The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated this review to examine how the BOP monitors these facilities. We also assessed whether contractor performance meets certain inmate safety and security requirements and analyzed how contract prisons and similar BOP institutions compare with regard to inmate safety and security data. We found that, in most key areas, contract prisons incurred more safety and security incidents per capita than comparable BOP institutions and that the BOP needs to improve how it monitors contract prisons in several areas. Throughout this report, we note several important corrective actions the BOP has taken, in response to findings and recommendations in our April 2015 audit of the Reeves County contract prison, to improve its monitoring of contract prisons, including in the areas of health and correctional services.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the component of the Department of Justice (DOJ) responsible for incarcerating all federal defendants sentenced to prison, was operating at 20% over its rated capacity as of December 2015. To alleviate overcrowding, in 1997 the BOP had begun contracting with privately operated institutions (contract prisons), to confine federal inmates who are primarily low security, criminal alien adult males with 90 months or less remaining to serve on their sentences. This report examined how the BOP monitors these facilities and assessed whether contractor performance meets certain inmate safety and security requirements. It found that, in most key areas, contract prisons incurred more safety and security incidents per capita than comparable BOP institutions and that the BOP needs to improve how it monitors contract prisons. Figures. This is a print on demand report.

Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' monitoring of contract prisons.