Bureau of Prisons
The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for managing the incarceration of individuals convicted in federal courts. Established in 1930, the BOP arose from the need for a dedicated federal prison system, prompted by the expansion of federal criminal law and increased law enforcement responsibilities during the Prohibition era. The Bureau oversees a network of facilities, including notable institutions such as Alcatraz, which housed some of the most infamous criminals until its closure in 1963.
The BOP is structured into six regions, each with a degree of autonomy, and encompasses various divisions focused on administration, inmate health services, and community corrections. Additionally, the BOP operates UNICOR, which provides work opportunities for inmates and produces a range of products. In recent decades, the Bureau has faced significant challenges, including overcrowding, aging facilities, and budget constraints, as well as scrutiny regarding the treatment of detainees in privatized facilities. Leadership changes, such as the appointment of Colette Peters in 2023, highlight ongoing efforts to address these complex issues, including improving labor relations and upgrading facility conditions.
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Bureau of Prisons
IDENTIFICATION: Federal agency responsible for incarceration of prisoners convicted in federal courts
SIGNIFICANCE: The creation of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to oversee the confining of criminals convicted in federal courts reflected the general expansion of federal criminal law and the growing role of federal law-enforcement agencies.
The first two federal prisons were opened in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Atlanta, Georgia, in 1905. Before that time, persons convicted of federal crimes were confined either in a facility on a military reservation or in a state or local corrections facility. Prohibition and the expansion of federal powers to combat organized crime in the 1920s and 1930s increased federal responsibilities for law enforcement and created a need for a separate federal prison system. In 1930, the Bureau of Prisons was created to administer the expanding federal corrections programs and a growing network of prison facilities. High-profile federal law-enforcement agencies, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation under J. Edgar Hoover’s leadership, focused attention on violent crime, and new prisons were built. Alcatraz, perhaps the best known of the maximum-security facilities, was opened in 1934 and held some of the most notorious U.S. criminals until its closing in 1963.
The Bureau of Prisons, a unit of the U.S. Department of Justice, is divided into six geographical regions that have a significant amount of autonomy. The directors of the regions also serve on the executive staff of the bureau and provide national coordination of the agency’s programs. The organization of the bureau includes the executive office of the director, with a general counsel and an internal affairs section. There are also divisions for administration, correctional programs (with responsibility for managing the facilities), health services, human resource management, program review, community corrections and detention, and information, policy, and public affairs. The Bureau of Prisons is also responsible for UNICOR, a public corporation and the successor to Federal Prisons Industries, founded in 1934, which provides employment and training for inmates. It produces goods and services ranging from furniture to electronics to data entry. The Bureau of Prisons also operates the National Institute of Corrections, which supports state and local corrections agencies and operates the National Academy of Corrections, an information center, and the National Jail Center. The institute has a budget separate from that of the Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Prisons began to experience problems in the 1980s and 1990s because of the age of its facilities, the need for increased capacity, and the increasing costs of corrections programs. In particular, prison overcrowding, the need to accommodate a wide variety of inmate populations, and increasing costs of treating drug abuse problems and addressing health problems related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have taxed the agency. The lack of strong political constituencies in the corrections profession and the increasing unwillingness of Congress to expand funding for federal programs are making it difficult to address the growing problems, even though the need for additional resources and new programs has been noted in numerous U.S. General Accounting Office reports. The Bureau of Prisons is also facing challenges in the form of recommendations for privatization of its facilities, and it has been targeted periodically by Congress for elimination. In the mid-2010s the Bureau of Prisons was criticized in an investigative report by Seth Freed Wessler for the Nation, which found “at least” twenty-five questionable deaths of detainees held inside its segregated system of privatized, immigrant-only detention facilities.
In 2023, Colette Peters took over as director of the organization, replacing director Michael Carvajal. Among the many problems she plans to tackle are the poor relationship between management and labor within the prison systems. She must also address the facilities, many of which are becoming dilapidated. The Bureau of Prison's budget for repairs has been too low for decades. Staffing shortages are yet another challenge as is finding a way to deal with older prison populations' transition into a life outside of incarceration.
Bibliography
Alarid, Leanne, and Paul Cromwell. Correctional Perspectives: Views from Academics, Practitioners, and Prisoners. Los Angeles, Calif.: Roxbury, 2002.
Elsner, Alan. Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America’s Prisons. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Financial Times/Prentice-Hall, 2004.
Freed Wessler, Seth. “SEPARATE, UNEQUAL, AND DEADLY. (Cover Story).” Nation 302.7 (2016): 12. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 24 May 2016.
Herman, P. G., ed. The American Prison System. New York: H. W. Wilson, 2001.
Johnson, R. Hard Time: Understanding and Reforming the Prison. 3d ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 2002.
"Reforming the Federal Bureau of Prisons." Federal Bureau of Prisons, 12 Feb. 2024, www.bop.gov/resources/news/20240212-framework-for-the-future.jsp. Accessed 22 June 2024.
Vega, Cecilia. "Inside the Bureau of Prisons, a Federal Agency Plagued by Understaffing, Abuse, Disrepair." CBS News, 16 June 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/bureau-of-prisons-understaffing-abuse-disrepair-60-minutes-transcript-2024-06-16/. Accessed 22 June 2024.