In addition, the act required USPC to enact other rules  and regulations as necessary to carry out a national parole policy. Number of Offenders under USPC’s Jurisdiction Declined over Time but the Number of D.C. Offenders on Supervised Release or Serving a Prison Sentence that Includes Supervised Release Generally Increased

As figure 1 shows that, from fiscal years 2002 through 2014, the total  number of offenders under USPC’s jurisdiction declined 26 percent from  about 23,000 to about 17,100. Figure 3 provides information on the number and composition of federal  offenders under USPC’s jurisdiction for 5 of the most recent fiscal years. D.C. Offenders

As figure 4 illustrates, from fiscal years 2002 through 2014, the number of  D.C. offenders on or eligible for parole declined 74 percent, from about  14,100 to about 3,700 following the abolition of parole for D.C. offenders  in 2000. Number of D.C. Offenders on Supervised Release or Serving a Prison Sentence that Includes Supervised Release Has Increased

Figure 5 illustrates that, from fiscal years 2002 through 2014, following  the introduction of supervised release in 2000, the total number of D.C.  offenders on supervised release or serving a prison sentence that  includes supervised release increased 606 percent, from about 1,700 to  about 12,000 in fiscal year 2011, and then slightly declined but remained  above 11,000 through fiscal year 2014. Transferring USPC’s Jurisdiction for D.C. Offenders Would Require Key Organizational Characteristics that Existing Entities Do Not Possess; Altering or Establishing a New Entity Would Pose Challenges

According to officials from USPC and criminal justice partner  organizations we interviewed, any organization accepting the transfer of  USPC’s jurisdiction over D.C. offenders would need to have three key  organizational characteristics in place for such a transfer to be feasible. Doing so would pose challenges related to estimating costs  and assessing impacts on decision making. Three Key Characteristics that Existing Entities Do Not Possess Are Necessary for an Entity to Assume Jurisdiction for D.C. Offenders

According to officials we interviewed from USPC and CSOSA, in order for  another entity to feasibly assume USPC’s jurisdiction for D.C. offenders,  this entity would need to have the following key organizational  characteristics in place: (1) relevant statutory authority; (2) specialized  processes, procedures, and personnel; and (3) formal agreements with  other organizations concerning decisions for parole and supervised  release cases. We found that none of the other 17 criminal justice entities  currently involved with D.C. offenders possesses any of the three:
Relevant statutory authority. USPC has  mechanisms in place, as well as the appropriate expertise, for  handling and hearing parole and supervised release cases. Altering or Establishing a New Entity Poses Challenges

Given that no entity currently involved in the criminal justice system has  the structure in place to absorb USPC’s jurisdiction for D.C. offenders, the  transfer of jurisdiction is not feasible without altering the characteristics of  an existing entity or establishing a new organization.
Why GAO Did This Study

USPC was established in 1976, in part to carry out a national parole policy that would govern the release of offenders to community supervision prior to completing their full custody sentences. USPC's budget is just over $13 million for fiscal year 2015.
Over time, changes in laws have abolished parole and introduced supervised release—a new form of postincarceration supervision. As a result, USPC has been reauthorized and has authority to grant and revoke parole for eligible federal and D.C. offenders and to revoke supervised release for D.C. offenders violating the terms of their release. USPC's current authorization is set to expire in 2018.
This report addresses (1) changes in the number of offenders under USPC's jurisdiction from fiscal years 2002 through 2014 and (2) the organizational characteristics needed for an entity to feasibly assume jurisdiction of D.C. offenders from USPC, and the feasibility and implications of such a transfer.
GAO analyzed USPC data on federal and D.C. offenders from fiscal years 2002-2014—the most recent years for which reliable data were available—as well as DOJ reports on USPC and USPC policies, and determined that the data were sufficiently reliable for our purposes. GAO also discussed with USPC and some of its criminal justice partners the feasibility of transferring USPC's jurisdiction for D.C. offenders and any related challenges.

What GAO Found

From fiscal years 2002 through 2014, the total number of offenders under the Department of Justice's (DOJ) U.S. Parole Commission's (USPC) jurisdiction declined 26 percent from about 23,000 to about 17,000. Specifically, following the abolition of parole, the number of offenders on or eligible for parole declined 67 percent among federal offenders, and 74 percent among D.C. offenders. However, following the introduction of supervised release, the number of D.C. offenders on supervised release or serving a prison sentence that includes supervised release increased 606 percent from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2011, and then slightly declined through fiscal year 2014.
Transferring USPC's jurisdiction for D.C. offenders would require that an entity has three key organizational characteristics to assume this jurisdiction, and altering or establishing a new entity poses challenges. Based on our discussions with officials from USPC and other organizations, including those from the D.C. government, these three key organizational characteristics are:
statutory authority for asserting jurisdiction over D.C. offenders;
processes, procedures and personnel in place for handling parole and supervised release cases; and
formal agreements with other criminal justice organizations for making parole and supervised release decisions.
We identified 17 criminal justice entities with the potential to assume USPC's jurisdiction for D.C. offenders; however none currently possesses the three key organizational characteristics. Thus, transferring jurisdiction is not feasible without altering an existing or establishing a new entity, and would pose challenges related to estimating costs and assessing impacts on decision making.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making any recommendations.