(BOP) - Former Bureau of Prisons Director Norman A. Carlson passed away on Sunday, August 9, 2020. Before joining the Bureau, Mr. Carlson served as a Correctional Officer in the Iowa State Penitentiary. He began his Bureau career at USP Leavenworth and then subsequently worked at FCI Ashland. From 1960 to 1970, Mr. Carlson served in various capacities in the Bureau's Central Office, including as Executive Assistant to Director Myrl Alexander. Mr. Carlson served as the fourth Director of the Bureau from 1970 until his retirement in 1987.
Under the leadership of Mr. Carlson the agency fully implemented the unit management concept. In response to increased judicial involvement in matters related to conditions of confinement at the local, State, and Federal level, the Bureau created the Administrative Remedy Process to address inmate concerns and grievances. Many State and international corrections systems would later adopt the Bureau's Administrative Remedy Process.
Mr. Carlson was the recipient of numerous awards during his career, including the Presidential Rank Award as Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service, American Correctional Association's E.R. Cass Award, the Arthur S. Flemming Award, and the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service.