The International Prisoner Transfer Program began in 1977 when the U.S. government negotiated the first in a series of treaties to permit the transfer of prisoners from countries in which they had been convicted of crimes to their home countries.

The International Prisoner Transfer Program is administered by the Department of Justice’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit, and more information about the program may be found here.

What is the International Prisoner Transfer Program?

Prisoners may be transferred to and from those countries with which the United States has a treaty relationship provided all statutory and treaty requirements are satisfied. The program is designed to relieve some of the special hardships that fall upon offenders incarcerated far from home, and to facilitate the rehabilitation of these offenders. The United States Department of Justice administers the program, but the United States Department of State is the principal negotiator of all prisoner transfer treaties.

Want More Information?

For further information regarding the International Prisoner Transfer Program visit the Department of Justice’s International Prisoner Transfer Program website. Learn more about:

• what countries participate in the program,
• how incarcerated individuals, both abroad and in the United States, might be eligible for the program, and
• how prisoners may apply. 

For further information about consular services available to U.S. citizens arrested or detained overseas, visit here.