BOP Program Statement 5553.09 § 3

For the purposes of this program statement, the term “escape” is departure from custody without

permission or authority or before official release. If there is an indication of a threat to any

official, victim, or witness, immediate notification must be made to those persons.

a. Notification of Bureau Officials. The following procedures are to be utilized to notify Bureau

officials following an escape.

(1) Escape During Regular Workday. The Warden or designee notifies the Regional Director

of the escape immediately by telephone and confirms this notification by sending an electronic

BP-E583, Report of Incident, to the Regional Office with an information copy to the

Correctional Services Administrator, Central Office. The Warden or designee notifies the DSCC

via a copy of the BP-A0393, Notice of Escaped Federal Prisoner via electronic message within

one calendar day.

(2) Escape After Regular Workday. The Institution Duty Officer reports the escape in

accordance with the Program Statement Duty Officers. The Warden or designee confirms this

notification by sending an electronic BP-E583, Report of Incident to the Regional Director in

accordance with the Program Statement Correctional Services Procedures Manual. The

Warden or designee notifies the DSCC via a copy of the BP-A0393, Notice of Escaped Federal

Prisoner via electronic message within one calendar day.

b. Notification of Federal Officials. The following procedures are to be utilized to notify federal

officials following an escape.

(1) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Warden or designee notifies the FBI office,

having jurisdiction over the institution, immediately by telephone. A copy of the BP-A0393,

Notice of Escaped Federal Prisoner must be sent to the FBI via electronic message or fax. A

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copy of the electronic message or fax transmittal will be filed in the Judgment and Commitment

(J&C) file along with the original BP-A0393.

(2) U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). The Warden or designee notifies the USMS office having

jurisdiction over the institution immediately by telephone. A copy of the BP-A0393, Notice of

Escaped Federal Prisoner must be sent to the USMS via electronic message or fax. A copy of the

electronic message or fax transmittal will be filed in the Judgment and Commitment (J&C) file

along with the original BP-A0393.

(3) Court Officials. The Warden or designee notifies the sentencing U.S. District Judge(s) and

any other judge or court official who may have a special interest in the inmate’s location. The

notification will be sent via a letter and provide escape information and include a copy of the BP-A0393, Notice of Escaped Federal Prisoner. In the event the escapee is a D.C. Code offender, the

letter will be sent to the D.C. Superior Court sentencing judge.

Copies of the letter will also be sent via electronic message or fax to the sentencing district’s U.S.

Attorney and Chief U.S. Probation Officer, and to the Chief U.S. Probation Office for the district

the institution is located in. The Warden or designee sends the original letter(s) via regular mail.

For D.C. Code offenders, copies will be sent to the Chief, Superior Court Division, and Court

Services and Supervision Agency (CSOSA).

If the escapee poses a threat to any official, the Warden or designee must alert that official by

telephone immediately and document the contact in the Privacy Folder, Section II, of the Inmate

Central File.

(4) Military Officials. If a military inmate escapes, the Warden or designee notifies the United

States Disciplinary Barracks (USDB), no later than the next day via telephone. The Warden or

designee confirms the notification with a letter that provides escape information, with a copy to

the Regional Director. Refer to Correctional Programs Branch page of the Bureau’s intranet site

for address information.

c. Additional Escape Notification Procedures for Specific Cases.

(1) Victim/Witness Program (VWP) Assignment. Unit Management staff must notify each

victim/witness by telephone immediately after the escape is confirmed and provide the date and

time of the VWP inmate’s escape. Further notification information is detailed in the Program

Statement Victim and Witness Notification Program.

(2) State Boarder. If a state boarder escapes, the Warden or designee notifies the director of the

appropriate department of corrections by telephone, no later than the next workday. The Warden

or designee confirms the notification with a letter that provides escape information, with a copy

to the Regional Director.

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(3) Pretrial Inmate or Material Witness. If a pretrial inmate or a material witness escapes, the

Warden or designee notifies the Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to the case by telephone, no

later than the next workday. The Warden or designee confirms the notification with a letter that

provides escape information, with a copy to the Regional Director.

(4) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee. If an ICE detainee escapes, the

Warden or designee or the Residential Reentry Manager (RRM) notifies the Assistant Director,

Correctional Programs Division, and the local ICE office by telephone no later than the next

workday. The Warden or designee or RRM confirms the notification with a letter that provides

escape information, with a copy to the Regional Director. ICE is responsible for further

notification.

(5) Holdover. If a Bureau holdover inmate escapes, the holding institution applies the

notification procedures of this program statement, as applicable. If the holdover is a non-Bureau

inmate, the agency responsible for the inmate must be notified by telephone no later than the

next workday. The Warden or designee confirms the notification by a letter that provides escape

information, with a copy to the Regional Director.

(6) Witness Security Program (WITSEC) Case. If a WITSEC inmate escapes, the Warden or

designee, in addition to notifying the Regional Director, must telephone the Inmate Monitoring

Section (IMS), Central Office, immediately if the escape occurs during a regular workday.

If the escape occurs after a regular workday, the IMS Duty Officer must be notified immediately

after the escape is confirmed. Notification procedures must be in accordance with the Program

Statement Duty Officers, except that IMS is responsible for notifying federal, state, consulate

officials, and victims or witnesses.

(7) Residential Reentry Center (RRC) Escape. If an inmate escapes from an RRC, the RRM

makes the necessary notifications. Further notification procedures for inmates who escape while

on furlough from an RRC are in the Program Statement Community Corrections Manual.

If an inmate escapes while on a transfer furlough from an institution to an RRC, the sending

institution makes the notifications.

(8) Non-U.S. Citizen. If a non-U.S. citizen escapes, the Warden or designee notifies the

appropriate consulate official by telephone immediately. The Warden or designee confirms the

notification with a letter that provides escape information, with a copy to the Regional Director.

(9) Domestic and International Terrorists. When an inmate with a Security Threat Group

(STG) assignment of Domestic or International Terrorist escapes, the Warden or designee will

notify the Intelligence and Counterterrorism Branch, Correctional Programs Division, Central

Office the same day as the escape by e-mail and advise them of the date and time of the inmate’s

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escape.