NCJ Number
177587
Date Published
1998
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This is a re-examination of efforts of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to identify potentially deportable criminal aliens in Federal and State prisons and subject them to removal proceedings before they are released.
Abstract
In 1997 a representative of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims that INS needed to improve its efforts in this regard. This conclusion was based on an analysis of data provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and five States on potentially deportable criminal aliens who were released from their prison systems between April and September 1995. The INS Executive Associate Commissioner for Programs told the Subcommittee that INS had improved program operations since 1995. In response the Subcommittee asked the GAO to review program performance again during 1997. This was done by determining the extent to which deportable criminal aliens were included in the Institutional Hearing Program of the INS; the extent to which INS completed removal hearings for deportable aliens during their time in prison or after their prison release; and whether INS had acted on recommendations the GAO made in its July 1997 testimony. From the findings of this recent analysis, the GAO concludes that INS' performance has shown limited improvement since 1995; the GAO continues to have the same concerns as previously about the Institutional Hearing Program. 2 figures, 3 tables, and appended supplementary information on study scope and methodology