{"id":23648,"date":"2020-06-05T18:58:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T18:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/05\/bop-pushes-staff-covid-testing-responsibility-onto-outside-programs\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:00:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:00:26","slug":"bop-pushes-staff-covid-testing-responsibility-onto-outside-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/2020\/06\/05\/bop-pushes-staff-covid-testing-responsibility-onto-outside-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"BOP pushes staff COVID testing responsibility onto outside programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not currently have plans to test staff members directly for COVID-19 exposure and will instead rely on local institutions to track staff infection rates, BOP Medical Director Jeffry Allen told the Senate Committee on the Judiciary June 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe rely heavily on relationships and community partnerships for the testing of staff; we are not currently testing own staff. Our healthcare resources, our healthcare staffing resources at those levels are primarily for primary care of the inmate populations in conventional situations,\u201d said Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow that we\u2019re in contingency and crisis scenarios, where operations are severely affected, directing them to test staff would detract from their ability to manage the inmate population and provide care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t