Boosting public safety starts with fully funding federal prisons

Some self-surrender. Others are put on a bus, bound for the place they will live for a period of time. Upon arrival, the imposing razor wire, high fencing, and unmistakable sound of the gate locking behind them are stark signs that a prison sentence has begun.

Just under half a million people enter prison each year. Many Americans believe the job of public safety ends there, but 95 percent of prisoners will be released. Sadly, two out of three will be rearrested within three years, so we must think about public safety beyond the prison walls.

The stated job of the Federal Bureau of Prisons is to ensure men and women do their time “in facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure.” The bureau also offers numerous reentry programs to help people better themselves so they can return home and succeed.

But those aspirations cannot be fulfilled without proper financial support. Congress should fully fund federal prisons so the bureau is adequately staffed and equipped to safely prepare incarcerated men and women for reentry and reduce further instances of crime.

The Bureau of Prisons has a massive footprint, with prisons from Hawaii to New Hampshire and more than 153,000 prisoners in its custody. Just under 34,000 employees work........

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