BOP Cuts Ties With American Correctional Association
On March 31, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) let its contract expire with the American Correctional Association (ACA), which provided accreditations for all BOP prisons, training centers and its Central Office Headquarters.
BOP opted not to renew the $2.75 million annual contract after a scathing report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of its parent agency, the federal Department of Justice; in its November 2023 assessment, OIG slammed ACA for sham investigations that merely rubber-stamped BOP’s own evaluations, as PLN reported. [See: PLN, July 2024, p.18.]
Audits and oversight are crucial to identifying and rectifying facility needs. By not providing accurate evaluations and accreditation of the country’s 122 facilities, housing approximately 160,000 federal prisoners, ACA did nothing to help BOP grapple with desperately needed repairs that are estimated at an astonishing $2 billion.
One month before the contract expired, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) urged BOP to cut ties with ACA, citing concerns over its independence and impartiality. Nearly half of ACA revenues come from accreditation-related fees, with another 25% provided by private prison companies.
BOP then announced it would explore alternative ways to improve correctional standards for the well-being of those incarcerated as well as staff. But until a replacement accreditation agency is identified, they will have to rely on BOP to self-police, something shortcomings uncovered by OIG provide little confidence the agency can do.
Source: Forbes