The Office of the Federal Detention Trustee was established and activated in September 2001 by directive of Congress (Pub. L. 106-553, § 166, 114 Stat. 2762 (2000)) in response to growing concerns regarding federal detention. It is the mission of the Federal Detention Trustee to provide for the safe, secure, and humane confinement of persons in federal custody awaiting trial or immigration proceedings, by ensuring the appropriate operations and cost effectiveness of secure non-federal detention facilities utilized by federal law enforcement agencies.

National Repository for Detention Space Availability. On March 1, 2004, the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee launched the National Repository for Detention Space Availability. The National Repository is an Internet-based tool to assist the U.S. Marshals Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement with locating non-federal detention space available for federal use.