[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 118 (Monday, June 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35089-35090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14743]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for Proposed
Contract Award to House District of Columbia-Sentenced Felons and
Criminal Aliens Within a Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated
Correctional Facility
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
ACTION: Notice of a Record of Decision.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons
(BOP) announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)
concerning the proposed award of a contract to house approximately
1,380 federal, low-security, adult male District of Columbia (DC)-
sentenced felons and criminal aliens within a Contractor-Owned/
Contractor-Operated correctional facility.
[[Page 35090]]
Background Information
Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the BOP has prepared Draft and Final
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for the proposed award of a
contract to house approximately 1,380 federal, low-security, adult male
DC-sentenced felons and criminal aliens within a Contractor-Owned/
Contractor-Operated correctional facility.
Project Information
The BOP faces unprecedented growth in its inmate population
resulting from federal law enforcement programs. Federal Correctional
Institutions housing low-security inmates are especially impacted
because DC-sentenced felons and criminal aliens are typically housed at
the low-security level. Due to the current shortage of beds within the
federal prison system, particularly at the low-security level, the BOP
is managing the federal inmate population by assigning minimum and
medium-security level institutions as low-security institutions. This,
in turn, impacts other security levels by reducing the availability of
beds to accommodate minimum- and medium-security inmates. The projected
growth in the number of sentenced felons and aliens resulting from
increased law enforcement efforts will further exacerbate these
population pressures. The DC III procurement serves to address these
growth issues on a national basis.
The BOP requires flexibility in managing the shortage of beds at
the low-security level as well as the anticipated future increases at
this security level. Such management flexibility, involving the use of
Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated correctional facilities when
appropriate, would help to meet population capacity needs in a timely
fashion, conform to federal law, and maintain fiscal responsibility
while successfully meeting the mission of the BOP. That mission is to
protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments
of prison and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-
efficient and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other
self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-
abiding citizens.
The proposed action is to award a contract to house approximately
1,380 federal, low-security, adult male, DC-sentenced felons and
criminal aliens within a Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated
correctional facility. Under the proposed action, the contractor
selected would be responsible for ensuring that the correctional
facility is operated in a manner consistent with the mission of the BOP
and in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations. In
addition, the facility selected would be within the proximity of, and
have access to, emergency services including medical care, fire
protection and law enforcement.
It is anticipated that the BOP will assign a population of
approximately 1,380 low-security, adult male inmates, predominantly DC-
sentenced felons and criminal aliens, to the selected facility.
However, the BOP may designate any inmate within its custody utilizing
the same designation criteria as are used at other BOP facilities. All
inmate services and programs would be developed and implemented to
comply with the BOP's contract requirements and all applicable federal,
state and local laws and regulations.
The BOP issued a DEIS in January 2010 with publication of the
Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register on January 22,
2010. The NOA provided a start date for the 45-day public comment
period beginning on January 22, 2010, and ending on March 8, 2010.
During the public comment period public hearings concerning the
proposed action and the DEIS were held on February 10, 2010 in Winton,
North Carolina and February 24, 2010 in Princess Anne, Maryland.
The FEIS addressed comments received on the DEIS and publication of
the NOA in the Federal Register concerning the FEIS occurred on May 7,
2010. The 30-day review period for receipt of public comments
concerning the FEIS ended on June 7, 2010, during which time comment
letters and similar forms of communication were received by the BOP.
Each of the comment letters are similar to comments received on the
DEIS and were considered in the decision presented in the ROD.
BOP provided written notices of the availability of the DEIS and
FEIS in the Federal Register, two newspapers with local and regional
circulations, and through two local public libraries. The BOP also
distributed approximately 175 copies (each) of the DEIS and FEIS to
federal agencies, state and local governments, elected officials,
interested organizations, and individuals.
The BOP evaluated alternatives as part of the EIS including the No
Action Alternative; implementation of the proposed action at the
Winton, North Carolina site (involving use of the Rivers Correctional
Institution) to house the federal inmate population; and implementation
of the proposed action at the Princess Anne, Maryland site (involving
development of a new Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated correctional
facility) to house the federal inmate population. Each of the
alternative sites in Winton, North Carolina and Princess Anne, Maryland
is examined in detail in the Draft and Final EISs with contract award
to the Winton site in North Carolina identified in the ROD as the
Preferred Alternative.
Availability of Record of Decision
The ROD and other information regarding this undertaking are
available upon request. To request a copy of the ROD, please contact:
Richard A. Cohn, Chief, or Issac J. Gaston, Site Selection Specialist,
Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch, Federal Bureau of Prisons,
320 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534/Tel: 202-514-6470/Fax: 202-
616-6024/E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard A. Cohn, or Issac J. Gaston, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Dated: June 11, 2010.
Issac Gaston,
Site Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. 2010-14743 Filed 6-18-10; 8:45 am]
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