Federal prisoners are defined as anyone convicted of crimes under laws passed by Congress and housed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
As part of their reception process, inmates receive their initial housing assignment – either general population or special housing unit depending on individual cases.
Search an inmate by their last name, first initial, middle initial, name suffix, birth date, Department Identification Number (DIN) or New York State Identification Number.
Inmate Programs
BOP provides inmates with various educational and training programs. Program offerings differ by facility; examples may include vocational training, computer courses, leisure activities and leisure programs. In addition, the Bureau operates several special programs tailored towards inmates with substance abuse problems such as its residential drug abuse treatment program or the Confined Education and Work program (CEW).
Studies show that prisoners who participate in prison programming are less likely to recidivate. That is why BOP has implemented nationally-recognized programs which address criminogenic needs while broadening access to a range of programming options. Furthermore, local programs are being combined into core sets of “model programs” which can be implemented nationwide.
Inmates can earn funds for their commissary accounts from various sources. Pay earned from job assignments (including compensation earned through UNICOR); family and friends may send funds; stock dividends, litigation settlements, state benefits, tax refunds or inheritance are other possible sources. Before spending their earnings however, inmates must deposit them into their commissary account first before using some to purchase personal care items.
The Bureau’s most sought-after programs are vocational training and computer education. Some inmates participate in GED classes as mandated by law; however, critics contend that GED instruction lacks depth and rigor – for instance inmates cutting grass with push lawnmowers should not be seen as receiving landscaping instruction as this does not teach them about design principles, land reorganization strategies or marketing.
One highlight is the carpentry training program, widely acknowledged for its outstanding and high-value offerings. Participants in this course can earn the necessary certifications to find employment after graduating. In addition, Adams State University’s Prison College Program stands out as being among the finest programs of its kind available within the prison system.
Counseling
People incarcerated in federal prison can access counseling services that address issues like drug addiction, gang membership, depression and domestic violence. Counseling services are available both face-to-face and over the phone and people may also receive help with employment and education needs as part of their treatment. The goal is for individuals to emerge as productive members of society after release from incarceration.
The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) operates a wide array of correctional facilities from high-security prisons to minimum-security camps, all designed to improve quality of life for people incarcerated by creating innovative programs designed to decrease recidivism and help reintegrate them back into society.
Arriving at a BOP facility, most individuals attend an Admission and Orientation (A&O) program designed to introduce them to its staff, departments, services and general rules and procedures that they are expected to follow for safety and trouble-free operation.
Once they complete A&O, most individuals head directly to their housing assignment. If for medical reasons they cannot go directly into general population housing, then they will be placed into the facility’s Special Housing Unit.
Individuals who present serious health or behavioral concerns will undergo more in-depth interviews with members of the Security Investigations Department (SIS), including questions related to active gang membership or tattoos that indicate it (SIS staff have even displayed tattoos to identify possible gang members!). They will also undergo more invasive screening.
Once an inmate completes their initial intake process, they will work towards an “out date”, or when they will be eligible to be released from prison. This date depends on various factors and formulas that consider factors like discipline history and level of cooperation with prison staff.
Educational Opportunities
Inmates may pursue various educational opportunities while in prison, including vocational training and college courses. Such programs can help prepare inmates for life outside by honing job skills, developing critical thinking and empathy abilities and increasing civic engagement – studies also indicate that participants in education programs are 43 percent less likely to return to criminality after release from imprisonment.
Federal prisons often provide more specialized education programs besides GED classes than just classroom-based GED. ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) classes offer another alternative; these follow a similar format but focus more specifically on teaching non-native English speakers this language. Classes for this purpose are led by both supervisory staff educators and inmate tutors.
Vocational correspondence education programs provide prisoners with another popular educational option, providing vocational training courses across a range of occupations. Participants who choose these programs must pay their own tuition, which may range anywhere from several hundred dollars per course up to several thousand for full programs of study.
Some federal prisons offer postsecondary education through partnerships with local colleges and universities, enabling inmates to earn college credits or degrees while in custody. Admission into such programs usually requires inmates possess a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate prior to enrollment.
Pell Grants were recently reinstated for academically eligible prisoners incarcerated by prisons, opening up financial aid to attend college. Margaret DiZerega of Vera Institute of Justice called it a “transformative moment”. For decades prior, Pell grants were prohibited to anyone serving any type of jail time regardless of conviction length – but this restriction will no longer exist starting 2023.
Health Care
Federal prisoners’ health care can have a dramatic effect on their prison experience. The Bureau of Prisons offers basic medical, dental and mental health services to all inmates; those requiring more intensive treatments have access to seven regional medical referral centers.
Federal inmates typically fall within Care Level 1. This designation indicates they require minimal to moderate needs that require periodic clinical evaluations, such as medication-controlled diabetes, asthma or emphysema. Conversely, inmates assigned Care Level 2 typically have more advanced healthcare needs that can be stabilized through routine physician appointments like quarterly ones; however they require additional resources occasionally such as consultation or examination from medical providers due to conditions like advanced cancer remission on medication, severe heart failure or end-stage liver disease.
Jails and large prisons typically feature on-site doctors or nurses; smaller facilities may not. When inmates require medical assistance, they must submit a sick call (triage form) from within their housing units to the health service department before waiting for an appointment that’s tailored according to severity.
Inmates charged a small fee to visit healthcare providers can vary between jurisdictions in terms of both amount and method of collection; some charge co-pays at each visit while others have an annual fee that covers them all. Unfortunately, many inmates lack health literacy knowledge, making this program unlikely to recoup its costs; therefore, both senators on Oversight Committee have called upon BOP to address this problem.
Recreation
Federal prisoners have limited opportunities for recreation. Recreation activities play an essential role in mental and physical wellbeing; those denied access suffer a range of negative repercussions that include contact loss with family, increased risks for gang involvement and even mental breakdowns.
Most federal facilities feature a prison recreation department that offers a range of indoor recreational activities for prisoners, from hobby craft programs (painting, pottery and leather work) to passive recreational areas like billiards and table tennis as well as prison gyms with exercise equipment, music classes and band rooms, TV and DVD viewing and TV/DVD rental/purchasing. Prisoners can also participate in organized sports, games and leisure groups like Dungeons & Dragons to fantasy football leagues or drama clubs; recreation departments often also provide satellite libraries offering television/radio programming as well as satellite prison libraries & TV/radio programs.
Recreation is a fundamental right protected under the 8th Amendment and prisoners have access to sufficient leisure time as per their needs and abilities. The Supreme Court has held that denial of recreation to an inmate can result in physical and mental harm, violating their constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Recreational standards call for five hours of active play each week, preferably spread out over five days. However, standards are unclear and federal prison officials frequently abdicate their responsibilities by citing security issues, inmate capacity limitations or any number of other reasons as an excuse. Furthermore, recreational opportunities remain unexamined leading to further decreased accountability.
Security Housing Unit, or SHU, inmates may experience severe depression and lose touch with reality. To combat this condition and keep them grounded in reality and avoid serious mental illnesses that require medication or hospitalization, loved ones should visit and send books, magazines, newspapers, letters or any other item they can to their prisoners in SHUs. This may prevent serious mental illnesses that necessitate medication or hospital stays from developing further.