Federal Bureau of Prisons plans to ‘deactivate’ facility in Duluth

The Federal Bureau of Prisons on Thursday announced it plans to “deactivate” several of its facilities across the country, including the federal prison camp in Duluth.

“FPC Duluth has an aging and dilapidated infrastructure, including several condemned buildings that have contaminants such as asbestos and lead paint,” federal prison officials said in the announcement. The agency also informed Congress of its plans.

The Duluth Federal Prison Camp is a minimum-security facility located near the Duluth International Airport. The move to suspend operations — short of a permanent closure — will affect more than 700 inmates currently housed there, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. They’ll be moved to other federal facilities.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons said most of the 89 employees currently working at the prison camp will be offered positions at the federal prison in Sandstone.

In addition to aging buildings and budgetary concerns, the agency said the moves announced Thursday are aimed at addressing longstanding staffing shortages.

“The FBOP is not downsizing and we are committed to finding positions for every employee who wants to remain with the agency,” the agency said in its announcement. “The movement of these employees will positively impact our staffing levels at several institutions and mitigate mandatory overtime and augmentation which will help alleviate the exhaustion our employees feel.”