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Prison Expansion: Staffing New Facilities Will Be a Challenge for BOP

GGD-92-75 Published: May 12, 1992. Publicly Released: May 12, 1992.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) ability to staff an unprecedented number of new and existing correctional facilities, focusing on: (1) BOP difficulties in filling positions; (2) the effectiveness of the BOP practice of filling management positions for future positions; and (3) the effectiveness of BOP training plans for future needs.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Justice To identify and respond to potential problems, the Attorney General should have the Director, BOP, in ongoing human resource management efforts, use forecasting to project the number of staff expected to be eligible to fill management and technical position requirements for future years.
Closed – Implemented
BOP completed a projection of mid-level management needs which indicates forecasted vacancies can be filled internally and external recruitment will not be necessary.
Department of Justice To identify and respond to potential problems, the Attorney General should have the Director, BOP, in ongoing human resource management efforts, extend its identification of potential managers to include lower grade level employees as well as upper grade level employees.
Closed – Implemented
BOP began tracking results of management skills assessment tools to determine the quality and availability of candidates.
Department of Justice To identify and respond to potential problems, the Attorney General should have the Director, BOP, in ongoing human resource management efforts, collect information on whether a sufficient number of employees are taking actions to prepare themselves for technical positions.
Closed – Implemented
BOP began tracking the accomplishments of career development plans to determine the quality and availability of candidates for technical positions.
Department of Justice To identify and respond to potential problems, the Attorney General should have the Director, BOP, in ongoing human resource management efforts, assess the need to increase external recruitment of higher grade level employees.
Closed – Implemented
BOP completed a projection of mid-level management needs which indicates forecasted vacancies can be filled internally and external recruitment of managers will not be necessary.
Department of Justice To identify and respond to potential problems, the Attorney General should have the Director, BOP, in ongoing human resource management efforts, analyze space requirements for fiscal years 1992 through 1995 to determine whether planned expansions will be able to accommodate the increased demand for training.
Closed – Implemented
BOP has analyzed space requirements and determined it needs additional means of training an increasing number of students. BOP is seeking funding from Congress to expand video conferencing, computer-based instruction, and self-study courses. BOP believes the combination of these initiatives with its traditional training courses to be a cost-effective way to handle increased training needs.

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Topics

CompensationCorrectional facilitiesCorrectional personnelEmployee incentivesEmployee promotionsFederal employeesEmployee trainingLaw enforcement agenciesPersonnel managementPersonnel recruiting