Two U.S. senators have written a letter to the Bureau of Prisons asking for information on its efforts to reduce recidivism (convicted criminals reoffending) rates across the prison system.
Senators James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Gary Peters (D-Michigan) wrote the letter, dated Nov. 12 and obtained by the Washington Examiner, in response to alleged concerns that the federal prison system has rejected numerous requests from faith-based groups to help reduce recidivism.
“As you know,” the senators wrote, “the FSA [First Step Act] prioritized recidivism reduction programming within BOP (Bureau of Prisons) and required that BOP work with ‘nonprofit(s)’ and other private organizations, including faith-based, art, and community-based organizations that will deliver recidivism reduction programming on a paid or volunteer basis.”
Lankford and Peters say they have learned that the agency received applications from eight groups with religious affiliations that specialized in recidivism reduction but only partially accepted two of them.
Five of the eight applications were denied and a sixth remains pending.
“These numbers are concerning, particularly at a time when individuals across the BOP system are on waitlists to participate in [evidence-based recidivism reduction] programming,” the senators wrote.
The letter calls on the bureau to ensure a diverse range of community-based, private and nonprofit program options are available across federal prison facilities, as directed by the FSA, which was signed into law over five years ago.
The FSA was one of President-elect Donald Trump’s chief accomplishments during his first term in office. It was designed to lower the prison population, in part by improving recidivism, that is, lowering the number of people who commit crimes after leaving prison. Recidivism services could include developing mental health treatment plans for inmates or helping them find housing when their sentences end.
However, the letter says, implementation of the recidivism reduction partnerships appears stagnant, although the bureau has expanded its programming capacity by adding staff and creating new programs.
The letter requested the Bureau of Prisons director to provide them with all documents pertaining to the application and selection process for evidence-based recidivism reduction programs, including any that detail the factors used to weigh and select external applicants.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who served two terms in the Louisiana legislature, reacted to the senators’ letter.
“This is concerning,” he tweeted on X. “During my time in office, I helped expand the prison access of faith-based groups, and recidivism rates dropped significantly. Life change—built on the foundational knowledge of God’s love and forgiveness—can have lasting effects.”
