The federal prison population : growth and cost issues / Mason C. Darwin, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Darwin, Mason C., editor.

Series:

American political, economic, and security issues series.

American Political, Economic, and Security Issues

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Prisons--United States.

Prisons.

Prisons--Overcrowding--United States.

Imprisonment--United States.

Imprisonment.

Probation--United States.

Probation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (192 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Nova Publishers, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Correctional services-which includes salaries and benefits for correctional officers-is the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) largest operational cost, and BOP has undertaken a number of initiatives to reduce costs. This book describes BOP's major costs and actions to achieve savings; assesses the extent to which BOP has mechanisms to identify additional efficiencies; and describes potential changes within and outside of BOP's authority that might reduce costs. This book also provides an overview of the federal prison population buildup, policy changes, issues and options

Contents:

THE FEDERAL PRISON POPULATION: GROWTH AND COST ISSUES; THE FEDERAL PRISON POPULATION: GROWTH AND COST ISSUES; Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data; Contents; Preface; Chapter 1: Bureau of Prisons: Information on Efforts and Potential Options to Save Costs*; Why GAO Did This Study; What GAO Recommends; What GAO Found; Abbreviations; Background; BOP's Cost-Accounting Methods; BOP Organizational Structure; The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 and Federal Sentencing Guidelines

Correctional Services Is BOP's Largest Operational Cost, and BOP Has Initiated a Number of Efforts to Reduce CostsBOP's Correctional Services, Private Prison Contracts, Medical Care, and Food Services Account for the Majority of Its Costs, with the Largest Share of Spending on Personnel; BOP Has Identified and Implemented Various Cost Savings Efforts; BOP Has Designed Internal Processes to Identify Opportunities for Additional Cost Efficiencies, but Could Improve the Monitoring of Corrective Actions; BOP Has Designed Mechanisms to Identify Opportunities for Cost Efficiencies

BOP's Internal Control System Helps Identify Opportunities to Achieve Efficiencies, but Lacks a Mechanism to Consistently Monitor Bureau-wide Corrective ActionsAuthorities within BOP's Control to Reduce Costs Are Limited; Options outside of BOP's Authority Could Have a Larger Impact on Costs; BOP's Current Authority to Reduce Inmate Sentences Results in Limited Cost Savings Relative to Its Overall Budget; Potential Actions Outside of BOP's Authority Could Reduce Prison Populations and Costs, and Experts Say There Are Advantages and Disadvantages to These Options; Conclusion

Recommendation for Executive ActionAgency Comments and Our Evaluation; Appendix I. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology; Appendix II. Letter Sent to Select States and; Expert Entities; Instructions; Group 1: Proposals to Reduce Length of Mandatory Sentences; Group 2: Proposals to Reduce Sentence Time Based on Good Conduct and/or Participation in Anti-Recidivism and Substance Abuse Programs; Group 3: Proposals to Expand the Safety Valve for Drug and/or Other Offenders; Additional Comments or Suggested Options; Additional Comments or Observations: Other Options to Consider

Appendix III. Data on the Federal Bureau of Prisons'(BOP) Largest Cost Centers; Appendix IV. Data on the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Largest Subobject Class Expenses; Appendix V. Additional Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Efforts to Achieve Cost Savings and Efficiencies; Appendix VI. Expert Entities Providing Input on Prison Population Reduction Options; Appendix VII. Analyses of Options Provided by the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC); I. The Policy Option We Considered; II. What We Found; III. How We Conducted This Analysis; A. Methodology; B. The Offender Population We Studied

C. Our Assumptions

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed April 23, 2015).

ISBN:

1-63463-928-6