The federal Bureau of Prisons has partially lifted a nationwide lockdown put in place last week after two men at a facility in Beaumont were killed during what authorities called a gang fight.
Two other men were also injured in the Jan. 31 altercation, which involved members of the notorious MS-13 prison gang, the Associated Press .
In a statement from the bureau Monday afternoon, the agency said: 鈥淎fter gathering and monitoring intelligence, the BOP made a determination to return select facilities to the appropriate modified operational status. As part of a tiered response, additional facilities will return to the appropriate operational status as intelligence permits.鈥�
It鈥檚 unclear from the statement how many locations are included in 鈥渕odified operational status鈥� and when the complete lockdown will be lifted. A request for comment to the BOP wasn鈥檛 immediately returned Monday afternoon.
During the lockdown, inmates in the federal prison system 鈥� which includes more than 120 units nationwide 鈥� were unable to have visits from lawyers or family, federal public defender Marjorie Meyers last week. They we also barred from participating in programs or recreation.
The fight and subsequent lockdown prompted renewed scrutiny over staffing shortages in prisons and how inmates are being treated.
During a Congressional hearing on prison oversight last week, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) raised concerns before the House Judiciary subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
鈥淎lthough details are not forthcoming due to the ongoing FBI investigation, this incident raises concern about the safety and security of the facility particularly in my backyard, Beaumont, which has been compromised by longstanding staffing shortages,鈥� said Lee.
A union representative for the country鈥檚 federal employees warned that, should these conditions persist, the next emergency could result in the deaths of federal employees as well as inmates.
鈥淭he chronic understaffing of our prisons is jeopardizing the lives of both workers and inmates,鈥� Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, . 鈥淲hile no employees were reportedly injured in this most recent attack, they may not be so lucky next time.鈥�
The Texas Newsroom鈥檚 Becky Fogel contributed to this report.
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