[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82073-82074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32317]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement
AGENCY: Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for development of a Federal Correctional Institution
and Federal Prison Camp by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal
Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Land under consideration for development
consists of areas located on BOP-owned property comprising the U.S.
Penitentiary (USP) in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Background
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is responsible for carrying out
judgments of the federal courts whenever a period of confinement is
ordered. The mission of the BOP is to protect society by confining
offenders in the controlled environments of prisons 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 BOP is facing continuous growth in the number of federal
inmates with projections showing the federal inmate population
increasing from 210,227 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2010 to over
226,000 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2013. As such, the demand for
bedspace within the federal prison system continues to grow at a
significant rate. At the present time, the federal inmate population
exceeds the combined rated capacities of the existing 116 federal
correctional facilities.
The federal inmate population has grown dramatically over the past
two decades. While the BOP is no longer experiencing the dramatic
population increases of between 10,000 and 11,000 inmates per year that
occurred from 1998 to 2001, the increases are still significant and a
net growth of over 6,000 inmates is projected for FY 2011 and 5,600 is
projected for FY 2012. The federal inmate population is projected to
increase and continue to exceed the rated capacity of the BOP's 116
institutions and current contract facilities. Currently, the BOP is 36
percent above rated capacity system-wide in the federal prison system,
43 percent over rated capacity at medium security facilities, and 53
percent over rated capacity at high security institutions. As in the
past, the BOP will continue to increase the number of beds through
additional contract beds, acquisition and adaptation of existing
facilities, and new prison construction as funding permits. Adding
capacity through these various means, allows the BOP the opportunity to
work towards keeping prison crowding at manageable levels to ensure
both public safety and the safety of inmates within the BOP
institutions.
In the face of the continuing increase in the federal prison
population, one way the BOP has expanded its capacity is through
construction of new institutions. As part of this effort, the BOP has a
facilities planning program featuring the identification and evaluation
of sites for new facilities. The BOP routinely identifies prospective
sites that may be appropriate for development of new federal
correctional facilities determined by the need for such facilities in
various parts of the country and the resources available to meet that
need.
The BOP routinely screens and evaluates private and public
properties located throughout the nation for possible use and
development. Over the past decade, the BOP has examined prospective
sites for new correctional facilities development in Alabama, Kentucky,
New Hampshire, Arizona, Mississippi, West Virginia, California and
other locations around the country and has undertaken environmental
impact studies in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969, as amended.
[[Page 82074]]
Proposed Action
The BOP is facing increased bedspace shortages throughout the
federal prison system. Over the past decade, a significant influx of
inmates has entered the federal prison system with a large portion of
this influx originating from the north central region of the United
States. In response, the BOP has committed significant resources to
identifying and developing sites for new federal correctional
facilities within this region including development of facilities in
Florence, Colorado; Terre Haute, Indiana; Greenville, Illinois; and
Waseca, Minnesota. Even with the development of new and expanded
facilities, projections show the federal inmate population continuing
to increase, placing additional demands for bedspace within the BOP's
North Central Region.
In response, the BOP has undertaken preliminary investigations in
an effort to identify prospective sites capable of accommodating
federal correctional facilities and communities willing to host such
facilities. Through this process, the BOP has identified potential
locations for development of new federal correctional facilities and
several sites are under active consideration. These potential sites
were subjected to initial studies by the BOP and those considered
suitable for correctional facility development will be evaluated
further by the BOP in a DEIS that will analyze the potential impacts of
facility construction and operation.
The Process
The process of evaluating the potential environmental impacts
associated with federal correctional facility development and operation
involves the analysis of many factors and features including, but not
limited to: Topography, geology, soils, hydrology, biological
resources, cultural resources, hazardous materials, visual and
aesthetics features, fiscal considerations, population/employment/
housing characteristics, community services and facilities, land uses,
utility services, transportation systems, meteorological conditions,
air quality, and noise.
Alternatives
In developing the DEIS, the No Action alternative, other actions
considered and eliminated, and alternative development areas for the
proposed Federal Correctional Institution and Federal Prison Camp will
be examined. The areas examined will consist of BOP-owned property
contiguous to the existing Leavenworth Institution and will be further
defined in the EIS process.
Scoping Process
During the preparation of the DEIS, there will be opportunities for
public involvement in order to determine the issues to be examined. A
Public Scoping Meeting will be held at 7 p.m., January 20, 2011, at the
Riverfront Community Center (123 S. Esplanade Street, Leavenworth,
Kansas). The meeting location, date, and time will be well-publicized
and have been arranged to allow for the public as well as interested
agencies and organizations to attend and formally express their views
on the scope and significant issues to be studied as part of the DEIS
process. The Scoping Meeting is being held to provide for timely public
comments and understanding of federal plans and programs with possible
environmental consequences as required by the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, as amended.
Availability of DEIS
Public notice will be given concerning the availability of the DEIS
for public review and comment.
Contact
Questions concerning the proposed action and the DEIS may be
directed to: Richard A. Cohn, Chief, or Bridgette Lyles, Site Selection
Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch, U.S.
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20534, Telephone: 202-514-6470/Facsimile: 202-616-
6024/E-mail: [email protected].
Dated: December 17, 2010.
Richard A. Cohn,
Chief, Capacity Planning and Site Selection.
[FR Doc. 2010-32317 Filed 12-28-10; 8:45 am]
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