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Three Prisons Act
Before Congress established the Bureau of Prisons, this organism existed. It authorized the first three federal penitentiaries and had 11 federal prisons. -
Growth of work
As time passed and laws changed, responsibilities grew along with the prison population. The Bureau's operated 14 facilities for just over 13,000 inmates. -
Bureau of Prisions
Congress established the Bureau of Prisons within the Department of Justice and charged the agency with the "management and regulation of all Federal penal and correctional institutions." -
Growth of the inmates
The Bureau had grown to 24 facilities with 24,360 inmates. Except for a few fluctuations, this number of inmates did not change between 1940 and 1980, -
Decrease of inmates
For the first time in 34 years, the population declined. A variety of legislative changes contribute to the overall decline in the inmate population