Security and Supervision of Inmates in the Bureau of Prisons Community Treatment Centers

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO summarized its review of the effectiveness of the Bureau of Prisons Community Treatment Center Program. Specifically, GAO reported on the security and supervision of inmates in community treatment centers.

The Bureau has established adequate policies and procedures to be followed by the centers for supervising the inmates while ensuring the safety of the community. GAO found that the centers generally complied with the procedures and effectively monitored the whereabouts of inmates, although each center differed in the degree of control that it exercised over inmates. Community officials interviewed by GAO expressed little concern about the presence of the centers and did not feel that the inmates were creating problems in the community. GAO believes that adherence by the centers to the Bureau's policies may not prevent crime, but strict compliance with those policies should reduce potential problems.