John,

Right now, Congress is considering spending over $500 million on building a brand-new federal prison in Eastern Kentucky — the most expensive in U.S. history. But at a time when the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is struggling with deep infrastructure and staffing issues, this move doesn’t just miss the mark — it undermines the agency’s own priorities.

The BOP operates 122 facilities with more than 3,600 buildings — many of which are in dire need of repair. The agency itself has estimated a $3 billion backlog in critical maintenance across its existing prisons.

Invest in Real Solutions Not Prisons: Rescind the $$ for Letcher Prison

Sign the Petition

Meanwhile, the staffing situation is equally alarming. According to congressional testimony by Associate Deputy Director Kathleen Toomey, the agency is currently short more than 4,000 correctional officers — a crisis impacting safety, operations, and basic programming inside prisons nationwide.

And yet, rather than addressing these urgent needs, this project proposes to spend $505 million to build a new facility on a former coal mine site — a decision that defies logic, budgetary responsibility, and the agency’s stated needs.

So what’s the best way to stop it once and for all? Pull the funding. Right now, Congress can decide to rescind the prison’s funding and that will be that. But if we don’t raise our voices to tell them to do so, this huge project might just slip through some very large cracks and move even closer to becoming a reality. 

Tell Congress: Rescind funding for the Letcher Prison project and reinvest in real solutions.

Tell Congress: Rescind funding for Letcher Prison now

Let’s make sure our resources go where they’re most needed — not into a wasteful, unnecessary facility that won’t solve the real challenges facing our federal prison system.

In solidarity,
— Dream.Org