Latest news with #OIG
CBS News
16-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Persistent heat issues disrupted operations at Baltimore sexual health clinic, OIG report says
Persistent heat issues disrupted operations at a Baltimore sexual health clinic, according to an OIG report. The report follows observations made by the OIG on June 24 during a site visit to the Druid Sexual Health Clinic in West Baltimore. On the day of the visit, Baltimore City was under a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert. The OIG said several staff office rooms were not in use because it was too hot. Multiple employees commented that it was too hot in the building to work and that the building has a malfunctioning HVAC system, according to the report. As a result, temperatures inside the clinic can become extremely hot. One staff member told the OIG that the computer server room at the facility, which was supposed to be kept at 70°F, had overheated multiple times, causing the electricity to go out. According to staff members, a walkthrough by the Department of General Services was conducted a week prior to the OIG's visit to evaluate the possibility of installing air conditioning. On occasions when the Druid Clinic overheated, operations at the facility are shut down and moved to the Eastern Clinic on East Fayette Street, according to an employee. Staff members said this often happens between May and September due to the heat. As a result, the facility often has unscheduled closures that impact clinic patients when their appointments are unexpectedly canceled, or when the clinic is unable to take walk-ins. But the OIG's concerns weren't limited to the conditions for employees and facilities. Several employees at the clinic alleged that on multiple occasions, rapid testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) was halted due to high building temperatures. Some of the HIV and HCV test kits expired and were no longer able to be used for patients, according to the Baltimore City Health Department. The report notes that testing was stopped when indoor temperatures reached 29°C (approximately 84-85°F), exceeding the storage range recommended by the test kit manufacturers. According to the OIG, rapid HIV tests are recommended to be stored between 35°F and 80°F, while HCV test kits require 36°F to 86°F. The OIG has inspected the Druid Clinic before and found evidence of security issues, rodents, pests, and general maintenance issues, the office said. The BCHD deputy commissioner told the OIG that the department is aware of the concerns with the building and that the Druid SHC is the next building slated to receive funding for renovations. The commissioner is also reviewing the possibility of purchasing a different building and moving SHC operations there, per the report. The Baltimore City Health Department issued a response to the OIG. "BCHD has been aware of the infrastructure and operational challenges and concerns raised by staff for some time. Accordingly, we work regularly with the Department of General Services (DGS) to address them, when necessary, which is often," the health department said in part. The department acknowledged that the HVAC system and building are deteriorating, and said the building needs full HVAC system replacement.
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Forbes
Office Of The Inspector General's Report On Federal Prison Restraints
Office of Inspector General cited concerns over how the Bureau of Prisons restrains certain inmates ... More in its facilities. Use of Restraints The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policies and practices in using restraints on inmates. The OIG's investigation into allegations made by inmates at various BOP institutions revealed that inmates were placed in restraints for prolonged periods while being confined to beds or chairs. Some inmates suffered severe or long-term injuries, such as the amputation of a limb after being restrained for over two days. The OIG found that shortcomings in BOP's policies and practices contributed to these issues, limiting evidence availability and impairing investigations into potential misconduct by BOP staff. Identified Shortcomings in BOP's Use of Restraints The investigation into the BOP's use of restraints revealed significant issues that compromise inmate safety and well-being. These include a lack of clear definitions and guidance regarding terms like "four-point restraints" and inadequate instructions for the necessary medical and psychological checks. BOP policies also permit prolonged use of restraints without sufficient oversight, resulting in injuries such as nerve damage and scarring. Additionally, the documentation of restraint checks is often insufficient, with no requirements for video or audio recordings to support or dispute inmate claims of mistreatment. Furthermore, while medical and psychological assessments are required, there is inconsistent documentation and follow-up regarding inmates' injuries or health concerns. Relevant BOP Policies and Regulations The BOP's use of force and restraint policies are outlined in the BOP's program statement 5566, and the applicable regulations are codified in 28 C.F.R. § 552. These policies state that force, including restraints, should only be used as a last resort when all other efforts to resolve a situation have failed. However, the BOP had run into issues with restraints in 2023 when USP Thomson was suddenly closed over abuses uncovered in its Special Management Unit (SMU). According to a study by The Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, inmates were subjected to prolonged use of four-point restraints. Psychological abuse was also rampant, including extended solitary confinement, racial slurs, and deliberate placement with dangerous cellmates. Staff often denied mental health care to vulnerable individuals, exacerbating their conditions. These practices, which were described as pervasive torture, continued even after the closure of the Thomson SMU in 2023. Concerns Regarding Prolonged Restraint Use One of the primary issues raised by the OIG is the BOP's failure to limit the duration of time an inmate can be kept in restraints, particularly in extreme cases like four-point restraints. According to the Use of Force Policy, inmates must be checked every 15 minutes by correctional officers, every two hours by a lieutenant, and twice per 8-hour shift by medical staff. However, the OIG found that restraints were often applied for extended periods without appropriate interventions, with some inmates being kept in restraints for over a week. This prolonged use has been linked to significant physical harm, such as nerve damage and injuries requiring medical attention. The OIG also found a lack of clarity in the BOP's guidelines about how long restraints should be applied, which is particularly concerning for inmates with mental health or self-harm issues. Deficiencies in Medical and Mental Health Oversight The OIG's review also highlighted significant deficiencies in the medical and psychological assessments of inmates in restraints. Although the BOP mandates medical assessments for inmates placed in four-point restraints, the OIG found that these assessments were often insufficient and lacked detailed documentation. In addition, medical checks, particularly those performed after the initial assessment, were not always video recorded, nor were the injuries adequately documented. The OIG also noted that BOP's medical and psychological staff may not always be well-equipped to identify injuries that result from prolonged restraint, such as nerve or muscle damage. In one case, an inmate's injury worsened to the point of requiring amputation, despite the fact that medical checks were being performed. Policy Gaps in Restraint Documentation and Review Procedures The OIG found that the BOP's documentation of restraint checks was often inadequate. The 15-minute checks were sometimes minimal and lacked sufficient detail to assess whether the inmate's welfare was being appropriately monitored. For example, in some cases, the only notes in the records were vague descriptions like "inmate manipulating restraints" or "inmate unresponsive." The OIG believes that these check forms need to include more comprehensive information about the inmate's condition and behavior to help determine whether restraints should be continued. Furthermore, the lack of video or audio recordings of restraint checks limits the OIG's ability to investigate claims of mistreatment and misconduct. The OIG has recommended that the BOP implement video and audio recording of all restraint checks to ensure that both the welfare of the inmate and the actions of the staff are properly documented. Concerns Regarding Psychological Support for Inmates in Restraints The OIG expressed concern about the psychological support available to inmates placed in restraints, especially those with mental health issues. While the BOP's Use of Force Policy requires that inmates in four-point restraints be seen by Psychology Services at least once every 24 hours, the OIG found that in practice, these visits were infrequent and inadequate. In some cases, inmates who had attempted suicide or engaged in self-harm were restrained for extended periods without sufficient mental health intervention. The OIG stressed the importance of more frequent psychological assessments for inmates in restraints, particularly those with severe mental health issues. Recommendations for BOP Policy Revisions In response to the identified concerns, the OIG has recommended several key revisions to the BOP's restraint policies and practices. These include providing clearer definitions and guidelines for restraint types, including medical, psychological, and behavioral checks. The OIG also suggests limiting the duration of restraints to prevent physical harm and unnecessary exposure to prolonged restraint. Additionally, the OIG recommends improved documentation of restraint checks, with more detailed information about inmates' behavior and welfare, and the requirement for video and audio recordings for accountability. Enhanced medical and psychological assessments, especially for inmates with mental health issues, are also advised. Finally, the OIG calls for greater involvement of regional staff to oversee restraints and offer an objective perspective on their continued use. Response The OIG's investigation into the use of restraints by the BOP has highlighted significant issues regarding the prolonged use of restraints, inadequate medical and psychological assessments, and insufficient documentation of restraint checks. BOP Director William Marshall III provided an initial statement in response to OIG's report deficiencies stating, 'The BOP is committed to addressing these issues and implementing meaningful improvements and views OIG's recommendations as a crucial oppo1tunity to enhance agency practices and ensure the humane treatment of all inmates. As noted in OIG's MAM, BOP 's statutory duty is to provide for the safekeeping and protection of inmates, and this duty is integral to the agency's mission.' I reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) regarding OIG's report and Maria Morris, senior staff attorney at the ACLU's National Prison Project, provided the following statement: "The use of four-point restraints for hours on end, sometimes resulting in serious and permanent injury, is the latest example of the cruelty that has come to define conditions in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This type of abuse is unconstitutional and unacceptable, and it underscores exactly why robust oversight is essential. With President Trump threatening to gut federal accountability mechanisms, we're facing a dangerous moment where this kind of brutality could become even more common and even harder to uncover and stop."
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Deborah Witzburg: Chicago's City Council must protect the inspector general from political influence
Chicago's City Council will soon consider a critical ordinance that would protect the effectiveness and independence of the Chicago Office of Inspector General. OIG is a nonpartisan watchdog for city taxpayers, charged with ensuring economy, effectiveness, efficiency and integrity in the operations of city government. As with all inspector general work, independence is the hallmark and the lifeblood of what we do. Our work must be protected from political influence or interference so that we can root out misconduct and mismanagement — in a city government with a prodigious history of both — without fear or favor. The ordinance would make important changes to the Municipal Code to bring Chicago into line with national standards and federal law on independent oversight. Specifically, the proposed changes would ensure that city attorneys cannot withhold relevant evidence from OIG investigations and would prohibit city attorneys from sitting in on confidential OIG investigative interviews. City Hall has improperly asserted attorney-client privilege to withhold evidence in numerous investigations during my tenure as inspector general. OIG needs full access to city records to conduct thorough investigations, and all city officials and employees are required by law to cooperate in OIG investigations, including by providing full access to those records. This is a long-resolved issue at the federal level; inspectors general for federal agencies (including, for example, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice) are entitled to access their agencies' records that would be protected by attorney-client privilege from disclosure to a third party. The Association of Inspectors General, the national standard-setting and certifying body for inspectors general, has issued a position paper stating that improperly blocking access to privileged records — just as the city is doing — impairs independent oversight and contravenes national standards. The pending ordinance would also clarify the Municipal Code to protect the confidentiality of OIG investigations, including to protect whistleblowers and witnesses from personal and political retaliation, by making clear that city lawyers may not sit in on confidential investigative interviews. When OIG interviews a person who is subject to an investigation, that person is entitled to have their lawyer in the room. The mayor, however, is not entitled to have his lawyer in the room. The presence of city attorneys in OIG investigative interviews would compromise confidentiality and chill candid testimony; I will not ask city employees to fulfill their duties to report misconduct and to cooperate with our investigations while being monitored by the mayor's lawyers. Here, too, national standards are clear: The national body has also issued a position paper stating that attorneys representing the overseen agency cannot properly be permitted to attend confidential investigative interviews. During my tenure as inspector general, the city's Law Department has repeatedly demanded to attend interviews in investigations, including ones into allegations of bribery, retaliation via the withholding of city services and retaliation against individuals who made protected reports to OIG, as well as an allegation that a now-former elected official violated ethics rules by soliciting political contributions from city employees. Because I will not permit City Hall to compromise the confidentiality and independence of OIG investigations, these demands have resulted in the cancellation of interviews and the near-certain loss of relevant evidence. The reforms proposed in this ordinance are critical measures, drawn directly from national best practices, to protect OIG's ability to carry out its mission without obstruction or interference from City Hall. This is an effort to bring Chicago out of the backwoods of government accountability and into line with widely accepted government oversight standards. There are many exceptional things about Chicago, but a lack of protections for oversight in a historically, theatrically corrupt government ought not be one of them. City Council members might be presented with two kinds of arguments against these reforms. The first might be one based in self-interest — an appeal to desires to weaken the oversight to which aldermen are themselves subject. I hope we can all be confident that the people who have raised their hands to serve on the City Council have done so in order to serve the interests of their constituents above their own. The second kind of anti-reform argument might be a full-throated defense of the way things have been done before. And about that, I will say this: All of us in city government ought to work every day to make good on the proposition that Chicagoans deserve better than what they have always gotten from their government. Chicagoans deserve a government that is less corrupt and more accountable, and less opaque and more efficient. We cannot continue to do things the same way and expect different outcomes — and the people in power in this city are not entitled to the status quo. I am deeply hopeful that Chicago is, at long last and long overdue, ready for reform.
30-06-2025
- Business
Nationwide bologna lunch meat recall: What to know about the products
A New Jersey-based wholesale grocer is recalling more than 143,000 pounds of ready-to-eat bologna due to misbranding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday. Gaiser's European Style Provisions Inc., based in Union, New Jersey, has recalled approximately 143,416 pounds of bologna products because they "contain meat or poultry source materials that are not declared on the product labels," the FSIS stated. Details of lunch meat recall Seven types of ready-to-eat bologna items produced between March 20, 2025, and June 20, 2025, are subject to this recall, according to the FSIS announcement. They include: Vacuum-packed packages of "FAMILY TREE BOLOGNA VEAL" containing undeclared pork. Plastic-wrapped packages of "BABUSHKA'S RECIPE CHICKEN BOLOGNA" containing undeclared pork. Plastic-wrapped packages of "FANCY BOLOGNA" labeled with pork as an ingredient but containing undeclared beef and chicken. Vacuum-packed packages of "GAISERS RUSSIAN BRAND DOKTORSKAYA BOLOGNA" containing undeclared beef. Plastic-wrapped packages of "GAISERS BOLOGNA VEAL" containing undeclared chicken and pork. Plastic-wrapped packages of "GAISERS TURKEY BOLOGNA" containing undeclared chicken and pork. Plastic-wrapped packages of "CHICKEN BOLOGNA KYPOYKA PABA" containing undeclared pork. Click here to see photos of each product label. The recalled products were distributed to both wholesale and retail locations nationwide, according to the company, and bear the establishment number "EST. 5385" inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label. "Some products would have been weighed, wrapped, and labeled in retail store locations at the time of purchase," the recall announcement noted. According to the FSIS, the issue was discovered when the agency "was notified by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of a complaint received through the OIG's hotline." "FSIS investigated the complaint and determined that the products contained source materials that were not declared on the label," the agency said Friday. "Although FSIS does not expect any adverse health effects for Class III recalled products and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider." The FSIS has advised consumers who purchased the recalled products not to consume them. Restaurants and businesses in possession of the recalled products have also been urged not to serve them. "These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," the FSIS stated. Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Gaiser's by phone at (908) 686-3421 or by email at gaisers@
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Okta's Security Portfolio Expands Clientele: A Sign of More Upside?
Okta OKTA is benefiting from its innovative portfolio that is driving clientele. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, it reported strong momentum among large-cap customers, including Global 2000 companies and government agencies. These large organizations are shaping Okta's product roadmap, pushing the company to deliver advanced identity solutions across workforce, customer and AI-driven use more than $1 million annual contract value (ACV) customer base grew 20% year over year, a strong sign of enterprise adoption. Companies from critical sectors like energy, telecom and insurance are turning to Okta not only for employee identity security but also for securing APIs and machine-to-machine interactions. In response, the company has introduced solutions such as Identity Governance (OIG), Identity Threat Protection (ITP) and Privileged Access (OPA) to meet the complex demands of these sector momentum further underscores this enterprise-led growth. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, four of Okta's top 10 deals came from U.S. government entities. These clients are leveraging the company's FedRAMP-compliant cloud solutions for secure authentication, lifecycle management and automated Okta's Customer Identity Cloud (Auth0) is gaining ground in large-scale deployments. A Global 2000 energy company implemented Auth0 across all customer-facing apps, while a major tech reseller switched from Microsoft to Auth0 to boost scalability and developer experience. These moves highlight trust in Okta's ability to deliver secure, seamless and scalable identity experiences for millions of users. CyberArk Software CYBR, a leader in privileged access management, is frequently compared to Okta for its robust identity security and strong margins. CyberArk's advantage is its comprehensive identity security platform, which has now been further enhanced through acquisitions such as Venafy and Zilla Security. By managing both human and machine identities, the company keeps pace with the growing demand. Its growing customer base helps CyberArk grow revenues through strategic upselling of its integrated security SAIL has established itself as a leader in Identity Governance & Administration, posing direct competition to Okta. SailPoint's strong Identity Security Cloud, supported by an extensive partner ecosystem, delivers seamless integration across hybrid environments. With low-code/no-code workflows and AI-driven access recommendations, SailPoint stands out for managing complex enterprise identities with precision and scalability. Shares of Okta have appreciated 26.1% year to date compared with the Zacks Security industry's return of 20.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Okta currently trades at a premium with a forward price/cash flow ratio of 23.41, higher than the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector's 20.12X. OKTA has a Value Score of D. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for OKTA's 2026 revenues is pegged at $2.86 billion, indicating 9.44% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $3.28 per share, which increased 2.8% over the past 30 days. The earnings figure suggests 16.73% growth over the figure reported in fiscal 2025. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research OKTA currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Okta, Inc. (OKTA) : Free Stock Analysis Report SailPoint, Inc. (SAIL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
