Segregated Housing Unit Population and Number of Cells Have Increased since Fiscal Year 2008

From fiscal year 2008 through February 2013, the total inmate population  in segregated housing units increased approximately 17 percent—from  10,659 to 12,460 inmates. By comparison, the  total inmate population in BOP facilities increased by about 6 percent  since fiscal year 2008. 5 for the  trends in population growth for SHUs, SMUs, and ADX from fiscal year  2008 through February 2013). BOP’s Monitoring of Segregated Housing Policies Varies by Type of Unit, and Some Facilities’ Documentation Is Incomplete BOP Monitors Compliance Differently across the Three Types of Segregated Housing

BOP Headquarters (HQ) has a mechanism in place to centrally monitor  how prisons implement most segregated housing unit policies, but the  degree of BOP monitoring varies depending on the type of segregated  housing unit. program reviews. Also, although BOP HQ has  mechanisms to monitor some procedural protections, and ADX officials  locally monitor ADX-specific policies, BOP HQ lacks oversight over the  extent to which ADX staff are in compliance with many ADX-specific  requirements related to conditions of confinement and procedural  protections to the same degree that it has for SHUs and SMUs. With such oversight,  BOP headquarters would have additional assurance that inmates held in  BOP’s most restrictive facility are afforded their minimum conditions of  confinement and procedural protections. However, given a  selection of PRD monitoring reports from 20 prisons and our independent  analysis of inmate case files at two federal prisons, we identified concerns  related to how facilities are documenting that inmates received their  conditions of confinement and procedural protections, which are  described below. As part of our review,  we found PRD monitoring reports identified deficiencies, such as missing  SHU forms, or incomplete documentation that inmates held in  segregation for at least 22 hours per day received all their meals and  exercise as required. According to BOP officials, in December 2012, BOP began using a new  software program, called the SHU application in all SHUs and SMUs. BOP officials told us that this new software program could improve the  documentation of the conditions of confinement in SHUs and SMUs, but  acknowledged it may not address all the deficiencies that we identified. Because this new software was recently implemented, and BOP did not  provide evidence to the extent that it addressed the documentation  deficiencies, we cannot determine if it will mitigate the documentation  concerns. BOP Has Not Evaluated the Impact of Segregated Housing Units on Institutional Safety or the Impacts of Long- Term Segregation on Inmates

		BOP Has Not Assessed the Extent to Which Segregated Housing Impacts Institutional Safety

BOP has not assessed the extent to which all three types of segregated  housing units—SHUs, SMUs, and ADX— impact institutional safety for  inmates and staff.impact of segregation, BOP senior management and prison officials told  us that they believed segregated housing units were effective in helping  to maintain institutional safety. However, it is unclear to what extent the review will assess the extent that  segregated housing units contribute to the safety and security of inmates  and staff and ensures that BOP meets its mission goals. As of January 2013, BOP  announced that the bureau is considering the development of procedures  for conducting individualized mental health case reviews of inmates held  in long-term segregation, i.e., inmates housed in SHUs or the ADX  Control Unit for more than 12 continuous months and inmates who fail to  progress through the SMU or ADX General Population Step Down  phases in a timely manner. Conclusions

Over the past 5 years, the number of BOP inmates in segregated housing  has grown at a faster rate than the general inmate population. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve BOP’s ability to centrally oversee the implementation of  segregated housing policies, we recommend that the Director of the  Bureau of Prisons take the following two actions:  (1) develop ADX-specific monitoring requirements and  (2) develop a plan that clarifies the objectives and goals of the new  software program, with time frames and milestones, and other means,  that explains the extent to which the software program will address  documentation concerns we identified. To ensure that BOP’s use of segregated housing furthers BOP’s goal to  confine inmates in a humane manner and contributes to institutional  safety without having a detrimental impact on inmates held there for long  periods of time, we recommend that the Director of the Bureau of Prisons  take the following two actions:  (1) ensure that any current study to assess segregated housing units also  includes an assessment of the extent that segregated housing contributes  to institutional safety, and consider key practices that include local and  state efforts to reduce reliance on and the number of inmates held in  segregated housing and  (2) assess the impact of long-term segregation on inmates in SHUs,  SMUs, and ADX.
Why GAO Did This Study

BOP confines about 7 percent of its 217,000 inmates in segregated housing units for about 23 hours a day. Inmates are held in SHUs, SMUs, and ADX. GAO was asked to review BOP's segregated housing unit practices. This report addresses, among other things: (1) the trends in BOP's segregated housing population, (2) the extent to which BOP centrally monitors how prisons apply segregated housing policies, and (3) the extent to which BOP assessed the impact of segregated housing on institutional safety and inmates. GAO analyzed BOP's policies for compliance and analyzed population trends from fiscal year 2008 through February 2013. GAO visited six federal prisons selected for different segregated housing units and security levels, and reviewed 61 inmate case files and 45 monitoring reports. The results are not generalizable, but provide information on segregated housing units.

What GAO Found

The overall number of inmates in the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) three main types of segregated housing units--Special Housing Units (SHU), Special Management Units (SMU), and Administrative Maximum (ADX)--increased at a faster rate than the general inmate population. Inmates may be placed in SHUs for administrative reasons, such as pending transfer to another prison, and for disciplinary reasons, such as violating prison rules; SMUs, a four-phased program in which inmates can progress from more to less restrictive conditions; or ADX, for inmates that require the highest level of security. From fiscal year 2008 through February 2013, the total inmate population in segregated housing units increased approximately 17 percent--from 10,659 to 12,460 inmates. By comparison, the total inmate population in BOP facilities increased by about 6 percent during this period.
BOP has a mechanism to centrally monitor segregated housing, but the degree of monitoring varies by unit type and GAO found incomplete documentation of monitoring at select prisons. BOP headquarters lacks the same degree of oversight of ADX-specific conditions of confinement compared with SHUs and SMUs partly because ADX policies are monitored locally by ADX officials. Developing specific requirements for ADX could provide BOP with additional assurance that inmates held at ADX are afforded their minimum conditions of confinement and procedural protections. According to a selection of monitoring reports and inmate case files, GAO also identified documentation concerns related to conditions of confinement and procedural protections, such as ensuring that inmates received all their meals and exercise as required. According to BOP officials, in December 2012, all SHUs and SMUs began using a new software program that could improve the ability to document conditions of confinement in SHUs and SMUs. However, BOP officials acknowledged the recently implemented software program may not address all the deficiencies GAO identified. Since BOP could not provide evidence that it addressed the documentation deficiencies, GAO cannot determine if it will mitigate the documentation concerns. BOP expects to complete a review of the new software program by approximately September 30, 2013, which should help determine the extent to which the software program addresses documentation deficiencies GAO identified.
BOP has not assessed the impact of segregated housing on institutional safety or the impacts of long-term segregation on inmates. In January 2013, BOP authorized a study of segregated housing; however, it is unclear to what extent the study will assess the extent to which segregated housing units contribute to institutional safety. As of January 2013, BOP is considering conducting mental health case reviews for inmates held in SHUs or ADX for more than 12 continuous months. However, without an assessment of the impact of segregation on institutional safety or study of the long-term impact of segregated housing on inmates, BOP cannot determine the extent to which segregated housing achieves its stated purpose to protect inmates, staff and the general public.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that BOP (1) develop ADX-specific monitoring requirements; (2) develop a plan that clarifies how BOP will address documentation concerns GAO identified, through the new software program; (3) ensure that any current study to assess segregated housing also includes reviews of its impact on institutional safety; and (4) assess the impact of long-term segregation. BOP agreed with these recommendations and reported it would take actions to address them.