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Federal Bureau of Prisons announces new policies to “avoid wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary incarceration”

By Douglas Berman

I just saw this morning this new one-page press release from the federal Bureau of Prisons titled “Bureau of Prisons Issues Directive to Fully Implement First Step Act and Second Chance Act.”  The release merits a full read, and here are extended excerpts:

In order to restore integrity and fiscal responsibility to the federal prison system, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) today issued a policy memorandum to staff directing the robust and comprehensive implementation of both the First Step Act of 2018 and the Second Chance Act of 2008 — two bipartisan cornerstones of modern criminal justice reform.

“This is the dawn of a new era, one in which the Bureau of Prisons will realize the full potential of the First Step Act and Second Chance Act,” said BOP Director William K. Marshall III. “The comprehensive policy outlined today will eliminate barriers to maximize the availability of home confinement to those who qualify for community release under the First Step Act and Second Chance Act. This change in policy will fully operationalize the laws as intended by Congress and ensure a smoother transition for many individuals to return to productive lives after incarceration.”

The new policy announced today will have immediate and meaningful benefits. It will:

  • Avoid wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary incarceration,
  • Reduce strain on prison bedspace and staffing, and
  • Eliminate prolonged and unnecessary burdens on inmates and their families — particularly those with stable home environments and strong community ties….

Director Marshall continued: “This action marks a bold shift from years of inaction toward a policy rooted in public safety, fiscal responsibility, and second chances. By empowering the agency to release more people who are ready to return to society, we not only save taxpayer dollars, we strengthen families, ease overcrowding, and build safer communities.”

I nthis new Forbes piece, Walter Pavlo has this new piece, headlined “Bureau Of Prisons Retracts Rule, Truly Expands Halfway House,” which provides context and further explanation for what the new BOP policy means.  That piece also merits a full read and it concludes this way:

The memorandum is going to be well received by inmates and their families. However, the BOP has a history of slowly implementing programs that favor inmates but quickly adopting restrictions that keep them in prison longer. The Trump administration continues to be one that looks for results among those appointed to serve and it will be up to BOP leadership to deliver on this one as the directive is clear. It is the implementation of this directive that will be the next challenge.