Privacy Policy

The BOP privacy policy described below conforms to the Department of Justice's Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

If you access information on our website, the following basic information is automatically collected and stored on our servers:

  • The name of the internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you are connecting from a university's domain)
  • The Internet Protocol (IP) address (a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you are using the Internet) from which you access our site
  • The type of browser and operating system used to access our site
  • The date and time you access our site
  • The internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our site
  • The pages you visit and the information you request

The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not use this information to track the browsing of individuals who access the site. This information is primarily collected for statistical analysis and technical improvements to the site. This government computer system uses software programs to create summary statistics, which may be used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. In certain circumstances, however, we may take additional steps to identify you based on this information and we may share this information, including your identity, with other government agencies.

[Back to top]

How We Use Your Personal Information

You do not have to provide any personal information to visit this website. If you choose to provide us with personal information, such as by sending a message to an e-mail address on this website or by filling out a form and submitting it through our website, we will use that information to respond to your message or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication. If you submit your résumé to us electronically, we will use your personal information to consider your application for employment. The Bureau of Prisons does not collect or use information for commercial marketing.

We may share information you give us with contractors acting on our behalf or with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency. In other limited circumstances, such as responses to requests from Congress and private individuals, we may be required by law to disclose information you submit. If you provide comments in response to a request for public comments, we may make those comments, as well as your identity, available to the public in a publication or by posting them on our website. Where possible, we may give you more specific guidance at the point of collection regarding how your personal information may be used or disclosed.

Electronically-submitted information is maintained and destroyed according to the principles of the Federal Records Act and the regulations and records schedules of the National Archives and Records Administration, and in some cases, may be covered by the Privacy Act and subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A discussion of the FOIA can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/oip/doj-guide-freedom-information-act-0 and a discussion about the Privacy Act can be found at http://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacyact1974.htm.

Remember that e-mail is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive or includes personal information, you may prefer to send it by postal mail instead.

[Back to top]

Children

We believe in the importance of protecting the privacy of children online and do not knowingly contact or collect personal information from children under 13. Our site is not intended to solicit information of any kind from children under 13.

[Back to top]

Cookies

Website measurement and customization technologies (commonly called "cookies") are small bits of text that are downloaded to your internet browser when you visit a website. The Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies defines conditions under which Federal agencies may use session and persistent cookies, and categorizes them in "tiers" to identify their characteristics.

  • Session cookies
    Session cookies are not stored on your computer's hard drive, and are removed when you complete your session or exit the site. Some Department websites use these "Tier 1" session cookies to provide streamlined navigation and statistical analysis. No personally identifying information is gathered.
  • Persistent cookies
    "Tier 2" persistent cookies remain on your computer's hard drive after you complete an activity. Google Analytics Premium uses persistent cookies to measure how new and returning visitors use our websites over time. These persistent cookies do not collect any personally identifying information, and the information that is collected is only used to improve our website. To prevent your data from being collected, you can download and install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on created by Google. (See related: Google’s main privacy policy)

You may control permissions for cookies on this or any other website by adjusting your individual browser settings for customized privacy protection - see https://www.usa.gov/privacy for helpful guidance. You can still use Department websites if you do not accept the cookies, but you may be unable to use certain cookie-dependent features.

[Back to top]

External Sites

The Department's websites may contain links to websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. We provide these links as a service to visitors to our site. When you follow a link to an external site, you are leaving the Federal Bureau of Prisons' website and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the external site.

[Back to top]

Security

For site security purposes and to ensure this service remains available to all users, this Government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised that, if such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.

[Back to top]
Updated June 17 2015