(BOP) The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP or Bureau) is taking decisive action to strengthen its workforce and support the employees who carry out its mission each day. On October 4, the Human Resource Management Division launched Operation Full-Strength, an initiative to hire 4,500 new employees this fiscal year. The effort directly responds to what staff across the agency have expressed: the need for timely relief, meaningful support, and dependable staffing.
Operation Full-Strength was created to address long-standing hiring challenges. For years, BOP’s institution-based hiring model made it difficult to recruit quickly and consistently nationwide. To solve this, BOP developed a fully virtual, centralized hiring system capable of processing thousands of hires within 12 months. This modernization delivers the speed, efficiency, and consistency needed to support safe and stable operations.
The initiative also aligns with agency priorities supported through the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB). BBB provides essential staffing resources, and BOP’s streamlined hiring processes ensure those resources translate into measurable results: safer institutions, reduced strain on staff, and improved workforce stability. Together, BBB investment and hiring modernization form a unified strategy that strengthens operational readiness.
Thanks to improvements rolled out in August, hiring timelines that once took months now take only weeks. In the past month alone, BOP onboarded 645 Correctional Officers, covering an estimated 6,500 shifts per pay period without mandates or augmentation. These gains deliver immediate relief and help stabilize operations across the system.
Operation Full-Strength extends beyond Correctional Officers. The initiative aims to fill vacancies across all disciplines, including medical and health care, psychology services, case management, education and vocational training, administrative support, and facilities and maintenance. Institutions with the lowest staffing levels will see the largest increases, including Aliceville, Allenwood, Bastrop, Beaumont, Bennettsville, Berlin, Bryan, Carswell, Devens, Edgefield, El Reno, Englewood, Estill, Florence, Forrest City, Fort Worth, Gilmer, Hazelton, Herlong, Honolulu, Leavenworth, Lexington, Lewisburg, Memphis, Mendota, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pollock, Petersburg, Ray Brook, Sheridan, Waseca, Williamsburg, and Yazoo City. The goal is to meet and sustain full operational staffing across every location.
Operation Full-Strength is more than a hiring effort. It is an investment in people, mission, and the long-term resilience of the Bureau. By improving applicant throughput and reducing workload pressures, BOP is strengthening its workforce and enhancing safety for both staff and those in our care.
“Operation Full-Strength reflects our commitment to supporting staff through faster hiring, better processes, and a workforce capable of meeting mission demands. We are already seeing measurable progress where it matters most, and we will continue to drive improvements that strengthen public safety and support our employees,” said Malia Wilber, Assistant Director for the Human Resource Management Division.
Tammy Robles, Lead of the Operation Full-Strength initiative, added, “By centralizing and modernizing our hiring approach, BOP is not only hiring faster, we are building long-term stability across all institutions. Operation Full-Strength represents a major step forward in strengthening our workforce and supporting the Bureau’s mission.”
With a modernized hiring system, increased staffing, and a renewed focus on operational readiness, Operation Full-Strength marks a pivotal moment for BOP. One hire at a time, the Bureau is building a safer, stronger, and more resilient organization that strengthens public safety.