US · guidance
BOP Program Statement 5566.07 § 20
USE OF FIREARMS INSIDE AN INSTITUTION
Circumstances. Only the Warden or Acting Warden can authorize the entry and/or use of a
firearm inside an institution. This occurs in the following situations:
■ life-threatening situations
■ inmates in possession of weapons
■ large-scale escape attempts
■ major disturbances involving the threat of or loss of life
■ assaults from outside the secure perimeter of the institution
■ hostage situations
The rules of the use of deadly force are established; all employees involved will be briefed on
these rules as well as the specific objectives prior to the use of deadly force.
The Operations Lieutenant can authorize entry and/or use of a firearm inside an institution only
in situations where there is a known or specific location of a firearm.
Specific to an active shooter emergency, and in the Warden’s absence, the Operations Lieutenant
can authorize the entry and/or use of a firearm inside an institution, and only then as a last resort
per the guidelines of this Program Statement and the Program Statement Correctional Services
Manual.
Firearms and Munitions. The Warden or Acting Warden will approve the type of firearms and
munitions for use in any situation involving firearms.
History
PS 5566.07 dated 2024-07-17
Provenance
- Source
- bop.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-20
- Edition
- bop-ps-2026-09-20
- Content hash
21b32a5a350b4ce00e3247aa37e47b152aad775ca8407fcdb522fd1cecd781b3
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