Nearly half of deputies who conducted such inspections in 2023 never had training on how to do it, said GAO. Image: Elliott Cowand Jr/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe GAO has called on the U.S. Marshals Service to improve training for its deputies who inspect private and local detention facilities that house individuals in its custody to determine if they meet federal standards for healthcare, sanitation, and other detention conditions.
The Marshals Service uses those facilities, along with federal prisons, because it does not itself own or operate detention facilities for the nearly 60,000 persons in its custody, the report noted. However, the GAO said that deputies who conduct reviews of facilities other than BOP prisons “have limited guidance on how to complete them.”
Nearly half of deputies who conducted such inspections in 2023 never had training on how to do it, while nearly half of the rest haven’t been trained since 2015, the GAO found. Further, the Marshals Service has conducted no such training since 2020, and while it has efforts underway to revise its training, “it has not developed a plan and time frames to complete the revisions and ensure deputies receive it.”
The agency also has not analyzed complaints that it receives regarding the facilities to determine trends such as the nature or number of inquiries related to certain facilities, the GAO said. And while it has a performance goal that private facilities meet minimum detention standards and assigns them ratings based on facility reviews, it does not do the same for local facilities, the report said.
Agency management agreed with recommendations to develop guidance as well as a plan with time frames to provide deputies with training; routinely analyze detention operations data; and establish performance goals for the conditions at local detention facilities.
Senate Eyes Vote to Pay Federal Employees Working Unpaid
Series of Bills Offered to Address Shutdown’s Impact on Employees
Public Starting to Feel Impact of Shutdown, Survey Shows
OPM Details Coverage Changes, Plan Dropouts for FEHB/PSHB in 2026
Does My FEHB/PSHB Plan Stack Up? Here’s How to Tell
2025 TSP Rollercoaster and the G Fund Merry-go-Round
See also,
TSP Takes Step toward Upcoming In-Plan Roth Conversions
5 Steps to Protect Your Federal Job During the Shutdown
Over 30K TSP Accounts Have Crossed the Million Mark in 2025
