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.
Federal prison employees will join other DOJ personnel as unarmed monitors during the 2026 general election
Inspectors credited a dedicated workforce but warned the facility’s operations would be at risk if its population grows
The ruling restores the collective bargaining agreement for about 30,000 employees
Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently serving a 50-month sentence after he was convicted of transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled sex performances
Albert Victor Freeman faces three counts of sexual abuse of a ward tied to engaging in, or attempting, sexual acts with three inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution
Four anonymous inmates alleged that Combs has been paying men for special services, including massages, using a contraband phone and keeping an illegal stash of alcohol
The preliminary injunction sets aside the agency’s 2025 cancellation of the master agreement, which a union local says stripped officers of workplace protections
Inmates said they yelled, kicked cell doors and used makeshift barriers while waiting up to 45 minutes for staff to respond
Robert Foust was indicted on four counts involving alleged threats against two correctional officers, a counselor and a prison physician
Federal investigators say the alleged assault at USP Big Sandy may be connected to the Mexican Mafia prison gang
The former federal inmate was appointed deputy director in 2025 and tasked with supporting staff and expanding rehabilitative programming
Prosecutors say Joseph Templeton, 30, brought cell phones, cigarettes and THC into FCI Bennettsville and falsely processed the contraband as items seized by staff
LAPD said a group followed two federal employees into a parking garage and attacked one of them during a protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center
Authorities say the inmate used a contraband cellphone at FCI Oakdale to send threats and photos of the woman’s new residence while serving a 17-year sentence
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
MOST POPULAR
- 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
- Bureau of Prisons ends collective bargaining agreement with staff union