Bureau of Prisons (BOP): Inmate Reentry, Female Inmates and Appropriations

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the largest correctional agency in the country in terms of the number of prisoners under its jurisdiction. BOP must confine any offender convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a federal court. Our justice system must both be fair in reality and perceived as fair. Part of our justice system includes correction, rehabilitation, and acknowledgment that the vast majority of those who are incarcerated will be out, back in society. As reported in chapter 1, the justice system and the Bureau of Prisons have a responsibility to help rehabilitate that person and help the inmate have a successful reentry back into our communities. Though female inmates compose a small percentage of the nationwide incarcerated population, correctional officials have recognized that in some areas female and male inmates have different needs and BOP has adopted gender-responsive programs and policies that account for these needs. Chapter 2 assesses BOP's efforts and capacity to ensure that BOP-wide policies, programs, and decisions address the unique needs of female inmates. Chapter 3 provides an overview of BOP's appropriations since FY1980. Specifically, it examines trends in BOP's total appropriations, changes in funding for BOP's appropriations account, and trends in funding for the decision units under BOP's appropriations accounts.