WASHINGTON — The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is calling on Congress to intervene after the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced plans to close six federal correctional facilities.
The BOP announced it will close Beaumont FCI Low in Texas; Big Spring FCI and Satellite Camp in Texas; La Tuna FCI, FSL and Satellite Camp in Texas; Lexington FMC Satellite Camp in Kentucky; Petersburg FCI Low in Virginia; and Taft FCI in California.
BOP officials said the closures are part of an effort to address staffing shortages and aging infrastructure across the federal prison system. AFGE leaders, however, said the closures could further strain correctional staff and reduce operational capacity.
In a July 2 letter to members of Congress, AFGE national president Everett Kelley said Congress recently approved about $3 billion for BOP personnel and $2 billion for infrastructure through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“Those investments should be used to strengthen the federal prison system, not dismantle it,” Kelley wrote.
Kelley said closing the facilities would make communities less safe, place additional strain on correctional staff, reduce BOP’s operational capacity and eliminate federal jobs that support local economies.
The closures are expected to affect about 500 employees, with many of the impacted positions at Big Spring and La Tuna, according to AFGE. Union leaders said the move comes as BOP continues to face staffing challenges, including the loss of more than 1,400 employees last year.
AFGE Council of Prison Locals national president Brandy Moore White said the union worked with lawmakers to secure federal funding to address chronic staffing shortages, modernize aging infrastructure and strengthen BOP operations.
“We urge the Bureau to provide full transparency regarding how these decisions were reached,” Moore White said.
AFGE is urging Congress to use its oversight authority to require BOP to suspend the closures and direct the newly approved funding toward staffing, infrastructure and working conditions.
