Because an overpopulated prison, just because of being overpopulated, loses its condition of being a maximum security prison. If there is overpopulation there is no maximum security. If (the prison) was designed for it, it looses it adding beds. There are some institutions, we have seen it, where because of an increasing number of inmates they use school areas, visiting areas or dining areas to add beds and make dormitories. This does away with the design capacity."
Three federal prisons built for a combined 1,200 prisoners, which were expanded to hold 6,000, now house 13,000.