Current Projects
Bureau of Prisons Facilities Upgrade Feasibility Study

Client/Funder:
Bureau of Prisons (BOP) (posted 10/20/05)

Purpose and Scope:

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced crowding problems since inmate rolls began increasing rapidly in the early 1990s. This problem is even more pronounced in medium and high security facilities, which are operating at 62 and 49 percent over capacity, respectively. As they try to keep up with the growing demand for more space, BOP is exploring alternative methods to new prison construction, such as contracting for some services.

As a part of its Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) process, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) asked that BOP study whether it would be feasible to modify and/or upgrade some minimum/low security facilities to medium/high security facilities. After BOP completed the study, the Department of Justice’s Justice Management Division requested an independent review of the methodology used for the study and asked that BOP contract with the National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) to perform a review of the feasibility study with respect to its methodology and findings.

The Academy’s work will center on several areas:

• The approach and criteria BOP used and their consistency with the specific requirement from OMB
• The criteria BOP used to screen the minimum and low security institutions and select facilities for further analysis
• The accuracy of cost estimates for site analysis, design, demolition, depreciation, prisoner and staff relocation, inmate contract housing, administration and construction
• Whether there are alternative cost estimate assumptions that, if used, would have increased the feasibility of conversion.
• Whether there are alternative security features—such as dormitories versus cell blocks—that satisfy BOP security concerns and thus increase the feasibility of converting a facility to a higher security level
• The defensibility of BOP’s overall methodology, assumptions, data and conclusions

Center:

Academy Studies

Project Director:

Terry Buss

Project Status:

Initialising

Panel:

PROJECT PANEL

Harriett Jenkins* - Consultant and chair of the Academy’s “Big Idea” initiative on prisons. Former panel member of two prior Academy studies of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Former Director, Office of Senate Fair Employment Practices, U.S. Senate; Assistant Administrator, Equal Opportunity Programs, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Teacher, Principal, Director of Elementary Education, and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Berkeley Public School System.

James B. Jones - Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at the American University and George Mason University. Positions in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons headquarters included: Senior Deputy Assistant Director for Administration; Deputy Assistant Director for Program Review; Chief of Public Affairs; and Site Acquisition Coordinator, which entailed working with local jurisdictions and community groups as BOP expanded prison sites. Work in Federal Correctional Institutions (FCIs) included service as Supervisor of Education at FCIs in Miami, Florida, Sandstone, Minnesota, and Milan, Michigan. Former adjunct faculty member at several other community colleges and universities.

Nancy Potok* -Managing Associate with McManis & Monsalve Associates. Former Acting Director, Economics, Labor and Population Department, National Opinion Research; Acting Vice President and Director, New Immigrant Survey, National Opinion Research Center. Former Principal Associate Director and Chief Financial Officer, Associate Director for Administration/Controller, Bureau of the Census; Deputy Assistant Director for Finance and Budget, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; Budget Examiner, Office of Management and Budget; Presidential Management Intern, U.S. Department of Transportation; Staff, Senate Transportation Appropriation Subcommittee.

Mary Ann Wyrsch* - Former Deputy High Commissioner, U.N. High Commission for Refugees. Former Acting Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Chief Operating Officer, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice. Former positions with the U.S. Department of Labor: Chief of Operations, Employment, and Training Administration; Director, Unemployment Insurance Service, Employment, and Training Administration; Director, Office of the Budget; Special Assistant to the Secretary.

*Academy Fellow


Meetings:

Meeting 1: November 3, 2005 (closed) (posted 10/20/2005)
Meeting 2: November 14, 2005 (closed) (posted 10/20/2005)