U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (R-Va) Holds Hearing On the Federal Prison System
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U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (R-Va) Holds Hearing On the Federal Prison System
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS: SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE AND RELATED AGENCIES HOLDS A HEARING ON THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEMMARCH 17, 2005SPEAKERS: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FRANK WOLF (R-VA) CHAIRMAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES H. TAYLOR (R-NC) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARK STEVEN KIRK (R-IL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVE WELDON (R-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE VIRGIL GOODE (R-VA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RAY LAHOOD (R-IL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN ABNEY CULBERSON (R-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RODNEY ALEXANDER (R-LA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JERRY LEWIS (R-CA) EX OFFICIOU.S. REPRESENTATIVE ALAN MOLLOHAN (D-WV) RANKING MEMBER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOSE E. SERRANO (D-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER (D-AL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PATRICK J. KENNEDY (D-RI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHAKA FATTAH (D-PA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID R. OBEY (D-WI) EX OFFICIOWITNESSES: HARLEY LAPPIN, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF PRISONS[*] WOLF: The hearing will come to order.The committee would like to welcome Harley Lappin, the director of Bureau of Prisons.Director Lappin, we know you have been very busy lately since the Congress provided funds in fiscal year 2005 to open 10 new prison facilities. When does this end?LAPPIN: I hate to speculate.WOLF: Well, just off the record then, so I don't want to put you in a spot. Just from your personal opinion, where does this end?LAPPIN: Obviously, we see continued growth at a rate of about 8,000 or 9,000 inmates over the next three years, and, actually, our projections for 2010 if things remain similar as to what they are today, we'll have 220,000 to 225,000 inmates in the federal prison system.WOLF: And what are they now?LAPPIN: We're at 182,000 right now.WOLF: And do you ever go out 30 years? How far out do you go?LAPPIN: Let me say we go out 10 years. We believe three years out we're very accurate. Beyond that, there's a lot of variables -- changes of law, court decisions, prosecution preferences and direction -- that could influence that. But three years out we believe we're very accurate. Beyond that, not as accurate, but we go out 10 years. We're getting up in 225,000, 230,000 range 10 years out.WOLF: OK. Thank you. We hope that all those institutions are proceeding as planned, that once the new prisons are in line, the overcrowding rate will begin to subside.The Bureau of Prisons budget for fiscal year '06 includes a total of $4.75 billion. This request represents level funding from the fiscal year 2005 enactment level, because all the increases in the operating budget are offset by a rescission of prior-year construction funds.The committee understands that overcrowding rates are expected to reach 36 percent in the next fiscal year; is that accurate?LAPPIN: We're going to see a light decline, because we are bringing on a lot of beds currently and this coming calendar year. We're right now at about 41 percent. We will see a decline over the course of the next few months.WOLF: To 36.LAPPIN: To about 36, right.WOLF: The committee is concerned with this proposed $314 million construction rescission, because overcrowding, which is already expected to increase, can lead to assaults on guards and inmates. Are assaults on guards and inmates up or down or flat?LAPPIN: If you go back over the past 10 years, you see a huge decline from 10 years ago. Here recently, we have seen a slight increase in assaults on inmates and on officers. Again, it could be a combination of reasons for that. I'd certainly be pleased to speak of that for the record during the hearing.WOLF: Safety of our nation's prison is paramount to this committee. We want to hear why the termination of two planned construction projects will not jeopardize the operation of the Federal Prison System.While this is likely to be a very challenging budget year, the committee wanted to make sure you have sufficient resources.With that, I'd like to recognize Mr. Mollohan, and then you can proceed with your statement and submit it or summarize it or do as you see appropriate.Mr. Mollohan?MOLLOHAN: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to welcome the director to the hearing today, compliment him on the fine job he's doings with scarce resources and maybe talk a little bit about how scarce his resources are and follow up on some of the concerns that the chairman has just expressed.Welcome to the committee.LAPPIN: Thank you.WOLF: You can proceed as you see fit.LAPPIN: Thank you, Chairman. I have submitted a written testimony. I'll just provide a few brief talking points.Good afternoon, Chairman Wolf, Congressman Mollohan and me...See the full content of this document
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