Department of Justice Awarded a Contract to FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC for $51,450.00

Summary of Award

The contract detailed in the provided JSON data from usaspending.gov is a purchase order awarded by the United States federal government to Federal Prison Industries, Inc. The contract's purpose is to supply mattresses, as indicated by the description "FY25 C1 UNICOR MATTRESSES." The award has a total obligation amount of $51,450 and is classified under Product Service Code (PSC) 7210, which refers to household furnishings. Furthermore, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code associated with this contract is 337910, specifying mattress manufacturing.

Federal Prison Industries, Inc., which operates under the name UNICOR, is a government corporation established in 1934, within the Department of Justice. Its primary role is to provide job training and employment to incarcerated individuals within the federal prison system through diverse manufacturing and services industry sectors. The contract in question aligns with UNICOR's mattress manufacturing operations, situated in Lexington, Kentucky. The organization's mandate includes producing goods and services that are not only competitive in quality but also provided at no profit to private-sector businesses.

The contract's issuance date and signing occurred on April 10, 2025, with a performance period extending to May 30, 2025. The awarding agency was the Department of Justice, specifically its Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons branch, which also serves as the funding agency. This contract reflects routine procurement to support institutional maintenance and operations, illustrating a unique aspect of governmental contracts wherein agencies purchase from other government entities to fulfill needs efficiently. Several notable aspects of the procurement process associated with this contract reveal particularities about its competitive nature and pricing structure. The solicitation procedures were simplified acquisition, characterized by a streamlined approach designed to reduce the administrative cost of procurement. Notably, the contract was not competitively bid "under SAP"—meaning it was not competed under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures—citing authorization by statute under FAR 6.302-5(A)(2)(I). This reference points to legal provisions allowing certain contracts to proceed without traditional competitive bidding when authorized by statute, often applicable to contracts executed with Federal Prison Industries. The contract pricing is classified as a firm fixed-price agreement, indicating a predetermined cost that remains constant regardless of actual cost experience. Such pricing provides payment certainty for the government and encourages efficient contract execution by the supplier since any cost overruns are not reimbursed unless a modification is issued. Reviewing the recipient information, Federal Prison Industries operates with a unique structure as part of the federal government, emphasized by its parent entity designation as the "Government of the United States." This setup implies that the transaction and business categories fall under "U.S. National Government," excluding conventional small business categorization. The JSON also details the contracting process, highlighting no preference use and no set asides, indicating an even competitive landscape without targeted advantages to specific business categories. As the contract leverages commercial products/services acquisition, it underscores UNICOR's alignment with furnishing commercially standard products, though produced within a unique institutional framework. The transactions list corroborates the single action related to this contract, with consistent details including the transaction amount of $51,450 on the issuance date of April 10, 2025. There are no noteworthy monetary modifications or additional transactional components beyond the initial purchase order execution. In conclusion, this specific government contract represents a structured procurement event characteristic of federal operations involving internal agency transactions. The involvement of Federal Prison Industries underscores a broader governmental effort to support rehabilitative programs within the prison system, utilizing the manufacturing sector as a vehicle for skill development among inmates. The financial data captured in this JSON document highlights transparent public expenditure processes and delineates various levels of agency interaction, pricing, and operative governance that shape the procurement landscape in federal contracting.