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Statistics Collected Under The First Step Act, 2025

The First Step Act represented one of the most significant federal prison reform efforts in decades. Passed with bipartisan support in 2018, the law was intended to reduce recidivism, expand rehabilitative programming, improve prison conditions, and increase transparency within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Congress envisioned a system that would rely more heavily on evidence-based programming, reward inmates for participation in productive activities, and move more individuals safely back into the community.

Trump DOJ Issues New Guidelines For Corporate Compliance

Corporate criminal enforcement in the United States has evolved significantly over the past several decades. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has long faced a difficult challenge when investigating corporate misconduct. On the one hand, prosecutors must hold corporations accountable for wrongdoing that harms investors, consumers, and the broader market. On the other hand, companies themselves often play a crucial role in uncovering misconduct and providing information that allows investigators to identify the individuals responsible. As a result, DOJ policy has gradually developed to encourage companies to cooperate with investigators, strengthen compliance programs, and voluntarily disclose misconduct. The Department’s newest directive on corporate enforcement reflects the latest step in this ongoing evolution, building on past policies while emphasizing transparency, cooperation, and incentives for early disclosure.

Bureau Of Prisons Changes Missions On Some Facilities

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) currently operates 122 federal prison facilities across the country. In December 2024, then-Director Colette Peters called for closing six federal prisons across the country due to staffing shortages and infrastructure challenges. Of those, only FCI Dublin and FPC Pensacola were eventually closed as there was backlash by congressional members over closing prisons in their respective districts. While the current leadership at BOP, headed by William Marshall II (Director) and Josh Smith (Deputy Director) have not mentioned any closures, they are now starting to move people around in what may be a sign of things to come.

February 28, 2026

Staffing The Future Of Federal Prisons

The staffing crisis in American prisons did not happen overnight. It grew out of decades of prison expansion, shifting sentencing policies, changing workforce expectations, and a job that has become increasingly difficult to fill. Today, federal prisons face persistent vacancies, mandatory overtime, and mounting operational strain. At the same time, prison populations have fluctuated significantly over the past decade, reshaping the system’s needs and raising important questions about who should be working inside correctional facilities and why.

February 27, 2026

Moving On After Prison, Making A Contribution And Reducing Costs

Inmates cost the U.S. government more than $8 billion a year and that number seem to be going up. Of the BOP’s nearly 154,000 prisoners, 24,000 of them are minimum security. BOP stated that the average cost of housing a minimum security prisoner in 2024 was $151.02 per day. The cost of housing someone in a U.S. penitentiary is $164.87 per day (the lows were $129.72 per day, with mediums being $122.50 per day). Since there are more minimum security prisoners than high, the total costs of housing minimum security prisoners far exceeds the costs of housing those in high security.