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Strategic Plan FYs 2026 – 2030

Strategic Plan FYs 2026 – 2030
Goal 3: Modernize the Department of Justice

Objective 3.3: Ensure a Safe and Effective Federal Prison System

The Department of Justice works to enhance public safety by maintaining a safe, humane, and effective federal prison system, allowing for the implementation of rehabilitative efforts designed to prepare individuals in custody for successful reentry into the community. However, in recent years, the federal prison and detention system has experienced chronic staffing shortages, introduction of contraband, aging infrastructure, treatment and programming capacity gaps, and reentry issues that contribute to and weaken long-term public safety outcomes. Over 40 percent of the people released from federal prison recidivate within three years. Furthermore, the Department has identified a steady increase in parole hearings, revocation hearings, and warrants issued. 

DOJ seeks to strengthen institutional safety and effectiveness by increasing mission-critical staffing. Furthermore, DOJ will optimize the use of transportation resources and in-transit prisoner housing locations to promote the efficiency of the national prisoner transportation network. To reduce supervision revocations based on newly committed violent crimes, the Department will implement an evidence-based risk assessment framework that focuses on data over intuition. DOJ will improve institution management and long-term public safety by expanding evidence-based treatment and reentry programming aimed at reducing idleness and supporting noncriminal release strategies. 

Strategies to Achieve Objective 3.3

  • Enhance hiring process and increase mission-critical staffing levels 
  • Optimize efficiencies in the national prisoner transportation network
  • Implement an evidence-based risk assessment framework for identifying violent offender behavior 
  • Expand the accessibility of FSA, mental health and other evidence-based treatment and reentry programming 

Key Performance Indicators 

  • Vacancy rate of BOP law enforcement officer positions 
  • Average number of days to complete prisoner transfer from a detention facility
  • Number of FSA programming positions filled

Enterprise Risk Themes

Threats to Prison Security • Workforce- Retention and Development • Workforce- Recruitment 

• Violent Crimes and Public Safety • Data Collection, Management, and Analysis Limitations

Participating Components: BOP, USMS, USPC