Bureau of Prisons

The Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons, a civilian sub-agency under the Justice Department that procures goods, services, and facilities to operate and maintain the federal prison system, has recorded 844,782 federal contract awards with a combined potential value of $64.22 billion since 1978. Recent contract activity has declined: 22,315 awards in 2023, 20,759 in 2024, 19,458 in 2025, 14,164 in 2026, and 22 recorded so far in 2027. The most recently recorded award date is in 2027. The Bureau has obligated $56.8 billion (88% of combined potential value) across these awards and transacts with 30,881 distinct prime contractors.

The competitive landscape is moderately concentrated. Over the last five years, McKesson Corporation dominates by award count with 9,470 awards and $1.47 billion combined potential value, followed by Naphcare LLC (3,007 awards, $772.1 million) and Krueger International, Inc. (2,775 awards, $217 million). The top five primes by award count account for 19% of recent awards; by potential value, they account for only 5%, reflecting that many high-count vendors transact through smaller-value task orders or purchase orders. The remaining competitive base spans thousands of smaller and regional vendors.

Set-aside usage is heavily skewed toward open competition: 79% of awards carry no set-aside designation. Total small business set-asides comprise 20% of awards, dominated by unrestricted small business awards (166,208 awards). 8(a) Sole Source and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business awards each represent less than 1% of the portfolio. Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone, and other designated set-asides are minimal.

The Bureau also holds five grant awards totaling $3.7 million in combined federal obligations, all issued in 2009 as Project Grants. Grant activity has been dormant since that period and represents a negligible portion of the Bureau's transactional footprint.

Recent contract opportunities span subsistence (bread, hamburger buns, assorted items), medical services (comprehensive medical services, diagnostic imaging, tattoo removal, optometrist services), facilities maintenance and construction (roofing, shower partitions, generators and electrical infrastructure, pharmacy cleanroom upgrades, water loop repairs), residential reentry and home confinement services across multiple geographic regions, and medical waste disposal. Residential reentry and home confinement services represent a growing solicitation pipeline with multiple RFPs and RFIs posted in October 2026, including opportunities in the Hampton Roads area (due December 22, 2026), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (RFP due January 15, 2027), Kentucky counties (due December 9, 2026), and South Dakota counties (RFI due November 13, 2026). Construction and facilities projects carry due dates from late October through November 2026. The Bureau also solicits through Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR) for electrical components and other supplies, typically as small-business-set-aside RFQs due within one to two weeks of posting.

The Bureau of Prisons manages federal prisons, and community-based facilities that provide work and opportunities to assist offenders.