[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 5209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1371]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Availability of the Environmental Assessment for New 
Low Security Beds

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

ACTION: Public comment on environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons 
(BOP) announces the availability of the Environmental Assessment (EA) 
prepared for the proposed contract to secure additional inmate bed 
space for the BOP's growing inmate population.
    As part of an initiative (known as the Criminal Alien Requirement), 
the BOP has identified a specific requirement to confine a population 
of approximately 1,000 low-security adult male inmates that are 
primarily criminal aliens. The BOP is seeking to reduce prison 
overcrowding by requesting additional contract beds for low-security 
male criminal aliens.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), and the Department of Justice procedures for implementing 
NEPA (28 CFR part 61), the BOP has prepared an EA to evaluate the 
proposed action of contracting with one private contractor to house 
approximately 1,000 Federal, low-security, adult male, non-U.S. 
citizen, criminal aliens at a contractor-owned, contractor-operated 
correctional facility.
    The BOP's EA evaluates the potential environmental consequences of 
five action alternatives and the No Action Alternative. Natural, 
cultural, and socioeconomic resource impacts associated with the 
implementation of the proposed action at each of the proposed 
alternative locations were analyzed to determine how these resources 
may be affected by contracting for an existing correctional facility to 
house BOP inmates.
    The alternatives considered for this proposed action include: Lee 
Adjustment Center, Beattyville, Kentucky; Limestone County Detention 
Center, Groesbeck, Texas; Jackson Parish Correctional Center, 
Jonesboro, Louisiana; Pine Prairie Correctional Center, Pine Prairie, 
Louisiana; or the Jack Harwell Detention Facility, Waco, Texas. Inmates 
housed in these facilities would be aliens from any number of countries 
who have committed crimes within the U.S. and are being held for trial, 
or who have been convicted and sentenced to serve time within the 
Federal prison system. Upon completion of their sentences, these 
inmates would be deported to their country of origin.
    Request for Comments: The BOP invites your participation and is 
soliciting comments on the EA. The EA will be the subject of a 30-day 
comment period which begins January 28 and ends February 28, 2011. 
Comments concerning the EA and the proposed action must be received 
during this time to be assured consideration. All written comments 
received during this review period will be taken into consideration by 
the BOP. Copies of the EA are available for public viewing at:
     County of Lee Public Library, 123 Center Street, 
Beattyville, KY.
     Groesbeck Public Library (Maffet Memorial Library), 601 W. 
Yeagua Street, Groesbeck, TX.
     Jackson Parish Library, 614 S Polk Avenue, Jonesboro, LA.
     Evangeline Parish Library: Pine Prairie Branch, 1111 
Walnut Street, Pine Prairie, LA.
     South Waco Library, 2737 S 18th Street, Waco, TX.
     East Waco Library, 901 Elm Avenue, Waco, TX.
    The EA is available upon request. To request a copy of the EA, 
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: January 19, 2011.
Issac Gaston,
Site Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch.
[FR Doc. 2011-1371 Filed 1-27-11; 8:45 am]
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