VIKTOR BOUT IS ON THE MOVE

FTC Oklahoma City

Enquiries made to the US Bureau of Prisons today revealed that Viktor Bout, who original designation to the "Supermax" maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado was rescinded by the BOP in favour of a medium security facility in Marion, Illinois, is finally in transit. He has left the detention centre in Brooklyn, New York, where he was held prior to trial, and his current location is the Federal Transfer Centre in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The US Marshals Service, the agency that is responsible for Federal prisoner transport, moves prisoners in groups rather than individually, and often not in a straight line toward their ultimate destination,  so Bout's present location is not a surprise. Those readers who saw the film "Con Air" have a fair idea of air travel conditions for inmates, on government aircraft, en route to the prison where they will begin to serve their sentences.

 Travelers are secured to their seats in flight, under extremely spartan conditions, ostensibly to eliminate the opportunity for escape, resulting in an uncomfortable experience for all. It is formally known as the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System, or JPATS.

Bout may be housed at the FTC Oklahoma City for a brief period. Hopefully, he will be able to watch at least some of the NBA Finals that start today in OKC, between the Miami heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Unfortunately, designating Bout to a Midwestern facility puts him far from the attorneys who will be handling his appeal, as make family visitation more difficult and costly.