Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi on Wednesday told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she planned to repair the problems plaguing the Bureau of Prisons.

“We have to fix the Bureau of Prisons, and I am looking on both sides of the aisle. The bureau has suffered from years of mismanagement, lack of funding and low morale,” Ms. Bondi said.

“I was proud to support President Trump’s First Step Act. I think more can be implemented and more can be done. On that front, President Trump’s leadership on criminal justice reform has demonstrated what is possible when a president is unafraid to do the things that have been deemed to be too difficult.”

The BoP has long faced abuse and corruption issues, which led to the Senate passing legislation last July to solidify oversight and bring greater transparency to the agency.

The Federal Prison Oversight Act establishes an independent ombudsman for the agency to field and investigate complaints following reports of widespread sexual abuse and other criminal misconduct by staff, constant understaffing, escapes by convicts and high-profile deaths.

The legislation also requires the Justice Department’s inspector general to conduct risk-based inspections of all 122 federal prisons.

Ms. Bondi said she wants to “reach across the aisle and get solutions” for the many problems at the BoP. 

• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.