[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82073-82074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32317]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Federal Bureau of Prisons


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for development of a Federal Correctional Institution 
and Federal Prison Camp by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal 
Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Land under consideration for development 
consists of areas located on BOP-owned property comprising the U.S. 
Penitentiary (USP) in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Background

    The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is responsible for carrying out 
judgments of the federal courts whenever a period of confinement is 
ordered. The mission of the BOP is to protect society by confining 
offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based 
facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient and appropriately 
secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities 
to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.
    The BOP is facing continuous growth in the number of federal 
inmates with projections showing the federal inmate population 
increasing from 210,227 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2010 to over 
226,000 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2013. As such, the demand for 
bedspace within the federal prison system continues to grow at a 
significant rate. At the present time, the federal inmate population 
exceeds the combined rated capacities of the existing 116 federal 
correctional facilities.
    The federal inmate population has grown dramatically over the past 
two decades. While the BOP is no longer experiencing the dramatic 
population increases of between 10,000 and 11,000 inmates per year that 
occurred from 1998 to 2001, the increases are still significant and a 
net growth of over 6,000 inmates is projected for FY 2011 and 5,600 is 
projected for FY 2012. The federal inmate population is projected to 
increase and continue to exceed the rated capacity of the BOP's 116 
institutions and current contract facilities. Currently, the BOP is 36 
percent above rated capacity system-wide in the federal prison system, 
43 percent over rated capacity at medium security facilities, and 53 
percent over rated capacity at high security institutions. As in the 
past, the BOP will continue to increase the number of beds through 
additional contract beds, acquisition and adaptation of existing 
facilities, and new prison construction as funding permits. Adding 
capacity through these various means, allows the BOP the opportunity to 
work towards keeping prison crowding at manageable levels to ensure 
both public safety and the safety of inmates within the BOP 
institutions.
    In the face of the continuing increase in the federal prison 
population, one way the BOP has expanded its capacity is through 
construction of new institutions. As part of this effort, the BOP has a 
facilities planning program featuring the identification and evaluation 
of sites for new facilities. The BOP routinely identifies prospective 
sites that may be appropriate for development of new federal 
correctional facilities determined by the need for such facilities in 
various parts of the country and the resources available to meet that 
need.
    The BOP routinely screens and evaluates private and public 
properties located throughout the nation for possible use and 
development. Over the past decade, the BOP has examined prospective 
sites for new correctional facilities development in Alabama, Kentucky, 
New Hampshire, Arizona, Mississippi, West Virginia, California and 
other locations around the country and has undertaken environmental 
impact studies in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, as amended.

[[Page 82074]]

Proposed Action

    The BOP is facing increased bedspace shortages throughout the 
federal prison system. Over the past decade, a significant influx of 
inmates has entered the federal prison system with a large portion of 
this influx originating from the north central region of the United 
States. In response, the BOP has committed significant resources to 
identifying and developing sites for new federal correctional 
facilities within this region including development of facilities in 
Florence, Colorado; Terre Haute, Indiana; Greenville, Illinois; and 
Waseca, Minnesota. Even with the development of new and expanded 
facilities, projections show the federal inmate population continuing 
to increase, placing additional demands for bedspace within the BOP's 
North Central Region.
    In response, the BOP has undertaken preliminary investigations in 
an effort to identify prospective sites capable of accommodating 
federal correctional facilities and communities willing to host such 
facilities. Through this process, the BOP has identified potential 
locations for development of new federal correctional facilities and 
several sites are under active consideration. These potential sites 
were subjected to initial studies by the BOP and those considered 
suitable for correctional facility development will be evaluated 
further by the BOP in a DEIS that will analyze the potential impacts of 
facility construction and operation.

The Process

    The process of evaluating the potential environmental impacts 
associated with federal correctional facility development and operation 
involves the analysis of many factors and features including, but not 
limited to: Topography, geology, soils, hydrology, biological 
resources, cultural resources, hazardous materials, visual and 
aesthetics features, fiscal considerations, population/employment/
housing characteristics, community services and facilities, land uses, 
utility services, transportation systems, meteorological conditions, 
air quality, and noise.

Alternatives

    In developing the DEIS, the No Action alternative, other actions 
considered and eliminated, and alternative development areas for the 
proposed Federal Correctional Institution and Federal Prison Camp will 
be examined. The areas examined will consist of BOP-owned property 
contiguous to the existing Leavenworth Institution and will be further 
defined in the EIS process.

Scoping Process

    During the preparation of the DEIS, there will be opportunities for 
public involvement in order to determine the issues to be examined. A 
Public Scoping Meeting will be held at 7 p.m., January 20, 2011, at the 
Riverfront Community Center (123 S. Esplanade Street, Leavenworth, 
Kansas). The meeting location, date, and time will be well-publicized 
and have been arranged to allow for the public as well as interested 
agencies and organizations to attend and formally express their views 
on the scope and significant issues to be studied as part of the DEIS 
process. The Scoping Meeting is being held to provide for timely public 
comments and understanding of federal plans and programs with possible 
environmental consequences as required by the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the National Historic Preservation 
Act of 1966, as amended.

Availability of DEIS

    Public notice will be given concerning the availability of the DEIS 
for public review and comment.

Contact

    Questions concerning the proposed action and the DEIS may be 
directed to: Richard A. Cohn, Chief, or Bridgette Lyles, Site Selection 
Specialist, Capacity Planning and Site Selection Branch, U.S. 
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20534, Telephone: 202-514-6470/Facsimile: 202-616-
6024/E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: December 17, 2010.
Richard A. Cohn,
Chief, Capacity Planning and Site Selection.
[FR Doc. 2010-32317 Filed 12-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P