufficient number of cameras, poor video quality, and inadequate video storage. In a 2016 report on the BOP’s contraband interdiction efforts, the OIG identified specific deficiencies with the camera system, and recommended that the BOP evaluate the system to determine needed upgrades.® In response to the 2016 recommendation, the BOP assessed the camera systems at each institution over the next several years and determined that 45 of its 122 institutions, including MCC New York, required camera system upgrades. The BOP worked to upgrade the systems at those 45 institutions between 2019 and 2021. In June 2021, the BOP reported that it had updated all cameras at the 45 institutions with the latest software and equipment, and that it had installed additional cameras to bolster surveillance. However, as reported in an October 2021 Management Advisory Memorandum issued to the BOP, the OIG analyzed the reported upgrades at the 45 institutions and found that the BOP had addressed some but not all of the deficiencies described in the 2016 OIG report. In its 2021 Management Advisory Memorandum, the OIG recommended that the BOP develop a comprehensive strategic plan for transitioning to a fully digital security camera system. The BOP has provided the OIG with a strategic plan that includes estimated cost projections and timelines for addressing the camera system concerns and completing the system upgrades.® As of 2023, the OIG’s 2021 recommendation remains open. The BOP’s failure to address the issue of functional security camera systems across the agency and at individual institutions presents an ongoing risk to the safety of BOP staff and inmates and has the potential to impair the investigation of and accountability for staff and inmate misconduct. It is imperative that the BOP prioritize the expeditious expansion and modernization of its security camera system to mitigate security risks. Il. Recommendations The OIG investigation identified multiple shortcomings in BOP policies that should be further assessed to ensure the BOP can more effectively handle issues that arise in connection with the custody and care of inmates. The recommendations address issues related to and the custody and care of inmates at risk for suicide; measures designed to increase safety, such as staff rounds, inmate counts, and cell searches; and institutional security camera systems and staffing shortages, two longstanding issues for the BOP. 1. The BOP should implement a process for assigning a cellmate following suicide watch or psychological observation, with criteria for exceptions based on the particular individual or security considerations. According to the MCC New York Institution Supplement policy to the Suicide Prevention Program Policy Statement 5324.08, inmates discharged from suicide watch will be assigned a cellmate. The supplemental 88 U.S. DOJ OIG, Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Contraband Interdiction Efforts, Evaluation and Inspections Report 16-05 (June 2016). 89 U.S. DOJ OIG, Notification of Needed Upgrades to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Security Camera System, Management Advisory Memorandum 22-001 (October 2021). 110 DOJ-OGR-00023477