The United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General dropped a bombshell report this September, exposing what can only be described as a prison healthcare crisis at the Federal Detention Center SeaTac in Washington State. The findings arrive at a particularly troubling moment, as the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) simultaneously battles chronic understaffing, a controversial hiring freeze, and mounting pressure to meet basic constitutional obligations to the people in its custody.
For federal criminal defense attorneys who regularly visit clients at BOP facilities, the report confirms what many have suspected for years. The federal prison system is stretched dangerously thin, and incarcerated individuals are paying the price with their health and safety.
Inside FDC SeaTac: A System Breaking Down
The OIG conducted its unannounced inspection over four days in December 2024. What investigators found was deeply troubling. The Health Services Department was staffed at just 50% capacity. Ten of the 20 authorized positions sat vacant, including the Clinical Director role, which had been empty for at least 18 months. This was not a temporary staffing hiccup. Leadership at the facility openly described the situation as a crisis.
Perhaps most alarming was the inspection team’s discovery regarding sick call requests. When inmates submit written requests for medical attention, the system is supposed to track and respond to those requests within established timeframes. At FDC SeaTac, investigators found that staff were not even logging all requests into the electronic medical records system. Some paper forms simply disappeared. Others were stored on local computers rather than the centralized database…