WASHINGTON Privately run federal prisons are more dangerous than those managed by the Bureau of Prisons and need more oversight, according to a new report from the Justice Departments watchdog.

These so-called contract prisons are largely low-security facilities, typically holding undocumented male immigrants convicted of federal crimes with less than 7.5 years left on their sentence. They hold more than 22,000 inmates, about 12 percent of the total federal prison population. They are run by three companies: Corrections Corporation of America; GEO Group, Inc.; and Management and Training Corporation.

Privately run facilities incurred more safety and security incidents per capita than comparable BOP institutions, according to the report , released Thursday by the Justice Departments Inspector General. The DOJs internal watchdog said the Bureau of Prisons needs to improve how it monitors contract prisons in several areas.