To make appropriations for the conduct of inspections of the Delaney Hall Detention Facility.

SA 5545 is an amendment proposed by Mr. Kim and Mr. Booker to bill S. 2. Its purpose is to mandate and fund unannounced inspections of the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey.

The amendment aims to add the following requirements to the bill:

• Funding and Inspections: It appropriates $2,000,000 each to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Detention Oversight to perform unannounced inspections of the facility within 7 days of the Act's enactment.

• Inspection Scope: The inspections must assess several areas, including:

  • Food quality and standard.
  • Medical care quality and access.
  • Solitary confinement use and conditions.
  • Facility security.
  • Access to legal counsel.
  • Resources provided to detainees.
  • Staff ability to address mental health issues.
  • Detainee accounts of protests and if retaliation or force was used.
  • Mental health of detainees, agents, or officers.
  • Average length of stay and the number of detainees held over 150 days.

• Reporting and Accountability: Findings must be submitted to specific House and Senate committees within 7 days of the inspection. The Office of the Inspector General must also recommend to the Attorney General if charges should be pursued for wrongdoing by Federal employees or agents at the facility.

• Operational Restrictions: The Secretary of Homeland Security must suspend all payments to the GEO Group for operating the facility and stop taking in new detainees. These actions remain in place until inspections are done and the Secretary certifies to Congress that all operational deficiencies have been remediated.