The Freedom of Information Act applies to all information and records with strictly-limited exceptions. Most BOP Program Statements (policies) are included on this website, except those classified as Limited Official Use Only and a few that are not of sufficient public interest.

Some material in Program Statements may be "redacted" or withheld. Redacted material is indicated in the text by a bold number in brackets; i.e.,[§552(b)(2)]. The number refers to one of the FOIA exemptions.

FOIA Exemptions:

• Information properly classified as secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy
• Related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency
• Information specifically made confidential by other statutes
• Trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential
• Inter- or intra-agency memoranda or letters, except under certain circumstances
• Personnel and medical files and similar files, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
• Information compiled for law enforcement purposes, under certain conditions
• Contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports concering financial institutions
• Geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning oil wells

Please go to the Freedom of Information Act area of this website for further information on this subject.