The Bureau of Prisons Can Improve Its Annual Firearms Refresher Training and Armory Operations

Gao ID: GGD-83-37 March 18, 1983

GAO examined the Bureau of Prisons' annual firearms refresher training and armory operations.

Bureau policy requires that virtually all of its employees be familiar with and able to use a revolver, a carbine, and a shotgun. As a means of accomplishing this, employees are required to participate in annual firearms refresher training at their respective institutions. GAO found that differences exist between the institutions visited as to how the qualifications of persons firing weapons are judged. Also, institutions do not report all incidents of firearms discharges as required by Bureau policy. The number and type of weapons on hand at the Bureau's institutions vary widely, and the weapons are not always well maintained. Maintaining an inventory of weapons is a labor-intensive task, and maintaining more weapons than necessary exacerbates the problem. GAO believes that, if weapons inventories could be reduced, maintenance problems could be alleviated. The standardization of weapons in the Bureau's inventory may be too expensive; however, until the Bureau determines the number and type of weapons it needs, the cost of such an undertaking cannot be realistically assessed.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Arnold P. Jones Team: General Accounting Office: General Government Division Phone: (202) 512-7797


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