7.01A Creating a Timeline

By Tiphainelol
  • The federal prison system

    The federal prison system

    The federal prison system has existed for nearly 40 years under the Three Prisons Act (1891), which authorized the first three federal prisons: USP Leavenworth, USP Atlanta, and USP McNeill Island, and has since grown to 11 federal prison.
  • Bureau of Prisions

    Bureau of Prisions

    Congress created the Bureau of Prisons within the Justice Department and charged the agency "to administer and supervise all federal criminal and correctional facilities."
  • Growth of the inmates

    Growth of the inmates

    The bureau has grown to 24 facilities with 24,360 inmates. Apart from some fluctuations, this number of prisoners did not change between 1940 and 1980,
  • overpopulation of prisons

    overpopulation of prisons

    The Penal Reform Act of 1984, which introduced specific sentences, abolished probation and reduced good time, led to prison overcrowding to 95 federal prisons.
  • Decrease of inmates

    Decrease of inmates

    For the first time in 34 years, the population declined. A variety of legislative changes contribute to this decline .