By C1 Staff
WASHINGTON — With federal inmate populations already on the decline, the Department of Justice is looking for more ways to slash it further in order to save money, according to a new memo released by the department.
The Hill reports that even with a decrease between fiscal years 2013 and 2014, the DOJ spent 25 percent of its budget on the Bureau of Prisons this year.
Rising healthcare costs and an aging inmate population only promise more costs in the future.
Hepatitis C virus is one of the most costly treatments, with new FDA regimens raising the price even further.
To combat overcrowding, the DOJ is working on changing prosecution, sentencing and early release programs, requesting $173 million in its 2015 budget to support a Smart on Crime initiative. Overall the DOJ is working to keep low-level offenders out of prisons.
They are also looking to build more prisons to create beds, but advocates believe this is a step backward in reducing the federal inmate population.