Bureau of Prisons director exits as Trump Justice Department reforms take shape

The director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has resigned from her position, while a Biden-era executive order intended to phase out the use of private prisons has been repealed amid That of President Donald Trump efforts to implement drastic reforms in the Department of Justice.

Colette Peters, who has led the BOP since August 2022, is leaving as director of the beleaguered agency, and has been replaced by William Lothrop, who had been the BOP’s deputy director.

Peters was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 and cast himself as a reform-minded outsider tasked with rebuilding an agency plagued for years by understaffing, widespread corruption, misconduct and abuse.

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The agency has nearly 36,000 employees and is responsible for more than 155,000 federal inmates.

Lothrop, who says he has more than 30 years of experience working at the BOP, announced the change in a statement Tuesday, the day after President Trump was sworn into office. The BOP director is not subject to Senate confirmation, according to legal news service Law 360.

“On January 20, 2025, Director Peters separated from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and I will serve as Acting Director,” Lothrop said. “As we face ongoing challenges such as staff shortages and operational issues, I am committed to working alongside you to find real solutions that strengthen our facilities. We will continue to collaborate with our partners and law enforcement stakeholders to maintain robust programming and support services for inmates.”

“Our mission remains clear: to provide a safe, secure and humane environment, ensure public safety and prepare those in our custody for successful re-entry into society,” their statement added.

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Shortly after Trump was elected, Peters announced the closure of six federal prison camps for men and one facility for women, including the scandal-hit Federal Correctional Institution Dublin, Californiaby Forbes.

FCI Dublin had earned the nickname “rape club” after the Department of Justice in December ordered to pay nearly $116 million to 103 women who claim to have been abused there.

Former prison warden Ray Garcia and at least seven other employees they are now in prison for sexually abusing inmates.

During his Peters tenure, he appeared before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and spoke about the challenges facing the BOP, but had trouble getting results.

In September 2023, Peters was rebuked by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, who said Peters made them wait more than a year for answers to follow-up questions writings sent to her after she first appeared before the committee in September 2022, leaving them without critical information to fully understand how the agency works.

Peters also irritated senators by claiming he could not answer even the most basic questions about the agency’s operations, such as how many corrections officers are on staff, and by referring to memos and talking points in a tablet in front of her.

In 2024, then-President Biden signed the Federal Prison Oversight Act, which allowed the Office of Inspector General to conduct more unannounced prison inspections, according to Forbes.

Of the inspections the OIG has done over the years, it found significant staff shortages, poor medical care for inmates, rotten food and filthy living conditions. Peters said he welcomed the law, but it had not yet been funded.

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Trump revoked Executive Order 14006, which he had eliminated Department of Justice contracts with private prisons. The reversal now allows for new contracts between private prison corporations and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.