An Obama-era directive to phase out federal prisons has been reversed by the new administration, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
“The memorandum changed long-standing policy and practice, and impaired the Bureau’s ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote in a brief note to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). “Therefore, I direct the Bureau to return to its previous approach.”
This rescinds a previous memo from former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who in 2016 called for reducing the use of private prisons.
