The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Monitoring of Mail for High-Risk Inmates

Evaluation and Inspections Report I-2006-009
September 2006
Office of the Inspector General

This review focused on the BOP’s process for reading the mail of terrorist and other high-risk inmates, such as gang leaders, in medium- and high-security and administrative maximum institutions. The review also focused on the BOP’s foreign language translation services, which may be required for monitoring inmate mail, telephone calls, and visits. Our fieldwork, conducted from June to December 2005, included in-person and telephone interviews, document reviews, site visits to BOP institutions, data analysis, and direct observation of mail and telephone monitoring. Interviews We interviewed 179 officials and staff from the BOP, the FBI, the Criminal Division, and a USAO. Table 1 lists the sites visited or contacted and the officials we interviewed. Table 1:  Officials Interviewed Department Component Site Official(s) Interviewed BOP Central Office Director Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division Deputy Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division Chief, Intelligence Section Administrator, Correctional Services Branch Administrator, Inmate Systems Management Intelligence Officer, Intelligence Section Legal Staff Member, Office of General Counsel National Joint Terrorism Task Force Representative (2) BOP Regional Office(s) Regional Director (2) Institutions: LSCI, FCI, USP Allenwood FCI, USP Beaumont MDC Brooklyn ADX, USP Florence MCC New York FCI Sheridan FDC Houston FDC Miami FDC Oakdale FDC Philadelphia FDC SeaTac MCC San Diego Warden (10) Associate Warden (17) Captain (13) Special Investigative Agent (10) SIS Lieutenant (8) SIS Technician (6) Intelligence Operations Officer (1) Phone Monitor (2) Inmate Systems Manager (7) Mailroom Staff (6) Unit Manager (14) Case Manager (1) Translator (13) Union President (8) Visiting Room Officer (20) Housing Unit Officer (8) Tower Officer (2) Finance Manager (5) FBI Headquarters Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division Beaumont, TX Supervisory Resident Agent Allenwood, PA Beaumont, TX Brooklyn, NY Florence, CO New York, NY Sheridan, OR Special Agent (9) Department of Justice Criminal Division Attorney, Office of Enforcement Operations (2) Attorney, Counterterrorism Section USAO Southern District of New York Chief, Organized Crime and Counterterrorism Assistant U.S. Attorney Data Analysis and Document Reviews We reviewed data from a week’s mail volume from the BOP institutions we visited. We asked the 10 institutions to record the number of incoming and outgoing letters during the week of November 21-25, 2005. We also analyzed data on the monitoring of inmate telephone calls from the BOP’s INTRUDR system. We reviewed BOP Program Statements, budget documents, Post Orders, manuals, reports, memorandums, monthly intelligence reports, and SIS record keeping logs. We also reviewed the Department of Justice Strategic Plan for 2003-2008 and Department memorandums and guidance concerning SAMs. Additionally, we reviewed congressional testimony, news articles, and other reports that were related to the monitoring of inmate communications. Site Visits We completed 10 site visits to the following BOP institutions: Allenwood, Pennsylvania – the Low Security Correctional Institution (LSCI), Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), and U.S. Penitentiary (USP); Beaumont, Texas – the FCI and USP; Brooklyn, New York – the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC); Florence, Colorado – the ADX and USP; New York, New York – the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC); and Sheridan, Oregon – the FCI. We selected the institutions based on a variety of factors, choosing institutions in different regions of the country and institutions of various security levels. Observations At the 10 institutions we visited, we observed the monitoring of inmate mail and telephone calls, as well as monitoring procedures in the visiting rooms and housing units.