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Federal Bureau of Prisons announces new acting director amid leadership change

Acting Director William Lothrop vows to address staffing shortages and operational improvements

Federal Bureau of Prisons

FILE - A sign for the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons is displayed in the Brooklyn borough of New York, July 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Mark Lennihan/AP

By Corrections1 Staff

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Prisons has named an acting director after the current director stepped down.

In a statement on Jan. 21, the BOP said Colette Peters separated from the agency. The BOP named William Lothrop as acting director.

“As we face ongoing challenges, including staffing shortages and operational issues, I am committed to working alongside you to find real solutions that strengthen our facilities,” Lothrop said in the statement. “We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners and stakeholders to maintain robust programming and support services for inmates.”

Peters, who served as the director for around 2 and a half years, resigned on Jan. 20 as President Donald Trump was inaugurated, according to Forbes.

On his first day as president, Trump announced a temporary hiring freeze for all federal positions and mandated the return of all employees to the office, ending a policy rooted in the COVID-19 era.

Regarding corrections, Trump issued an executive order reversing former President Joe Biden’s ban on private prisons.

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