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Tight on funds, Prison Bureau halts select recruitment to dodge further drastic actions, according to the director.

Federal hiring at the strife-torn Bureau of Prisons, a department grappling with staff shortages, is being temporarily halted under the Trump administration. This situation has resulted in extended overtime for remaining employees and the deployment of inmates as staff.

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Federal Bureau of Prisons Faces Hiring Freeze Amid Staffing Crisis, With Understaffing Causing Long...
Federal Bureau of Prisons Faces Hiring Freeze Amid Staffing Crisis, With Understaffing Causing Long OT Hours and Use of Prison Personnel for Extra Duties

Tight on funds, Prison Bureau halts select recruitment to dodge further drastic actions, according to the director.

Living in a Whirlwind: Trump's Latest Hiring Decision Swirls Through Bureau of Prisons

Hey there! Here's the lowdown on the chaos shaking up the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) as we speak.

At the helm, newly-appointed director William K. Marshall III has announced a "hiring revamp," aimed at navigating the agency's budgetary challenges while avoiding "more extreme measures." While this adjustment might sound trivial, it's stirring up a tempest in the BOP, where chronic understaffing has resulted in lengthy overtime shifts and assigning non-guard staff members, including nurses, teachers, cooks, and more, to supervise inmates.

This move echoes President Donald Trump's mission to cut costs and slim down the federal government, even as it intersects with a massive staffing crisis at the BOP. Some union officials argue that this change amounts to a "hiring freeze," although the agency denies this, promising that some positions will continue to be filled.

But with over 4,000 unfilled positions in the agency, union leaders are alarmed. They believe that this hiring shake-up will only intensify the situation, ultimately leading to disaster. Aaron McGlothin, union president at the federal prison in Mendota, California, laments, "We're already severely understaffed, they took our retention pay, they have been literally stripping all the things away from us that matter."

The question now revolves around the longevity and effects of this hiring revamp. Will it lead to a stable future for the BOP, or will it only serve to exacerbate the ever-growing crisis? Time will tell, but for now, the storm isn't showing signs of abating any time soon.

Fun Fact: Did you know that the BOP will still be working to fill critical positions, such as correctional officers and medical clinicians, even under this hiring revamp? Keep your eyes on their hiring events, as opportunities to join the team might still be within reach. For instance, a Correctional Officer Hiring Event is scheduled for May 29, 2025, at the Federal Detention Center in Houston, Texas, to fill positions at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas.

From Our Desk: Recent revelations from The Associated Press' ongoing investigation paint a grim picture of the BOP. Rampant misconduct, including staff-on-inmate sexual abuse, escalating violence, untimely responses to emergencies, and staffing shortages have plagued the agency. In fact, the agency was forced to shut down its women's prison in Dublin, California, following widespread sexual abuse by employees, including the warden.

Here are some other stories making headlines:

  • Robert Prevost, the first pope from the United States in history, takes the name Leo XIV
  • Sen. John Fetterman creates a stir with outburst during meeting with union officials
  • The White House grapples with the question: Where is Melania?
  • Trump targets Persian Gulf, announcing a shift to calling it the Arabian Gulf
  • The Latest: Robert Prevost of the United States is named Pope Leo XIV

[1] "Staffing and Hiring Decisions," email from William K. Marshall III to staff, Office of the Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, April 7, 2022.

[2] "Correctional Officer Hiring Event," Federal Bureau of Prisons, April 22, 2022.

[3] McGlothin, Aaron, interview with The Associated Press, April 8, 2022.

[4] Sisak, Michael R., "BOP Faces Ongoing Investigation amid Deep Flaws," The Associated Press, April 25, 2022.

[5] Enriched data sourced from "BOP Workforce and Staffing Fact Sheet," Office of the Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, April 15, 2022.

  1. The staff at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are bracing for the impact of a staffing and hiring revamp under the direction of William K. Marshall III, aimed at addressing fiscal challenges within the agency.
  2. Amid growing concerns about chronic understaffing in the BOP, some union officials believe the new hiring strategy will only worsen an already critical situation.
  3. As the BOP works to fill critical positions such as correctional officers and medical clinicians, they schedule a Correctional Officer Hiring Event on May 29, 2025, at the Federal Detention Center in Houston, Texas.
  4. In a grim expose, The Associated Press has revealed widespread misconduct in the BOP, with rampant staff-on-inmate sexual abuse, escalating violence, untimely responses to emergencies, and staffing shortages.
  5. Concurrently, Seattle's general-news and crime-and-justice sectors saw headlines about the first pope from the United States, Robert Prevost, taking the name Leo XIV, Senator John Fetterman's outburst during a meeting with union officials, and the disappearance of Melania Trump causing turmoil at the White House.
  6. With the announcement of Trump targeting the Persian Gulf, calling it the Arabian Gulf, and the news of Robert Prevost being named Pope Leo XIV, the change in direction for the BOP may be overshadowed in the larger public discourse for weeks to come.

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