WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) notified Congress of its intent to suspend operations and move forward with the permanent closure of one facility and deactivation of several facilities.
Among the facilities being deactivated is FPC Morgantown on Green Bag Road. According to a release from the FBOP, employees at FPC Morgantown will be reassigned to FCC Hazelton in Preston County. Inmates at FPC Morgantown will be moved to other FBOP minimum security facilities. FBOP said there are about 150 employees at the soon-to-be deactivated prison camp in Morgantown.
According to the release, the FBOP faces several significant challenges, including a critical staffing shortage, crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources. These actions are part of the ongoing efforts by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBOP to address long standing staffing shortages and maintenance and repair needs across the agency.
“The DOJ and FBOP have made the case for additional resources many times and have recently offered the proposal to Congress through technical assistance,” the release states.
Impact on employees
Many employees affected by this decision will move from one part of a facility to another part of the same facility. The remaining employees will have the opportunity to move to different FBOP facilities. The FBOP is not downsizing and is committed to finding positions for every employee who wants to remain with the agency. The movement of these employees will positively impact staffing levels at several institutions and mitigate mandatory overtime and augmentation which will help alleviate the exhaustion our employees feel.
Impact on those in custody
Those in custody will move to different facilities. The organization says it will make every effort to place adults in custody (AIC) in facilities that are within 500 miles of their intended release location, taking into account factors such as programming needs.
FBOP leadership has agreed to move forward with strategic realignment at these seven locations:
Deactivate
• FPC Morgantown, Morgantown: Maximize existing resources at FCC Hazelton by suspending operations at FPC Morgantown and reassigning employees to FCC Hazelton. There are approximately 150 employees at FPC Morgantown. AICs at FPC Morgantown will move to other FBOP minimum security facilities.
• FCI Oxford satellite camp (SCP), Oxford, Wisc.: To maximize existing resources at FCI Oxford, the FBOP moved all AICs from the satellite camp to other institutions in June 2024. Employees at the satellite camp were moved to the FCI.
• FPC Duluth, Duluth, Minn.: Maximize existing resources and mitigate safety concerns at FPC Duluth by moving employees and AICs to other institutions. FPC Duluth has an aging and dilapidated infrastructure, including several condemned buildings that have contaminants such as asbestos and lead paint. Employees working at FPC Duluth will be moved primarily to nearby FCI Sandstone. There are currently 89 employees at FPC Duluth.
• FCI Englewood satellite camp (SCP), Littleton, Colo.: Maximize existing resources and mitigate safety concerns by moving SCP employees to FCI Englewood and moving AICs to other institutions. SCP Englewood has an aging and dilapidated infrastructure, and the FBOP’s preliminary estimates are that it will cost $26,000,000 to repair the SCP.
• FCI Loretto satellite camp (SCP), Loretto, Pa.: Maximize existing resources by moving SCP employees to the FCI and moving camp AICs to other institutions.
• FPC Pensacola, Pensacola, Fla.: Maximize existing resources and mitigate safety concerns at FPC Pensacola by suspending operations and moving employees and AICs to other institutions. This will also help alleviate the staffing shortages across the FBOP. The structures that make up FPC Pensacola are owned by the US Navy, which is in the process of moving all its assets to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, approximately 15 minutes away. The Navy is scheduled to demolish the vacated buildings, which are in significant disrepair. Therefore, the FBOP will move AICs to other minimum security facilities. The FBOP will work with employees to place them in positions at other facilities. The closest neighboring institution is FCI Marianna, which is 2 hours away. There are 105 employees at FPC Pensacola.
SUBHEAD 10 PT CENTERED: Permanently close
• FCI Dublin, Dublin, Calif.: Since temporarily closing FCI Dublin earlier this year, the FBOP completed a security and infrastructure assessment of the facility. The assessment identified considerable repairs needed to reopen the facility. Beyond facility conditions, low staffing has been a persistent challenge at FCI Dublin. Due to the high cost of living and competition from other area law enforcement agencies, the FBOP has been unable to maintain staffing levels at the facility. As the agency navigates a challenging budgetary and staffing environment, we must make incredibly difficult decisions. FCI Dublin will not reopen. We understand the impact the closure will have on our employees and are committed to ensuring all are able to continue accomplishing the agency’s mission at other locations.
