FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 02, 2026
July 02, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE Urges Congress to Prevent Dangerous Bureau of Prisons Closures
Categories:
BOP
Planned closure of six BOP facilities will endanger communities and strain workforce that’s already stretched thin, union leaders say
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees is calling on Congress to intervene to prevent the Bureau of Prisons from closing six federal correctional institutions.
On Wednesday, BOP announced plans to close the following institutions: Beaumont FCI Low (Texas); Big Spring FCI and Satellite Camp (Texas); La Tuna FCI, FSL, and Satellite Camp (Texas); Lexington FMC Satellite Camp (Kentucky); Petersburg FCI Low (Virginia); and Taft FCI (California).
While the bureau is citing staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure as the reasons for these closures, Congress already has provided BOP with about $3 billion for personnel and $2 billion for infrastructure through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to address those exact challenges, AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a July 2 letter to members of Congress.
“Those investments should be used to strengthen the federal prison system, not dismantle it,” Kelley wrote. “Closing these facilities will make communities less safe, place greater strain on already overworked correctional staff, reduce the Bureau’s operational capacity, and eliminate federal jobs that support families and local economies. It also abandons communities that have long partnered with the federal government to fulfill an essential public safety mission.”
Closing the facilities will affect about 500employees – mostly at Big Spring and La Tuna – exacerbating staffing shortages that have resulted in overcrowded facilities. More than 1,400 BOP staff left the agency last year – many for Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to the higher salaries and signing bonuses being offered by that agency.
“I am deeply concerned by the Bureau of Prisons’ decision to close multiple federal correctional facilities so soon after Congress approved nearly $5 billion for the Bureau through the One Big Beautiful Bill,” AFGE Council of Prison Locals National President Brandy Moore White said.
“The Council of Prison Locals worked diligently with lawmakers to secure this historic investment to address chronic staffing shortages, modernize aging infrastructure, and strengthen the Bureau’s mission—not reduce its footprint or displace dedicated correctional professionals. We urge the Bureau to provide full transparency regarding how these decisions were reached,” she said.
AFGE urges Congress to exercise its oversight authority and require BOP to suspend these closures so the funding that has been appropriated can be used to improve staffing and working conditions as lawmakers intended.
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