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Federal Jail Bedspace: Cost Savings and Greater Accuracy Possible in the Capacity Expansion Plan

NCJ Number
141079
Date Published
1992
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This report reviews the 5-year detention bedspace plan developed by the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to identify opportunities for cost savings and more reliable planning.
Abstract
Federal detainees are generally individuals housed in jails while awaiting trial, sentencing, or Immigration and Naturalization Service proceedings. Between fiscal years 1981 and 1991, the average daily population of Federal detainees increased from 3,968 to 16,168. In February 1991 the Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons developed a 5-year plan, which will entail construction and other acquisition costs of more than $1.4 billion. The review indicated that BOP should revise Federal jail design standards, as it has done for prisons, to allow double bunking. In addition, the contract bedspace programs should be better planned and emphasized. In addition, the Cooperative Agreement Program bedspace used by the U.S. Marshals Service is cost effective and fills needs that the Bureau of Prisons cannot meet. Finally, the listing of available bedspace contains errors related to 19 or 31 locations. Addressing all these issues will result in substantial cost savings. Table and figures