"Total Federal Inmates," as reported by BOP, drops another 1000 down to 163,441

This morning's check on the federal Bureau of Prisons' updated "Total Federal Inmates" numbers continue the extended pattern of big weekly drops in the overall numbers. In prior posts here and here, I have highlighted that, according to BOP's reporting, throughout the month of April the federal prison population was shrinking about 1,000 persons per week.  As we have been move from May into June, the new numbers at this webpage continue to show comparable weekly declines: the BOP reported population dropped from 167,803 (as of May 14, 2020) to 166,647 (as of May 21) to 165,575 (as of May 28) to 164,438 (as of June 4) and now a BOP reported total of 163,441.

I continue to fear that this persistent decline in total inmates is mostly a function of delays in the case-processing pipelines from COVIS shutdowns and that we will eventually see a (considerable?) a move upward in these numbers.  But maybe maybe we are still some ways from the bottom here and perhaps a much lower "new normal" for the federal prison population.  In the decade from 2006 to 2016, the BOP reported federal prison population averaged over 200,000 prisoners.  Would I be foolish to want to believe the decade of the 2020s might possibly see an average of under 150,000?  Could we dream of returning to the days of 1995 when the federal prison population was just 100,000?

A few of many prior related posts:

• Federal prison population, thanks in part to the FIRST STEP Act, hits lowest level in over 15 years (from July 2019)
• Federal prison population, due seemingly to COVID responses, hits another modern low (which is still very high) (from April 2020)
• According to BOP reporting, federal prison population now shrinking about 1,000 persons per week (from April 2020)
• Federal prison population drops below 170,000 for first time in nearly two decades (from May 2020)
• As federal prison population continues remarkable decline, can anyone predict what might be a new normal? (from May 2020)
• Is the number of federal prisoners about to spike up as BOP moves nearly 7000 new inmates into federal facilities? (from three weeks ago) 
• Federal inmate population, as reported by BOP, continues steady decline (which continues my wondering about data)(from two weeks ago)
• "Total Federal Inmates," as reported by BOP, drops below 165,000 (last week)