NCJ Number
129936
Date Published
1991
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Federal prison crowding and plans for expanding correctional facilities were studied with emphasis on whether the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is using reasonable and cost-effective measures of capacity in determining the extent of crowding and the need for additional facilities.
Abstract
Information was gathered from documents and interviews with Federal officials and site visits to five facilities between November 1989 and March 1991. Results showed that until recently, capacity was based on a single-bunking standard even though most inmates were double-bunked in nearly all facilities. In addition, despite operating at 60 percent above the rated capacity, BOP has not experienced unmanageable problems. Thus, BOP needs to reassess the validity of its standards for computing capacity and its need for additional facilities. BOP has been doing this during the last three years and has adopted a double-bunking standard for new medium-security prisons. BOP could save substantial construction and operating costs by using a double-bunking standard to measure the rated capacity of all new and existing facilities except possibly for certain high-security prisons. Footnotes, figure, tables, and list of individuals providing information