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Open Recommendations (32 total)

Bureau of Prisons: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Restrictive Housing Practices

GAO-24-105737
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7 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should develop and execute an approach to fully implement all the 2014 and 2016 restrictive housing reports recommendations. For each recommendation that has not yet been implemented, the approach should include assigning implementation responsibility to appropriate officials, establishing a time frame for completion, and monitoring progress. In instances where BOP does not concur with a 2014 recommendation or deems it impractical, it should document its rationale and the alternative steps, if any, it plans to take. (Recommendation 1)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should develop and implement a mechanism for routinely evaluating SMU review documentation to ensure that incarcerated individuals progress through the SMU program levels in accordance with SMU policy should BOP reinstate the SMU program. (Recommendation 6)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should conduct an evaluation of previous SMU placements to determine and address the cause of disproportionate representation of individuals in certain racial groups in the SMU population. (Recommendation 4)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Prisons
Priority Rec.
The Director of BOP should enhance oversight by developing and implementing a process to verify and document that facilities have implemented corrective actions that fully address all deficiencies. (Recommendation 2)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation. In January 2024, while reviewing a draft of our report, BOP stated that it will implement an internal audit process to verify and document that facilities have implemented corrective actions to address deficiencies identified during internal audits conducted by its Program Review Division. The actions BOP described, if implemented effectively, would address our recommendation and enhance oversight of its facilities.
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should develop and implement a process to routinely analyze administrative remedy program data. (Recommendation 7)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should develop and implement a mechanism for routinely monitoring the extent to which facilities are applying the SMU placement criteria consistently and equitably across all BOP facilities should BOP reinstate the SMU program. (Recommendation 5)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should develop and implement a process to address any identified patterns of noncompliance related to restrictive housing policies and other areas of program weaknesses. (Recommendation 8)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. When we confirm what actions BOP has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Bureau of Prisons: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Restrictive Housing Practices

GAO-24-105737
Show
1 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Prisons
Priority Rec.
The Director of BOP should develop and implement a mechanism to identify causes of common deficiencies that recur across multiple facilities and take steps to address those causes. (Recommendation 3)
Open
BOP concurred with this recommendation. In January 2024, while reviewing a draft of our report, BOP stated that the internal audit process it plans to implement will identify causes of common deficiencies that recur across multiple facilities. BOP also stated that this will include an internal audit follow-up process involving all levels (local, regional, and divisional leadership) of the agency to establish internal controls that mitigate the recurrence of deficiencies. The actions BOP described, if implemented effectively, would address our recommendation and enhance oversight across its facilities.

Federal Prisons: Bureau of Prisons Should Improve Efforts to Implement its Risk and Needs Assessment System

GAO-23-105139
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1 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Prisons
Priority Rec.
The Director of BOP should ensure its plan for evaluating evidence-based recidivism reduction programs has pre-established, quantifiable goals that align with the First Step Act, and includes clear milestone dates. (Recommendation 4)
Open – Partially Addressed
In March 2023, we reported that BOP's evaluation plan for its evidence-based recidivism reduction programs did not include pre-established, quantifiable goals that align with the First Step Act or clear milestone dates for the evaluation of most of its programs. Accordingly, we recommended that BOP ensure its plan included these elements and BOP concurred. In response, in August 2023, BOP updated its evaluation plan to include milestone dates (i.e. initiation and anticipated completion dates for all of its evaluations) through fiscal year 2026 and goals and research questions for those evaluations that have been initiated. In September 2023, BOP officials stated that while long-term outcomes will primarily focus on recidivism, short-term outcomes will vary by program. Officials stated that specific research questions for each project are developed in collaboration with the researchers. However, BOP's updated evaluation plan did not include timeframes for all of its evidence-based recidivism reduction programs and did not include pre-established, quantifiable goals that align with the First Step Act. Specifically, the Attorney General is required to conduct ongoing research on which evidence-based recidivism reduction programs are the most effective at reducing recidivism, and the type, amount, and intensity of programming that most effectively reduces the risk of recidivism. In February 2024, BOP officials stated they revised their evaluation plan in January 2024, which states that BOP will revise its plan in 2026 to include the evaluation of programs not currently included. It further states that plans for future evaluations are dependent upon the availability of resources and funding as well as the ability to prioritize evaluations from a current list of programs, which is subject to change. While the evaluation plan references the First Step Act requirements, it does not indicate how BOP will determine which programs are the most effective at reducing recidivism, and the type, amount, and intensity of programming that most effectively reduces the risk of recidivism. To fully address this recommendation, BOP should ensure that its plan to evaluate evidence-based recidivism reduction programs include goals that align with the First Step Act. Specifically, BOP should include goals that ensure its planned evaluations will address the mandated requirements to determine which programs are the most effective at reducing recidivism, and the type, amount, and intensity of programming that most effectively reduces the risk of recidivism.

Federal Prisons: Bureau of Prisons Should Improve Efforts to Implement its Risk and Needs Assessment System

GAO-23-105139
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Prisons The Director of BOP should ensure that the monitoring efforts it implements can determine if BOP is conducting risk and needs assessments in accordance with First Step Act required and BOP internal timeframes. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In March 2023, we reported that BOP has not confirmed if its planned monitoring efforts will measure whether risk and needs assessments are completed according to First Step Act required and internal timeframes. We recommended that BOP ensure that the monitoring efforts it implements can determine if BOP is conducting risk and needs assessments in accordance with First Step Act required and BOP internal timeframes. BOP concurred with this recommendation. In response, in September 2023, BOP officials stated they planned to enhance its auto-calculation time credits application to integrate risk, needs, and time credits assessments into a single, monthly automated process. According to BOP, this application will automate and independently generate these assessments and will more clearly document completion of each of these assessments at the intervals prescribed by the First Step Act and BOP requirements. In February 2024, BOP officials stated that they are implementing monitoring efforts to ensure that risk and needs assessments are conducted in accordance with required timeframes. However, these officials state that determining whether monitoring efforts are effective will not be possible until at least 1 year after implementation to account for the entire cycle of both initial risk and needs assessments and 180-day reassessments. To fully address this recommendation, BOP will need to implement its monitoring effort and ensure it can determine that BOP is conducting risk and needs assessments in accordance with First Step Act required and BOP internal timeframes.
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