Opinion ID: 2972073
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: Dismas Charities, Inc. (“Dismas”) filed suit on March 10, 2003, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”). The controversy stems from a recent change in the BOP’s interpretation of 18 U.S.C. § 3621(b), which governs the BOP’s assignment of federal prisoners. The new interpretation curtails the circumstances in which federal prisoners1 are eligible to serve all or part of their sentences in a community correction center (“CCC”). Dismas alleges that the new interpretation of § 3621(b) is arbitrary and capricious, and that before changing its interpretation of § 3621(b), the BOP failed to abide2 by the notice and comment provisions contained in § 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act. The district court dismissed Dismas’s claims, finding that Dismas was not within the zone of interests protected by § 3621(b), and therefore lacked standing. Dismas appeals the dismissal, arguing that its mission and values are within the zone of interests protected by § 3621(b). We affirm the district court’s judgment. Dismas lacks standing under § 3621(b) because it is not within the zone of interests sought to be protected by Congress when enacting the statute. Although this does not dispose of Dismas’s claim under § 553 of the APA, for which Dismas does have standing, the latter claim fails because the APA does not require notice and comment in the circumstances alleged in this case.