Join with AFGE 1102, US Senator Cantwell and other political leaders

Jose Rivera survived 2 tours in Iraq but could not survive Reichert and Bush budget cuts at home.  While paying for an escalating Iraq War, Reichert and Bush refused to pay for safe-staffing and basic safety equipment in the overcrowded federal prison system.  As a 22-year old federal prison officer and recent veteran, Rivera was murdered by inmates in a very preventable incident 3 weeks ago.  Now Rivera’s co-workers and union sisters & brothers in AFGE 1102 are speaking out and exposing this hypocrisy. 

Reichert and Bush refuse to pay for…

·         Stab resistant vests:  a majority of the Washington State Congressional delegation has endorsed the bill but US Rep Reichert, a former prison guard, has yet to sign on.  Looks like Reichert forgot where he came from after hanging out in DC too many years.

·         Staffing ratios that save officer and inmate lives:  the average ratio of inmates to staff of the five largest state systems is 3.33 to 1 compared to Federal Prisons of 4.92 to 1.  The rate of on-the-job assault is spiking.  This year already, there have been 113 staff assaults, 9 staff assaults with weapons and 1 staff murdered.  The Bush Administration is activating and deploying reservists and national guard to Iraq who are experienced prison officers.  Yet the Bureau counts these absent workers in the staffing ratio.