The prison bureau's internal affairs office opened more than 4,600 misconduct investigations last year.

The federal prison system, grappling with a rise in officer misconduct investigations, should devise a plan to better assess job candidates to eliminate potentially unsuitable applicants, a U.S. Justice Department watchdog report concluded.

The report, published today by the DOJ’s inspector general office, examined the hiring practice at the federal Bureau of Prisons amid the increasing number of misconduct investigations and arrests.

The prison bureau's internal affairs office opened more than 4,600 misconduct investigations last year, double the number from a decade ago. Thirty-four corrections officers were arrested in fiscal year 2010, up from 18 reported arrests in 2001.

The report said more than half of the corrections officers who were disciplined for misconduct violated rules in the first year or two of service. DOJ investigators said the prisons department should develop a “composite scoring mechanism” to assess the suitability of applicants. BOP leaders agreed with the recommendation.

U.S. DOJ September 2011 Report:
http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/2011/e1102.pdf

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/09/doj-report-urges-enhanced-screening-of-prison-bureau-applicants-.html