There is no single published list of BOP wardens. The Bureau of Prisons posts each warden’s name on the individual facility page at bop.gov rather than in one downloadable roster, and if you need names across all 122 federal institutions at once, the formal route is a Freedom of Information Act request. For a single prison, the facility page is faster and more accurate than any third-party list.
Look Up a Warden on BOP.gov
Start at the locations section of bop.gov. You can browse federal prisons by name, by state, or through an interactive map. Selecting an institution brings up its facility page, which includes contact information and, when available, the name of the current warden.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Contact Us
This is the source the BOP itself updates. Third-party sites and older news articles frequently name the wrong person, because personnel changes happen often enough to outrun any static list.
Why Warden Lists Go Stale Quickly
Two forces keep the roster moving. The BOP rotates senior leaders between facilities as a management practice, so a warden who ran one prison last year may be running a different one now. And federal law enforcement officers face mandatory separation at age 57 once they have completed 20 years of service, although agency heads can grant exemptions up to age 60.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 8335 – Mandatory Separation Between retirements, transfers, and promotions, a name accurate six months ago may already be out of date.
Verify through bop.gov before sending correspondence or filing paperwork. Mail addressed to the wrong warden still reaches the facility, but if the matter is time-sensitive, an accurate name and title routes it faster.
FOIA Request for a System-Wide Roster
If you need every current warden’s name in one place instead of clicking through 122 facility pages, file a FOIA request with the BOP. The Bureau accepts requests by mail at its Office of General Counsel, 320 First Street, N.W., Room 924, Washington, DC 20534, or by email at BOP-OGC-EFOIA-S@BOP.GOV.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Freedom of Information Act The FOIA Public Liaison can be reached at (202) 616-7750 for guidance on framing the request, and staff generally return voicemails within 24 business hours.
Warden names are not classified, so a straightforward request for current wardens across the system should not require redaction. Response time still depends on the agency’s backlog. For a single facility, checking bop.gov is faster; FOIA makes sense when you need data spanning the entire Bureau.
Watch for Renamed and Redesignated Facilities
The BOP occasionally changes a facility’s name and security classification, which can send you looking for a warden at an institution that no longer exists under the name you remember. Lewisburg in Pennsylvania is a recent example. It was historically United States Penitentiary Lewisburg, was redesignated to medium security in 2021, and in April 2024 was officially renamed FCI Lewisburg to match BOP naming conventions for medium- and low-security prisons.4Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Inspection of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Correctional Institution Lewisburg If your search turns up nothing, try the BOP’s location directory using the state or city rather than the name.
Under federal regulations, “warden” refers to the top official at any U.S. Penitentiary, Federal Correctional Institution, Federal Medical Center, Federal Prison Camp, Federal Detention Center, or Metropolitan Correctional Center.5eCFR. 28 CFR 500.1 – Definitions Whatever the facility type, the person you want is listed the same way on the facility page.
Contact a Warden by Mail or Phone
Family members, attorneys, and members of the public should start with the facility’s contact information on bop.gov. Each institution page lists a mailing address and a main phone number.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Contact Us Address written correspondence to the warden by name at the institution’s full address. Phone calls go through the facility’s main line, where administrative staff decide whether the matter warrants the warden’s direct attention.
A note on the boundaries here. The BOP’s electronic messaging system, TRULINCS (accessed through CorrLinks), is only for communication between inmates and individuals on their approved contact lists. The public cannot use it to message a warden’s office.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. TRULINCS Topics If you have been blocked from communicating with an inmate through TRULINCS, the appeal specifically requires a written request mailed to the warden. Routine questions about housing, programming, or daily schedules are handled by case managers and unit teams, not the warden’s office.
Going Above the Warden
The BOP divides its 122 institutions into six geographic regions, each overseen by a Regional Director who supervises the wardens within that territory.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. Offices The six regional offices are Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, South Central, Southeast, and Western. If a concern is not resolved at the facility level, the Regional Director is the next step. Regional Directors also have authority to remove a warden from their post.
Two independent bodies sit above that. The BOP’s Office of Internal Affairs investigates staff misconduct, including allegations against senior leadership, and operates as a component of the Director’s Office to keep it separate from the facilities it investigates. Allegations against a GS-13 or above employee are automatically classified at a higher investigation tier, and OIA is required to report allegations of staff misconduct, including potential criminal matters, to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. Discrimination and Retaliation Complaints Processing
The DOJ Inspector General also conducts its own independent inspections of federal prisons, publishing reports that have documented serious problems at individual facilities. The BOP’s statutory duties under 18 U.S.C. ยง 4042 require the agency to provide for the safekeeping, care, and protection of all federal inmates, and wardens carry primary responsibility for meeting those obligations at the facility level.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 4042 – Duties of Bureau of Prisons