i would like for you to look specifically at ashland fci. my concern about augmentation should be a concern. when you take people away from being teachers to being guards or other services, then the teaching doesn't happen. and then we can see higher recidivism because we know that vocational schools and education correlate to recidivism. i hope we can get more slots and rely less on pulling teachers away that are so important and other people important. so thank you for indulging me. i yield back. >> thank you. the gentleman's time expired. my privilege to yield five minutes to the gentle lady to georgia. i thank her for her very powerful remarks this morning at the national prayer breakfast. the gentle lady is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you chairwoman lee. good afternoon. i thank you for being here today. you'll soon be leaving the bureau and we just want to thank you for your service. during the subcommittee's last hearing, we reviewed the implementation of first step act. and at the bop. and the impact that covid has had on th

there is one facility in my district, the ashland fci, where five years ago they had 130 officers, now they have 100, and they're told they'll go to 98, yet they have more inmates. we see augmentation is being used there. so i'm concerned that the inmates are going out but the officers are going down. i'd like for it to be a safe environment, and i think if it's understaffed, it's not safe. also they're utilizing overtime virtually every day at that facility, and it would be cheaper for the taxpayers if we had more slots filled. i've heard that augmentation is being used there to backfill some of those slots. i'm not going to debate whether they're trained enough. you've already addressed that and you've assured us they are. but what is augmentation and where did those people come from when they go serve in roles that correctional officers might otherwise fill? i think you're muted, director. >> sorry. augmentation is a necessary tool that we use in our agency to make sure that we complete the first part of our mission first, and that's to keep everyone safe and secure, in order to be

. >> i would like for you to look specifically at ashland fci and my concern about augmentation shoulda s concern we all have. when you take people away from being teachers to being dark leor other services, then the teaching doesn't happen and then we can see higher recidivism because we know that vocational schools and education correlate to recidivism. i would hope you could get those slots filled and that we could rely less on overtime and less on pulling those teachers away who are so important and the other people who are important for complying withthe first step . thank you for indulging me and i yelled back. >> i'm privileged to yield five minutes to the gentle lady from georgia and i thanked her for her powerful remarks . the young lady from georgia is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you chairwoman lee. good afternoon, director carvahal. thank you for being here today and thank you for your service as the director as you will soon be leaving the bureau and we want to thank you for your service during this subcommittees last year and. we had an opportunity to review impl