MINNEAPOLIS The U.S. Bureau of Prisons practice of transferring federal inmates unescorted on intercity buses has surfaced again with investigations by a television station here and in Dallas.

The new reports featured a U.S. Senator, city police chief, bus passengers and spokespersons for bus companies criticizing the practice, saying it was an abuse of the public trust and disregarded public safety.

The issue of federal inmates being sent cross country unescorted on line-run buses surfaced four years in a report by a San Diego television station. (See June 15, 2005 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

At the time, Greyhound Lines complained about the practice and wrote to the Bureau of Prisons, asking that it be halted. It wasnt.

In 05, investigators for the San Diego TV outlet werent able to find out how widespread the practice was or how many prisoners had decided to use their solo bus rides as an opportunity to escape.

This time, however, reporters were able to uncover those numbers.

The Minneapolis station found that the federal Bureau of Prisons has transferred more than 89,000 prisoners unescorted during the past three years.

And at least 178 inmates escaped, failing to report to the prison where they were being sent.

One of the most notorious escapes during this decade was that of Dwayne Fitzen, who had been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for conspiracy and distribution of cocaine. Fitzen, known as "Shadow" and a member of a biker gang, slipped off a bus in Las Vegas in 2004 and escaped.

U.S. Marshals have yet to apprehend him and consider him armed and dangerous.

In 2005, the Bureau of Prisons told Greyhound it allowed for unescorted prison transfers because it was the low-cost option.

The bureau says the transfers are for convicts moving from one minimum security prison to another, or heading to halfway houses or prison camps.

"Inmates assigned to either camps or halfway houses do not present a significant risk to the community," said Traci Billingsley, a spokeswoman for the bureau.

"Although, I dont have specific data regarding cost savings, we know the savings is substantial," said Billingsley. "To transfer these types of inmates using BOP staff, or U.S. Marshals services or contract services would result in a large, unnecessary cost to the government and ultimately the taxpayer, especially given the minimal security requirements of these offenders."

So, it seems certain the practice will continue despite renewed protests by Greyhound and others. Potentially dangerous convicts will go right on riding next to unsuspecting bus passengers and bus companies seemingly wont know about it.

And prison officials will continue to surreptitiously drop off their charges at bus stations and stops hours before the buses are due. They will do this so other passengers wont see the prison authorities and become suspicious.

How considerate for the prisoners.