McCarthy Commends DOJ’s Decision to Immediately Halt Actions Regarding the Closure of the Taft Correctional Institution

Yesterday evening, the U.S. Department of Justice responded to Congressman Kevin McCarthy's letter by announcing the immediate suspension of inmate removal through the end of the year at the Taft Correctional Institution (TCI). During this time, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will conduct a feasibility study on making repairs to the TCI while inmates remain present and the facility remains operational. Earlier this month, Congressman McCarthy met with U.S. Attorney General William Barr to express concerns with the BOP's decision to deactivate the TCI, effective January 30, 2020. McCarthy issued the following statement:

"I want to thank the Attorney General for taking action to immediately halt the removal of inmates from the Taft prison - this is very welcome news for the community. Safety and security are paramount, and over the coming months I will carefully monitor progress on the BOP's feasibility study to examine repairing the TCI while the prison remains operational — particularly since this recommendation was included in a recent BOP-funded engineering analysis. I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General, the BOP, and community leaders in Taft and Kern County to ensure the TCI remains operational in the short and long-term."

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