DOJ finds weaknesses in preparing prisoners for release

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is calling on the Federal Bureau of Prisons to better prepare inmates for release.  

In a report out Wednesday, the DOJ found several weaknesses in the bureau’s Release Preparation Program (RPP), which consists of classes and other assistance relating to health and nutrition, employment and personal finance to help ready inmates to re-enter society.

The DOJ said the prison agency is not doing anything to ensure that the program is meeting the needs of inmates across its institutions. The agency said there’s no nationwide curriculum, noting each prison is responsible for creating its own.

The report also found that less than a third of inmates required to participate in the RPP actually complete the entire program and there are no repercussions or rewards for failing or succeeding.

And when it comes to recidivism rates, the report found that bureau has no way of determining how effective its programs are.  

In its report, the DOJ recommends that the prison bureau establish a standardized course list for RPP programs, consider implementing tools to assess inmate programming needs and collect feedback from inmates to evaluate their programs.  

The agency said that the Bureau of Prisons was provided a draft of the report and has taken action to fulfill the recommendations.