30622 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 93 / Friday, May 12, 2000 / Notices

Federal programs. Applicants (other

than Federally-recognized Indian tribal

governments) should contact their State

Single Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of

which is included in the application

Kit, along with further instructions on

proposed projects serving more than one

State.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance number is: 16.603

Dated: May 5, 2000.

Morris L. Thigpen,

Director, National Institute of Corrections.

[FR Doc. 00–11898 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–36–M

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Prisons

Notice of Cancellation of the

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement for Housing the Criminal

Alien Population in Non-Federal LowSecurity Correctional Facilities

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Justice

Bureau of Prisons.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of the

programmatic environmental impact

statement.

SUMMARY: 

Proposed Action

The mission of the Federal Bureau of

Prisons (Bureau) is to protect society by

confining offenders in the controlled

environments of prison and communitybased facilities that are safe, humane,

cost-efficient, and appropriately secure,

and that provide work and other selfimprovement opportunities to assist

offenders in becoming law-abiding

citizens. In addition, the Bureau

supports the U.S. Marshals Service in its

efforts to house the growing number of

unsentenced Federal detainees, and the

Immigration and Naturalization Service

in the rapidly increasing requirements

for the detention of sentenced and

unsentenced aliens awaiting hearings

and/or release or repatriation to their

country of origination. The Bureau

accomplishes its mission through the

appropriate use of community

correction, detention, and correctional

facilities that are either: Federallyowned and operated; Federally-owned

and non-Federally operated; and nonFederally owned and operated.

The Bureau is facing a period of

unprecedented growth in its inmate

population. Projections show the federal

inmate population increasing from

approximately 120,000 inmates to

205,000 inmates by 2007. As such, the

demand for bed space within the federal

prison system will continue to grow at

a significant rate. A portion of this

growth is the result of programs

implemented by the Immigration and

Naturalization Service regarding

sentenced and unsentenced aliens.

Correctional institutions at the low

security level will be impacted

immediately because sentenced and

unsentenced aliens are typically housed

at the low security level. Due to the

current shortage of beds, especially at

the low security level, the Bureau has

been forced to manage its population by

designating minimum and medium

security level institutions as low

security institutions which, in turn,

creates a domino effect for all other

security levels. The projected

population of sentenced and

unsentenced aliens will only exacerbate

these population pressures.

Over the past several years, the

Bureau has sought flexibility in

managing the shortage of beds in the

low security level as well as the

anticipated sharp and/or short-term

increases at this security level. Such

management flexibility would have to

meet population capacity needs in a

timely fashion, comport with federal

law, and maintain fiscal responsibility,

all while successfully attaining the

mission of the Bureau. Management

flexibility includes the appropriate

contracting of non-federal correctional

facilities.

To ensure compliance with the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 (NEPA) as

amended, the Bureau initiated

preparation of a Draft Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement in

April 1999. The Draft Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement was

intended to identify and analyze

potential impacts to the natural and

manmade environments resulting from

use of non-federal correctional facilities

to house the criminal alien population.

Topics to be studied as part of the Draft

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement include: topography, geology/

soils, hydrology, biological resources,

utility services, transportation services,

cultural resources, land uses, social and

economic factors, hazardous materials,

air and noise quality, among others. As

part of that effort, the Bureau hosted

Scoping Meetings to afford the public,

regulatory agency representatives, and

elected officials an opportunity to learn

about and voice their interests and

concerns regarding the use of private

contract correctional facilities and the

Draft Programmatic EIS effort. The

Scoping Meetings were held on April

29, 1999 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

May 4, 1999 in Dallas, Texas; and May

6, 1999 in San Diego, California and

were attended by interested members of

the public.

While preparing the Draft

Programmatic EIS, the Bureau reviewed

its environmental compliance policies

and procedures for the CAR program

and has decided to pursue alternative

arrangements for complying with NEPA.

More specifically, the Bureau

determined that evaluating the

development of Federal and contract

correctional facilities was best

performed on a case-by-case basis. An

individualized approach to project

evaluation carries with it the advantages

of site-specific evaluations, greater

public participation, and tailored

mitigation plans. As a result, the Bureau

has decided to cancel the Programmatic

EIS and instead concentrate its efforts

and resources at preparing individual,

site-specific Environmental Impact

Statements for facilities proposed to

house the criminal alien population.

ADDRESSES: Questions concerning this

matter may be directed to: David J.

Dorworth, Chief, Site Selection and

Environmental Review Branch, U.S.

Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of

Prisons, 320 First Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20534, Telephone:

202–514–6470, Facsimile: 202–616–

6024, e-mail: siteselection@bop.gov.

Dated: May 5, 2000.

David J. Dorworth,

Chief, Site Selection & Environmental Review

Branch.

[FR Doc. 00–11789 Filed 5–11–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–05–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Prisons

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for Development of a MediumSecurity Federal Correctional

Institution in Pennsylvania

AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, U.S.

Department of Justice.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS).

SUMMARY:

Proposed Action

The mission of the United States

Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of

Prisons is to protect society by confining

offenders in the controlled

environments of prison and communitybased facilities that are safe, humane,

cost-efficient, and appropriately secure,

and that provide work and other selfVerDate 11<MAY>2000 16:22 May 11, 2000 Jkt 190000 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\12MYN1.SGM pfrm03 PsN: 12MYN1