Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and house individuals convicted of federal crimes. As of May 8, 2025, 143,699 federal inmates were in BOP custody. This directory provides articles and resources on the structure, policies and daily operations of BOP facilities and the unique challenges federal prisons face. Understanding the federal prison system is essential for professionals working within or alongside these institutions. For related topics, explore our section on the Department of Justice.
A federal judge says the Trump administration may have violated a court order by moving transgender women from general population into a separate prison housing unit
An inmate knocked Officer Eric Williams down a stairway, took his radio and stabbed him more than 200 times during a prolonged attack in 2013
The union says six planned facility closures could undermine staffing, infrastructure improvements and operational readiness
The initiative aims to modernize prison operations, reduce paperwork and increase access to rehabilitative programming
Closures and security-level changes are part of an effort to address staffing shortages and a more than $4 billion maintenance backlog
A federal indictment alleges 12 people used heavy-payload drones to make at least 38 contraband drops at 10 prisons across six states
An indictment alleges the Florence prison lieutenant received more than $15,000 for facilitating deliveries of cellphones, nicotine vapes and alcohol
The man attempted to smuggle a backpack filled with cellphones, vape pens and synthetic marijuana to an inmate at FCI Lewisburg
Tova Noel, who was on duty the night Epstein died in federal custody, is scheduled to give a transcribed interview
Prosecutors say the FCI Aliceville officer sexually assaulted seven incarcerated women between 2022 and 2024
Federal prosecutors said the men concealed sharpened plexiglass, a razor blade and a shank during a pat-down at the medium-security prison
Union leaders say the proposed base pay increase would boost recruitment, improve retention and reduce reliance on augmentation across federal prisons
The Bureau of Prisons director points to rising drone drops, including a case at FCI Fort Dix where staff intercepted a drone drop carrying a 46-pound laundry bag filled with contraband
Jessica Lynn Larson was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to federal agents after engaging in a sexual relationship with an inmate at FMC Rochester
The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act aims to improve staffing, reduce burnout and enhance safety in federal prisons
MDC Brooklyn, NYC’s only federal jail, once housed Diddy, Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell and the former president of Honduras
FCI Terminal Island, which once held Al Capone and Charles Manson, will close due to crumbling infrastructure and deteriorating heating tunnels
One corrections officer was permanently blinded after being stabbed with a piece of steel in 2020 at USP Allenwood
Sean “Diddy” Combs began his four-year sentence at FCI Fort Dix, where he is housed in the facility’s Residential Drug Abuse Program unit rather than general population
The FMC Lexington corrections officer admitted to bringing synthetic marijuana and tobacco to inmates in exchange for mobile payments
Amid nearly 30 vacancies at FCI Edgefield alone, prison teachers, nurses and electricians are being pulled to cover CO shifts without compensation
Director William K. Marshall III told the agency’s nearly 35,000 employees that Council of Prison Locals had become “an obstacle to progress instead of a partner in it”
A new push in Congress and local initiatives aim to bring lasting mental health resources to federal officers
AFGE Local 4070 is supporting peer programs and lobbying for the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act
The former congressman is serving time at FCI Fairton’s minimum security camp after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft
“Congress now faces a choice to either stand up for Alcatraz and the stories it holds or allow our national parks to be sacrificed for political gain,” an official said
The court said expanding Bivens would undermine prison operations and duplicate established inmate complaint processes
Federal inmate search and lookup tools make it easy to find inmates, plan visits and send mail
Federal prosecutors argued Kelly’s motion was a “fanciful conspiracy” and that the court “lacks jurisdiction to entertain” his confinement complaints
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- Federal prisons being used to detain people arrested in Trump’s immigration crackdown
- BOP slashes retention bonuses, impacting thousands of correctional officers
- BOP director: Reopening Alcatraz is an ‘exciting opportunity’
- Aryan Brotherhood inmates face federal transfer after prison-based racketeering convictions
- BOP permanently closes FCI Dublin, plans to shutter 6 other facilities