FPI Public Access Meetings

The next meeting will be determined at a later date.

Federal Prison Industries (FPI or trade name UNICOR) is pleased to announce its efforts to provide increased opportunity for the public to receive and provide information concerning FPI’s business practices and operations. These efforts are in response to requests from outside parties to FPI’s Board of Directors for increased ability to provide comments and information directly to the Board of Directors.

By way of background, FPI is a wholly-owned government corporation, established by Congress in 1934. Its mission is to employ and provide job skills training to the greatest practicable number of inmates confined within the Federal Bureau of Prisons; contribute to the safety and security of our Nation’s correctional facilities by keeping inmates constructively occupied; produce market-priced quality goods and services for sale to the Federal government; operate in a self-sustaining manner; and minimize FPI’s impact on private business and labor.

FPI currently has procedures in place that afford the public the opportunity to provide comments concerning its business operations. Part 302 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) contains a section entitled "Comments on UNICOR Business Operations." Section (a) provides that "any interested person having any comment concerning the business operations of [FPI] may write to the Chief Operating Officer of UNICOR, or to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of UNICOR, and bring such matters to the attention of either or both officials. Where appropriate, a response shall be promptly made. The Board shall be kept advised of all comments and responses." Section (b) provides that such requests should be sent to UNICOR’s address with the notation "Attn: Comment Procedures."

In addition, FPI’s statute and its "Public Involvement Procedures", which set forth applicable procedures concerning the guidelines process, also provide the public the opportunity to provide comments. These apply to FPI proposals to produce a new product or to significantly increase production of an existing product. As part of this process, the public is afforded the opportunity to provide comments and in person presentations to the Board during hearings that are held to review such proposals.

Except as provided in FPI’s statute and its policy concerning public involvement procedures during the guidelines process (described above) there are no provisions in law or policy requiring FPI to involve the public at its Board meetings. The Government in Sunshine Act does not apply to the actions and meetings of the FPI Board of Directors because FPI’s Board members are not appointed by the President "with the advice and consent of the Senate." The Federal Advisory Committee Act also does not apply to the Board’s actions because the Board’s statutory role is to administer the FPI corporation, not merely to serve in an advisory capacity.

To enhance greater public opportunity to provide comments, the Board of Directors has recently authorized the initiation of the following measures in addition to the procedures described above:

(1) Increased Opportunity for the Public to Provide Comments During Meetings of the Board of Directors

Although there is no requirement to do so, FPI’s Board of Directors is providing increased opportunity for the public to provide comments at its Board meetings. In furtherance of this objective, a designated portion of each Board meeting held in Washington D.C. is planned to be allocated for persons to attend and provide oral and/or written comments. An updated posting of the specific dates of such meetings will be provided on the FPI website, www.unicor.gov.

The portion of time allocated may vary depending upon the Board’s schedule and whether there are any requests made by the public to attend. In order to allow FPI staff and Board members adequate time to review and be responsive to such requests, persons who are interested in attending the meetings are requested to provide FPI staff notice at least 15 days prior to a meeting. Consistent with FPI’s regulations at 28 CFR Part 302 concerning comments regarding UNICOR operations generally, such requests should be made to either FPI’s Chief Operating Officer or to the Chairman of the Board. Requests of a legal nature should be coordinated through FPI’s General Counsel. All requests should be sent to FPI’s address as follows: Federal Prison Industries, 320 First Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20534.

(2) Senior Management Staff Plan to Have Meetings Every Month That Will be Open to the Public

As an additional step toward promoting public involvement, FPI’s Board has requested that FPI’s senior management staff have regularly scheduled public meetings, at least quarterly. Starting on March 16, 2001, FPI senior management staff are planning to have monthly meetings, to be held at FPI headquarters on the third Friday of each month from 10 a.m. until approximately 12:00 p.m. At these meetings, FPI senior management staff will provide informational briefings and entertain questions from the public. To the extent available, these meetings will include FPI senior corporate officers (Chief Operating Officer, Deputies, and General Counsel), FPI Executive Assistant, FPI Ombudsman, and other management officials designated by FPI’s Chief Operating Officer.