BOP’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ Budget – Update for July 17, 2025

We post news and comment on federal criminal justice issues, focused primarily on trial and post-conviction matters, legislative initiatives, and sentencing issues.

MONEY, THAT’S WHAT I WANT

Slate magazine published a piece a week ago complaining that “the Trump administration has thrown the lives of incarcerated people into chaos—especially the more than 150,000 people under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”

Slate admitted that the BOP’s crisis has been “long-standing,” with issues ranging from crumbling infrastructure to sexual assault to severe staffing shortages. However, Slate argued, “incarcerated people and BOP experts say that in just a few short months, the Trump administration has exacerbated this crisis. He has implemented major pay cuts, issued confusing and short-sighted orders, directly targeted vulnerable incarcerated populations, and haphazardly slashed funding for crucial initiatives.”

The Slate article hit the streets only a day after Trump signed the Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1)  which passed Congress by the thinnest of margins. But it turns out that the bill may undercut any of the damage that Slate has laid at the President’s feet.

Last week, BOP Director William K. Marshall III issued a video message to staff in which he noted that HR1 “provides $3 billion in staffing support over several years… for hiring of new staff and the salary and benefits for current employees “as well as “”funding for training which will address a critical need of our employees.” The $3 billion will be spread over five years “which equates to approximately $600 million a year through Sep 30, 2029.”

The BBB also provides $2 billion “for the maintenance and repairs” of BOP facilities, which carry a price tag of almost $3 billion but a maintenance budget – before BBB – of about $150 million. Marshall said the $2 billion will be used to “tackle major repair projects that prioritize those that involve life safety security and operational agency. It is a major step forward in reducing the maintenance backlog and enhancing our facilities to meet the standards we expect in our own homes…”

The BBB’s $5 billion is a one-shot funding that will expire September 30, 2029. However, money to meaningfully address crumbling infrastructure and full staffing – which should lead to ending the frequent lockdowns and augmentation that disrupts programming – may benefit prisoners as much as it does staff.

Slate, A Surprise Target of Trump’s Cutbacks Is Devastating One Specific Population (July 5, 2025)

BOP, Director’s Message (July 11, 2025)

HR1, The Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 4, 2025)

Thomas L. Root