34 USC § 12261 - Authority of Attorney General

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t34/s12261"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "34 USC § 12261 - Authority of Attorney General"
title_number: 34
title_name: "CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT"
section_number: "12261"
section_name: "Authority of Attorney General"
chapter_number: 121
chapter_name: "VIOLENT CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "CRIME PREVENTION"
part_number: "G"
part_name: "Family Unity Demonstration Project"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 103–322, title III, § 31921, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1896.)"
---


# § 12261. Authority of Attorney General

**(a)** **In general** With the funds available to carry out this part for the benefit of Federal prisoners, the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, shall select eligible prisoners to live in community correctional facilities with their children.

**1** **General contracting authority** [^1][^1]

In implementing this part, the Attorney General may enter into contracts with appropriate public or private agencies to provide housing, sustenance, services, and supervision of inmates eligible for placement in community correctional facilities under this part.

See References in Text note below.

**(c)** **Use of State facilities** <sup>1</sup>

At the discretion of the Attorney General, Federal participants may be placed in State projects as defined in subpart 1. For such participants, the Attorney General shall, with funds available under section 13883(b)(2)  of title 42, reimburse the State for all project costs related to the Federal participant’s placement, including administrative costs.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 103–322, title III, § 31921, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1896.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This part, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this title” and was translated as reading “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle S of title III of , to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

, referred to in subsec. (c), was omitted from the Code as obsolete.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to , The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.