An FCI, or Federal Correctional Institution, is a low- or medium-security prison run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for people convicted of federal crimes. In the federal system, an FCI sits between a minimum-security camp and a high-security penitentiary. The BOP operates 122 institutions nationwide, and FCIs make up a large share of them.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities If someone you know has just been designated to one, the security environment, the daily routine, and the programs available all depend on whether the facility is rated low or medium.
How the BOP Decides Who Goes to an FCI
Inmates do not choose their facility. A BOP computer system called SENTRY calculates a security point score using the severity of the offense, criminal history, history of violence, and expected length of sentence. That score maps to a security level, and the BOP then matches the inmate with a facility.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5100.08 – Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification
For male inmates, the thresholds run this way:
- 0 to 11 points: minimum security (camp)
- 12 to 15 points: low-security FCI
- 16 to 23 points: medium-security FCI
- 24 or more points: high-security USP
Female inmates use a different scale with only minimum, low, high, and administrative classifications. Beyond the raw score, the BOP weighs program needs, medical and mental health requirements, proximity to the inmate’s home (ideally within 500 driving miles), bed availability, and any recommendation from the sentencing judge.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5100.08 – Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification Certain “public safety factors” can override the point total and push someone to a higher security level regardless of the score.
What Life Looks Like Inside an FCI
Low and medium FCIs feel different from each other, and the differences are not subtle.
Low-Security FCIs
Low-security FCIs use double-fenced perimeters and house inmates mostly in dormitory or cubicle-style settings rather than locked cells. The staff-to-inmate ratio is higher than at a camp, and the facilities have strong work and program components.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities Inmates move around inside the facility more freely than at a medium or high, and far less freely than at a camp.
Medium-Security FCIs
Medium-security FCIs step things up. Perimeters are reinforced, often with double fencing plus electronic detection. Housing shifts from dormitories to cell-type units. Staffing is heavier, and internal controls over movement are tighter. These facilities still offer a wide range of work and treatment programs.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
Daily life at either level follows a structured schedule with fixed times for meals, work, education, and recreation. Inmates are expected to hold a job in the facility, whether that means food service, maintenance, or a slot in one of the specialized programs below.
Programs That Can Shorten a Sentence
The most practically important thing about an FCI, for most families, is that participation in certain programs can directly reduce time served.
Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)
RDAP is the BOP’s most intensive substance abuse treatment. Participants live in a separate housing unit and spend half the day in cognitive-behavioral therapy inside a therapeutic community. It typically runs nine months. Eligible inmates who complete RDAP may qualify for up to a one-year reduction in their sentence, and BOP research has found participants less likely to reoffend or relapse after release.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Substance Abuse Treatment
First Step Act Earned Time Credits
Under the First Step Act, eligible inmates earn 10 days of time credits for every 30 days of successful participation in approved programs or productive activities. Those classified as minimum or low risk who maintain that classification across two consecutive assessments earn an additional 5 days per 30-day period, for 15 total.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. The First Step Act of 2018 – Earned Time Credits Credits can be applied toward earlier transfer to a halfway house or home confinement, and in some cases up to 12 months of supervised release. Not everyone qualifies; certain offenses are excluded.
UNICOR
UNICOR is the trade name for Federal Prison Industries, a government corporation that employs inmates producing goods and services sold to federal agencies. Work ranges from manufacturing furniture and electronics to data entry and call center jobs.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. UNICOR These positions pay more than standard institutional jobs and are among the most sought after.
Education and Vocational Training
FCIs offer GED preparation, post-secondary courses, English as a second language instruction, and vocational training in trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and computer skills. The BOP requires inmates without a high school diploma or GED to participate in literacy programs.
How FCIs Compare to Other Federal Facilities
FCIs are one tier in a larger system, and knowing what surrounds them helps set expectations.
Federal Prison Camps (FPCs) are the minimum-security tier: dormitory housing, limited or no perimeter fencing, and the lowest staff-to-inmate ratio in the system. They house people convicted of nonviolent offenses who present the least flight risk, and many sit adjacent to larger FCIs or military bases.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
United States Penitentiaries (USPs) are the high-security tier: walls or reinforced fences, single- and multiple-occupant cells, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and close control over movement. USPs hold people whose offenses, behavior, or escape risk demand the most intensive supervision.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
Administrative facilities do not fit on the security spectrum because they exist for special missions. This category includes Metropolitan Correctional Centers and Metropolitan Detention Centers (pretrial detainees), Federal Medical Centers (serious chronic health conditions), the Federal Transfer Center, and the Administrative-Maximum Security Penitentiary (ADX) in Florence, Colorado. Except for the ADX, administrative facilities can hold inmates at any security level.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
Visiting Someone at an FCI
Before anyone can visit, the inmate submits a Visitor Information Form to each prospective visitor. That person fills it out and returns it to the facility, where BOP staff run a background check that may involve other law enforcement agencies. Only visitors who clear the process and appear on the inmate’s approved list are admitted.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate When an inmate first arrives and no list exists yet, immediate family members who can be verified through the pre-sentence report may visit provisionally.
Visiting hours generally include weekends and federal holidays, with some facilities also offering weekday hours. Weekends are busiest, so a given inmate may be limited to either Saturday or Sunday, and which day can vary. Specific schedules depend on the facility’s location, type, available space, and the inmate’s individual visiting needs. Check the institution’s page on bop.gov before making the trip.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate
Phone, Email, and Mail
Federal prisons are subject to FCC rate caps on phone service. As of April 2026, the per-minute cap for audio calls from prisons is $0.09, with facilities allowed to add up to $0.02 per minute for operational costs, for an effective ceiling of $0.11 per minute. The FCC has also banned site commissions and most ancillary fees.7Federal Register. Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act – Rates for Interstate and Intrastate Incarcerated People’s Communications Services All calls are monitored and recorded.
The BOP’s electronic messaging system is called TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System). Inmates send and receive email-style messages with people who have agreed to join their contact list. The recipient gets a notification, consents to monitoring, and is added. Attachments are stripped from incoming messages, and all content is monitored and retained by staff.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) Inmates pay per-message fees from their commissary accounts.
Commissary and Deposits
Inmates can buy food, hygiene products, over-the-counter medications, stamps, and other approved items through the commissary. The monthly spending limit is $360, with a one-time $50 increase allowed during a 30-day window in the November/December holiday period. Stamps, nicotine replacement patches, over-the-counter medical products, and a few other categories do not count toward the $360 cap.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual Family and friends can deposit money into an inmate’s trust fund account to cover commissary purchases, phone calls, and TRULINCS fees.
Healthcare
Every FCI provides on-site medical and dental care. The BOP classifies inmates into care levels based on their health needs, from Care Level 1 for generally healthy inmates under 70 who need only routine checkups every 6 to 12 months, up through more serious conditions requiring more frequent clinical attention.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. Care Level Classification for Medical and Mental Health Conditions or Disabilities Inmates whose conditions exceed what an FCI can handle may be moved to a Federal Medical Center, one of the administrative facilities built for chronic or serious medical cases.
Finding Someone in the Federal System
The BOP maintains a free online Inmate Locator at bop.gov covering anyone incarcerated federally from 1982 to the present. You can search by BOP register number, FBI number, or name. Results show the current facility and, for current inmates, a projected release date, though the BOP notes that release dates may shift as First Step Act time credits are recalculated.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator If the search returns “Released” or “Not in BOP Custody” with no facility listed, the person is no longer in the federal prison system, though they may still be under supervision or in state custody.