Latest news with #BOP
Forbes
a day ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Bureau Of Prisons Task Force Taking Shape, Challenges Remain
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 1: President Donald Trump, left, listens to Alice Johnson, whose sentence ... More Trump commuted, as she participates in the 2019 Prison Reform Summit and First Step Act Celebration at the White House, on April, 01, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Announcement The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced the formation of its First Step Act (FSA) Task Force earlier this month to target moving more inmates from federal prisons to community placement, known as prerelease custody. The BOP is also maximizing bed-space in Residential Reentry Centers (halfway houses) for those in most need of these important reentry services. The initiative is part of fully implementing the FSA, which was signed into law by Donald J. Trump in December 2018 during his first term in office. BOP Director William Marshall III stated when the Task Force was announced that, "Staff were taking the blame for delays they didn't cause. They told me their systems weren't always showing the right dates. Inmates and their families assumed they were ignoring my directive. That wasn't true for the vast majority of our staff….But let me be absolutely clear – where we find that 1% who weren't doing their jobs with integrity, we will find them and hold them accountable because accountability goes both ways.' Task Force Leadership Rick Stover, Sr. Deputy Assistant Director Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC), has had a distinguished career with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). With over three decades of correctional experience, he understands the importance of what he calls "getting the ship turned in the right direction" regarding FSA. He draws from his years of experience as a case manager, correctional programs administrator in Washington, DC, and Warden at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut. Stover was an active member of the committee responsible for selecting inmates for home confinement under the CARES Act. This act allowed the BOP to move inmates with underlying medical conditions to home confinement to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 in prison settings. As a result of the committee's efforts, nearly 50,000 inmates placed on home confinement successfully completed their sentences without incidents. This outcome highlighted that alternatives to incarceration can be effective. Stover, along with a team of over 30 analysts from the DSCC, is responsible for reviewing inmates eligible for home confinement or community custody under the First Step Act (FSA). This task force was formed due to ongoing issues with the Bureau of Prisons' computer systems, which are struggling to accurately calculate FSA credits. Each month, eligible inmates can participate in programs to earn up to 15 credits, which reduce their sentences. While the maximum reduction is capped at 365 days, inmates serving sentences longer than 48 months can use these credits toward home confinement. Since the implementation of the final rule outlining FSA guidance, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has struggled with accurately calculating the credits. The agency has focused on calculating the monthly credits without considering the projected date for earning all credits. As a result, inmates who could be placed in community halfway houses or home confinement end up staying in prison longer than necessary. Expectations Are High Prisoners I've spoken to about the Task Force have been confused by conflicting information about the FSA since it began. Case managers have struggled to understand how to combine the FSA with the Second Chance Act, a law signed by George W. Bush that allowed for up to a year of community placement. Former BOP Director Colette Peters strongly supported 'stacking,' which combined the benefits of the FSA with the community placement offered by the Second Chance Act. However, the BOP couldn't fully implement this due to capacity issues at halfway houses, as there was simply not enough room to accommodate inmates coming from institutions. While Peters' administration couldn't move more inmates to halfway houses, they did provide calculations to estimate when an inmate could leave the institution for such placement. This created additional frustration, as case managers handling the paperwork often faced resistance from Residential Reentry Managers (RRMs) who coordinate community placements. As a result, inmates became frustrated with longer stays in prison, and this frustration persists today. Stover indicated, 'While the Bureau has made marked improvements in our time credit calculation applications since the onset of the FSA statute, more improvements are needed. We have changes forthcoming that will simplify the data for both staff and inmates.' Getting The Word Out As part of the Task Force's duties within the BOP, educating decision-makers at the Agency's 122 institutions is a priority. Stover has held meetings with wardens and regional directors to discuss FSA initiatives. Recently, video training sessions were conducted across the country to inform staff about the Task Force's role and address questions. He noted, "While training to wardens and other high ranking officials is great, the most significant training that we can provide is to the case managers who are on the front lines of this issue. If they understand how the calculations work, they can better explain the process to the inmates. Once the new time credit calculations take effect, our target audience to explain the updates will be the case managers throughout the Bureau." Currently, the BOP is tackling these issues without an updated program statement, which serves as the rulebook for case managers overseeing FSA at the institutions. In the absence of this document, case managers have relied on internal memos and training to guide their work. FSA is just one part of their responsibilities, and numerous reports highlight staffing shortages, with case managers being reassigned to work as corrections officers due to inadequate staffing levels. Stover noted this policy is currently under review, and he is hopeful that expected changes to the policy can be adopted for the benefit of both staff and inmates. Working Through The List The Task Force is starting with the evaluation of those who are currently in halfway houses that could be transferred to home confinement if the inmates received the full benefit of "stacking" recommended Second Chance Act placement to FSA time credits, consistent with Director Marshall's guidance last month. The Second Chance Act limits the amount of home confinement to 6 months (or 10%) from the end of the sentence, but the end of the sentence is a moving target for some inmates because they continue to earn FSA credits each month even when they are at the halfway house. The Task Force is manually calculating these dates for inmates in halfway houses, because the BOP's own computer program currently does not calculate these dates once inmates are released from prisons into the halfway houses, although Stover indicated such calculations will occur with the recent application updates. Once that is done, then the Task Force will turn their efforts to those currently in prison and there it will get complicated. There are inmates who have received dates to transition to halfway houses but case managers previously have not revisited those dates based on the new guidance from BOP Director William Marshall III. The reasons for this are clear, it is more work for case managers who are reluctant to do work they have already done. However, as a person who has seen prison from the inside, a small effort from someone at the BOP can have life altering effects on an inmate who deserves a second chance. Stover noted, "As we manually calculate these dates and move inmates from the halfway houses to home confinement, we expect this to create a sizable number of open beds in many of our halfway houses across the country. This allows us to then revisit the placement dates for inmates currently in our institutions and increase the number of inmates that we can place in the community, and in many instances, allow inmates to get out of prison quicker to begin their transition to go home." Challenges Remain As the Task Force continues its work, some challenges persist. Unlike FSA credits, which are earned automatically, Second Chance Act community placements are discretionary and constrained by halfway house capacity. To date, the BOP has provided limited explanation to inmates about why they have not been granted full Second Chance Act placement and have offered little transparency on halfway house availability. Inmates are simply assigned a transition date with no additional details. Since placement is discretionary, pursuing relief through administrative remedies is often futile, and even taking the issue to court after exhausting remedies is unlikely to result in action. Stover said, "The plan is to change this lack of transparency. Since Day One, Director Marshall's guidance has been clear. We have an obligation to staff, inmates, and their families to be transparent, up front, and honest. FSA is a complicated statute, and we have made mistakes in the past. We own those. Moving forward, we must do better. Moving eligible inmates from prisons to the community not only saves taxpayer dollars, but it is consistent with what was expected when the FSA statute was enacted in late 2018." The BOP seeks to preserve the resources of its contracted halfway houses by prioritizing inmates who may need housing after lengthy incarcerations. While this is a reasonable approach, it results in many minimum-security inmates with sentences under 5 years—and stable home lives—being kept in institutional settings longer. At the same time, some inmates with homes are receiving extended halfway house placements, causing frustration and resentment among the broader inmate population. The Task Force is working, but it is a monumental task to overcome years of problems.
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
BGR Energy receives contract termination from TN Power Corp for major Chennai project worth Rs 2,600 crore
BGR Energy Systems has announced that it has received a termination letter from Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Ltd (TNPGCL), formerly known as TANGEDCO. The termination relates to the ₹2,600.02 crore EPC contract awarded for the Balance of Plant (BOP) and allied civil works at the 1 x 800 MW North Chennai Super Critical Thermal Power Project, Stage III. The official termination order was dated July 18, 2025, and was received by the company on July 22, 2025. In the exchange filings, BGR Energy Systems shared, 'We hereby inform you that the company has received 'termination of contract' letter from Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation Ltd (TNGCPL) (erstwhile TANGEDCO). This is with respect to establishment of 1 x 800 MW North Chennai Super Critical Thermal Power Project, Stage III – Balance of Plant (BOP) package along with allied civil works EPC contract of value Rs 2600.02 Crores' According to the disclosure, TNPGCL cited key project obligations not being fulfilled, incomplete critical systems, and lapses in insurance renewals and guarantee extensions as the reasons behind the decision. BGR Energy, however, noted that the matter is currently under arbitration before the Hon'ble High Court of Madras and expressed hope for a favorable resolution. The company also clarified that the termination does not have any significant impact on its financials or operations at this stage. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Funding, Fraud & Lawsuits: Why Every Entrepreneur Needs Insurance To Tackle Legal Risks
Last Updated: India's startup boom ranks it third globally, but rising legal risks are prompting startups to invest in liability insurance. News18 India's startup boom has turned the country into the third-largest startup ecosystem globally. But as businesses grow, so do the risks. From consumer claims and cyber threats to regulatory challenges and investment disputes, today's entrepreneurs face a host of legal vulnerabilities. In such a climate, insurance isn't just a backup plan—it's a strategic shield. Experts stress that having the right policies in place can protect founders, investors, and the businesses they're building. Why Legal Risk Is on the Rise 'As legal risks become more prominent, many startups are increasingly investing in liability insurance," says Aftab Chaz, Associate Director & Business Head at He explains that lawsuits around bodily injury, product defects, negligence, and professional errors are becoming more frequent across sectors. This trend has led to growing demand for Comprehensive General Liability, Professional Indemnity, and Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance. According to Chaz, these policies are crucial in shielding businesses from financial and reputational losses while improving investor confidence. PE and VC transactions are at an all-time high in India, but with rising deal sizes come bigger risks. Tapas Nandi, Director – Infrastructure & Energy at Alliance Insurance Brokers, notes, 'With increased financial frauds and cyber threats, even a minor slip in a major deal can cause serious damage." He recommends that early-stage startups and their investors consider a Business Owners Policy (BOP)—a bundled solution covering general liability, commercial property, and business interruption. He adds that Venture Capital Liability Insurance can help protect investors from errors, omissions, and legal challenges tied to deal-making or board-level responsibilities. Founders Must Think Holistically Mudassir Khalil, Head – Reinsurance, Surety & Liability at Digit Insurance, outlines five key insurance policies every entrepreneur should consider: Comprehensive General Liability (including product & public liability) Professional Liability Insurance (for service-related risks) D&O Insurance (to protect leadership teams) Employee Compensation (for workplace injuries) Warranty & Indemnity (W&I) Insurance (to cover deal breaches) 'These covers not only reduce financial damage during a crisis but also build a culture of risk preparedness," says Khalil. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New York Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Bondi, Burgum tour Alcatraz as Trump wants to ‘renovate and reopen' notorious island prison
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured Alcatraz Thursday as President Trump pushes to house inmates at the notorious San Francisco Bay prison more than six decades after it closed. 'Alcatraz is the brand known around the world for being effective at housing people that are in incarceration,' Burgum said of the island facility, which is currently a popular tourist destination run by the National Park Service. 'It's a federal property. Its original use was a prison,' the interior secretary said of 'The Rock' in an interview with Fox News. 'And so part of this would be to test the feasibility [of] returning it back to its original use.' Advertisement 3 The Trump administration is looking to use Alcatraz to house dangerous criminals and illegal migrants. Secretary Doug Burgum Burgum added that his department and the DOJ are taking the lead as 'work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals' begins. In May, Trump directed his administration to explore getting Alcatraz back up and running to lock away 'vicious, violent, and repeat' criminal offenders. Advertisement The president said in a Truth Social post he envisioned a 'substantially enlarged and rebuilt' prison that would 'serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.' Alcatraz operated as a major federal detention center between 1934 and 1963 and enjoyed the reputation of being nearly inescapable due to the strong currents and ice-cold temperatures of the nearby bay. Gangsters Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly were among the institution's most notorious inmates. 3 Alcatraz, located about 1.5 miles off the coast of San Francisco, was the most expensive federal prison to run when it was operational. AG Pam Bondi Advertisement The prison closed in 1963 after it was deemed too expensive to continue operating. At the time, an estimated $3-5 million ($31 million- $52 million in today's money) was needed for restoration and maintenance work vital to keeping the facility running, according to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). That figure didn't include daily operating costs, which were the highest in the federal prison system at the time because all food, water, supplies and other necessities had to be delivered by boat. At the time of its closure, Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison, according to BOP. Advertisement 3 Bondi acknowledged the facility 'needs a lot of work' before it can once again operate as a prison. AP 'It could hold middle-class violent prisoners, it could hold illegal aliens. It could hold anything,' Bondi told Fox News after touring the site. 'This is a terrific facility,' the attorney general added. 'It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive.' During Alcatraz's 29 years as a prison, 36 men made a bid for freedom — with nearly all of them dying or getting captured by guards. Brothers John and Clarence Anglin and fellow inmate Frank Morris successfully made it off the island in a daring escape attempt in 1962, but are presumed to have drowned in the bay. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who represents San Francisco in Congress, slammed the idea of refurbishing Alcatraz to house inmates as 'the stupidest initiative put forth' by the Trump administration. 'Being tough on crime is not turning Alcatraz, which won't even be a prison for a long time to come — I don't think it'll ever happen,' Pelosi said in an interview on MSNBC's 'Chris Jansing Reports' Thursday. 'This is not about being tough on crime,' she added. 'It's being frivolous about money and silly about the choices they have made.'
The Hill
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Burgum, Bondi visit Alcatraz in California as Trump calls for it to reopen
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Attorney General Pam Bondi visited Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in California on Thursday, just two months after President Trump ordered the reopening of the historic prison near San Francisco. Both Trump administration officials shared photos online from their visit to the offshore prison, which closed more than 60 years ago because of soaring costs. 'Spent the day on Alcatraz Island, a @NatlParkService site, to start the work to renovate and reopen the site to house the most dangerous criminals and illegals,' Burgum wrote on social platform X. 'This administration is restoring safety, justice, and order to our streets. @Interior & @TheJusticeDept are following a directive by @POTUS to help lead that mission.' 'A great morning at Alcatraz with @SecretaryBurgum,' Bondi added in her own post. 'Under President Trump, we are Making America Safe Again.' Trump floated the idea of reopening the prison, which became particularly well known for its portrayal in Hollywood films and for holding notable figures including Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, in May. 'For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering,' Trump posted to Truth Social at the time. 'When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm.' The president continued, 'That's the way it's supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.' 'That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders,' he added. Reopening the prison, however, will not be an easy feat. The island is now part of a national park, under the control of the Interior Department, and transferring control would require legislative action. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) notes on its website that soaring costs led the prison to close in 1963. 'An estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,' according to the BOP. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who represents the San Francisco area, ripped the administration's plan to reopen the prison, calling it Trump's 'stupidest initiative yet.' 'It should concern us all that clearly the only intellectual resources the Administration has drawn upon for this foolish notion are decades-old fictional Hollywood movies,' Pelosi wrote in a statement Wednesday. 'Make no mistake: this stupidity is a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from this Administration's cruelest actions yet in their Big, Ugly Law, which takes away food from children and rips health care from millions to give tax breaks to billionaires,' the California Democrat continued. 'It remains to be seen how this Administration could possibly afford to spend billions to convert and maintain Alcatraz as a prison when they are already adding trillions of dollars to the national debt with their sinful law,' she added.
