The Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains multiple facilities with various security levels. These include main institutions as well as transfer centers and Federal Medical Centers.
People arriving at an institution undergo a formal intake process that includes interviews and screening by R&D, case management, and medical department staff members.
Visitation
Visits from family and friends provide much-needed support during an inmate’s incarceration, making an impactful contribution towards his or her ability to readjust once released from prison. Therefore, visiting privileges are extremely crucial and all participants involved must adhere to rules during visits for everyone’s own safety.
Typically, visitors and inmates must maintain a 6-foot distance when visiting one another. Although handshakes, hugs, and kisses are permitted when done so in good taste, staff may restrict physical contact in order to maintain orderly visiting rooms. Therefore, it is crucial that one be prepared prior to arriving by researching policies of their intended visiting room before arriving.
Federal correctional facilities typically require visitors to fill out a visitor application before visiting. Depending on the institution, this form may ask about your relationship to the inmate as well as criminal background history. Furthermore, most prisons require visitors to present valid identification upon entering the visitation center – for instance this could include their driver’s license, State or military ID card or passport photo.
As part of entering a visiting area, be prepared for a frisk search and to have your right hand stamped when entering. Any items identified as contraband by the facility will be confiscated and may result in prosecution; for this reason it may be wise to leave purses and wallets at home in your vehicle.
Children under 16 may accompany an adult during in-person visits; however, the individual incarcerated must be either their parent or legal guardian and provide proof of that relationship – for instance a birth certificate – such as with some facilities providing children specialized visiting rooms.
Transportation
Federal inmates transferred between prisons are usually transported via bus, van, car, plane or helicopter depending on distance, court orders, availability and scheduling considerations. All transport vehicles must undergo inspection before being put into use and it may be common practice to handcuff or leg iron a prisoner during transport depending on court orders and security levels.
Prisoners transported by plane generally use retractable jetways located at Oklahoma City’s Federal Transfer Center or buses/vans equipped with mobile stairways to board. Before take-off, all individuals are individually inspected by prison airlift staff to ensure all equipment and accessories, such as prescription eyeglasses or medical or dental prosthetics are securely installed; Federal inmates in maximum custody levels typically restrain themselves by wearing “black box” handcuffs that feature metal or plastic covers to keep hands from escaping during flight.
JPATS transports over 260,000 prisoners annually and is managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service personnel, and employees of a private contractor that manages flights. JPATS airplanes are often refurbished commercial passenger jets; on each flight a deputy U.S. marshal oversees inmate matters while medical officers provide onboard care; they’re piloted by experienced pilots with security officers trained specifically to deal with prisoners; any personal items must remain outside the plane except slip-on blue “bus shoes”; additionally an authorized item like cell phone or laptop computer are allowed as allowed carry-in items only.
Accommodations
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates may be housed in various facilities depending on the facility and classification level they belong to, including minimum security prison camps, medium security federal correctional institutions, and high security United States Penitentiaries (USPs).
Federal Prison Camps or FPCs, for example, provide dormitory housing that has very limited staff-to-inmate ratio and limited or no perimeter fencing. The focus at these institutions is work and program orientation: inmates at these facilities perform offsite labor for either the main BOP institution or off-site employers as well as attending educational and vocational training classes to prepare them for eventual release from incarceration.
Most individuals entering BOP custody end up at an institution known as USP (Urban Systems Project), a large facility housing thousands of inmates. Unfortunately, these structures often become the target of conflict among different factions within the facility, leading to serious setbacks for those housed there.
Most inmates are housed in cells, where they share living quarters with one or multiple cellmates. Cell housing may consist of either individual rooms or bunk beds for groups of inmates; some cells even feature doors which provide some sense of privacy and security for its occupants.
Prisoners can request reasonable accommodations from their facilities. These could range from changing the cell assignment for someone with mobility issues, providing a TTY phone for someone deaf, or changing food options for someone with an eating disorder. Individuals seeking reasonable accommodation should first research the policies on such issues at their facility to ensure their request is well-informed and legally compliant.
Medical Care
Prison medical services can be difficult to navigate, but the Bureau of Prisons strives to offer comprehensive care that promotes both a healthier stay behind bars and an improved chance at life after release. Their system draws upon both internal and external resources.
Inmates receive basic healthcare such as checkups and shots as well as management of chronic conditions like arthritis. Physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants all play an integral part in keeping inmates healthy behind bars; there’s even an inmate dental team on hand should an issue arise with teeth pain!
Prison hospitals like Butner, North Carolina’s, offer more intensive medical treatment for those with serious health conditions; but according to NPR’s investigation, prisoners at USPs and FCIs nationwide often go without receiving the care they require; several people at Butner died waiting months or years for help for symptoms like pain that started suddenly or lumps that appeared out of nowhere.
At most BOP institutions, medical directors will arrange for inmates who require special care to visit specialists escorted. But whether an inmate gets this care depends heavily upon its availability at each facility and the severity of his condition.
Over the past eight fiscal years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has committed over $9 billion towards healthcare costs since 2009. Factors that contributed to this rise include an aging population, increasing pharmaceutical prices (particularly new hepatitis C drugs) and rising outside medical service costs. To manage expenses more effectively, BOP implemented an electronic medical records system as well as a billing process with safeguards against costly errors when validating invoices as well as exploring tele-health and remote visitation solutions.
Education
Inmates may access education through various programs, from GED classes and college degrees to GED exams and GED retake classes. While postsecondary education is common at state prisons, its implementation in federal facilities may vary significantly – many prisons limit internet access thus leaving incarcerated students limited opportunities for online coursework.
GED classes are the primary form of prison-based education. Their curriculum mirrors that of a regular high school, covering topics like mathematics and reading comprehension. Students are instructed by teachers, aides, tutors for assignments as well as individual tutoring when necessary. Aside from offering educational benefits, critics claim GED classes do not offer equal educational opportunity as regular high schools.
Most prison education programs take place inside a facility’s designated classrooms. Some programs, like Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, provide more comprehensive learning experiences by giving inmates the chance to interact with peers outside of prison and form friendships outside its walls. Although such programs may prove fruitful, their capacity and staff willingness can often limit how challenging instructors can push students.
As the DOC contracts out education services to private organizations, it can be challenging for educators and prison officials to work effectively together. Their differences in goals and motivations may result in unethical situations that interfere with student achievement – for instance an educator could feel pressure from prison officials to make decisions that aren’t in the best interests of students, such as racial bias, limited educational opportunity or making subjective judgements that violate law or human rights.