NCJ Number
241361
Date Published
January 2013
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a Department of Justice audit of the Department's oversight of non-Federal detention facility inspections.
Abstract
In 2012, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted an audit of non-Federal detention facility inspections to determine if the Department of Justice's oversight efforts for these facilities were in compliance with established detention standards and conditions of confinement. The audit found the Department used basic standards to evaluate conditions at non-Federal detention facilities. The audit also compared the procedures used by the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee (OFDT) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) to conduct inspections of the facilities. The audit found that the OFDT and the USMS applied the basic standards differently depending on the type of inspection being conducted, and the two offices used separate processes to determine which non-Federal facilities to review during a given fiscal year. Neither of these offices, however, used a risk-based assessment to prioritize facilities for review, resulting in high-risk facilities not being selected for inspections, often over several consecutive years. The audit also revealed that having two separate offices conduct inspections was time consuming and an inefficient use of scarce resources. Local officials also complained that multiple inspections were disruptive to the operation of the facilities. Finally, the audit revealed that efforts to correct deficiencies found at the facilities were not coordinated between the OFDT, the USMS, and the State and local agencies tasked with making the changes. The audit's findings have resulted in a set of seven recommendations that include establishing guidance on the standards used in conducting inspections, establish a system for developing a risk-based selection process for inspecting facilities, and establish procedures for taking corrective action on deficiencies identified during inspections. Data for the audit were obtained from inspection reports conducted by the OFDT and the USMS for the years FY 2006 through FY 2010. Tables, figures, and appendixes