William W. Lothrop, previously deputy director of BOP who is a 30-year-plus veteran of the agency, has taken over as acting director. The BOP director is not subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate (BOP press release available here).
“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.
On his first day as president, Trump announced a temporary hiring freeze for all federal positions.
Regarding corrections, Trump issued an executive order reversing former President Joe Biden’s ban on private prisons. The reversal now allows for new contracts between private prison corporations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
In 2024, then President Biden signed the Federal Prison Oversight Law, which allowed the Office of Inspector General to conduct more unannounced prison inspections.
Of the inspections OIG has done over the years, it found significant shortages of staff, poor medical care for prisoners, rotten food and dirty living conditions.