Federal Bureau of Prisons
Inmate Programs and Services
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates institutions that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and secure, and that provide appropriate opportunities for inmates to prepare themselves to remain crime-free after returning to the community. Each Bureau facility offers the following programs and services, which vary based on the characteristics and needs of the specific inmate population.
This brief overview provides links from each section to Bureau policies, known as Program Statements, that have a more in-depth discussion of each topic.
Institution Designation and Orientation
The Bureau designates inmates to institutions that meet their security, program, and medical needs, while maintaining population balance throughout the system. Soon after arrival at their facility, inmates participate in the Admission and Orientation Program, which introduces all aspects of the institution, including the rules and regulations, inmates’ rights and responsibilities, and the Bureau’s discipline policy. Staff make presentations and answer questions regarding the institution’s programs, services, and operations.
Classification and Unit Management
After the Admission and Orientation Program, an inmate is assigned to a housing unit (a self-contained living area that includes cells, rooms, cubicles, or dormitories; bathroom facilities; common areas; and staff offices). A unit team is responsible for all inmates in a single unit. The team typically includes the Unit Manager, a Case Manager, and a Correctional Counselor, with input from the inmate’s work supervisor, the Education Department, and the Psychology Services Department. After orientation, inmates meet regularly with their unit team to develop, review, and discuss the programs they should be involved in and any other needs or concerns. Custody classification and designation are among the issues discussed at these meetings. In addition, inmates can approach a member of the unit team or any other staff member at any time to discuss concerns.
All Federal inmates have to work if they are medically able. Most are assigned to an institution job such as food service worker, orderly, plumber, painter, warehouse worker, or groundskeeper. These jobs pay from 12¢ to 40¢ per hour.
About 25 percent of inmates work in Federal Prison Industries (FPI) factories. They gain job skills through working in factory operations such as metals, furniture, electronics, textiles, and graphic arts. FPI jobs pay from 23¢ to $1.15 per hour.
The Inmate Financial Responsibility Program (IFRP) requires inmates to make payments from their earnings to satisfy court-ordered fines, victim restitution, child support, and other monetary judgments. Some inmates are assessed a cost of incarceration fee, which is part of the IFRP. Inmates working in FPI who have financial obligations must pay 50 percent of their earnings to the IFRP. Most fine and restitution money goes to crime victims or victim support groups through the Crime Victims Fund in the Department of Justice.
A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate is required for all work assignments above the entry level (lowest pay level) in either institution or FPI jobs.
Education, Vocational Training, and Job Training
The Bureau offers a variety of programs for inmates to acquire literacy and marketable skills to help them obtain employment after release. All institutions offer literacy classes, English as a Second Language, parenting classes, recreation activities, wellness education, adult continuing education, and library services.
Inmates who do not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate must participate in the literacy program for a minimum of 240 hours or until they obtain the GED. Non-English-speaking inmates must take an English as a Second Language program.
Occupational and vocational training programs are based on the needs of the inmates, general labor market conditions, and institution labor force needs. An important component is on-the-job training, which inmates receive through institution job assignments and work in Federal Prison Industries. The Bureau also facilitates post-secondary education in vocational and occupationally-oriented areas. Some traditional college courses are available, but inmates must pay for these.
Parenting classes help inmates maintain family ties and parental bonds during incarceration. Recreation and wellness activities encourage healthy life styles and habits. Institution libraries carry a variety of fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, newspapers, and reference materials. Inmates also have access to legal materials and services to conduct legal research and to prepare legal documents.
In FY 1989, the Bureau of Prisons designed a comprehensive substance abuse treatment strategy in an effort to change inmates' criminal and drug-using behaviors. This comprehensive strategy begins with drug abuse education and ends with a strong community transition component.
Inmates are required to participate in a drug abuse education course if (1) there is evidence in their presentence investigation report that alcohol or drugs contributed to the commission of their instant offense; (2) they violated supervised release, parole, conditions of a halfway house placement, or conditions of home confinement based on alcohol or drug use; or (3) the sentencing judge recommended that they participate in a drug treatment program during incarceration. In the drug abuse education program, inmates receive information about alcohol and drugs and the physical, social, and psychological impact of abusing these substances. Inmates who are identified as having a further need for treatment are encouraged to participate in non-residential or residential drug abuse treatment.
Non-residential drug abuse treatment and counseling is available in every Bureau institution. Treatment includes individual and group therapy, as well as specialty seminars and self-improvement group counseling programs. In addition, more than 50 Bureau institutions have residential drug abuse treatment programs. Inmates who participate in the residential program are housed together in a separate unit of the prison that is reserved for drug treatment. The residential program provides intensive treatment, up to four hours a day, 5 days a week. The remainder of each day is spent in education, work skills training, and other inmate programs. Upon completion of a residential substance abuse treatment program, aftercare treatment services are provided in general population and in the Community Corrections Center to ensure an effective transition from the institution program to the community.
Research confirms that inmates who completed RDAP are less likely to be rearrested and less likely to use drugs, when compared to similar non-participant offenders. Data also suggests the Bureau’s RDAPs make a significant difference in the lives of inmates following their release from custody and return to the community. (For those interested in reviewing the Bureau’s recidivism research literature, you may access the Research area of this website).
The Bureau provides essential medical, dental, and mental health services consistent with community standards in a correctional environment. The Bureau uses licensed and credentialed health care providers in its ambulatory care units, supported by community consultants and specialists. For inmates with chronic or acute medical conditions, the Bureau operates several medical referral centers providing advanced care.
Health promotion is emphasized through counseling during examinations, education about effects of medications, infectious disease prevention and education, and chronic care clinics for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. The Bureau promotes environmental health through its emphasis on a clean-air environment and the maintenance of safe conditions in inmate living and work areas. The Bureau’s food service program emphasizes heart-healthy diets, nutrition education, and dietary counseling in conjunction with certain medical treatment.
Mental Health Treatment and Counseling
The Bureau provides a full range of mental health treatment through staff psychologists and psychiatrists, enhanced by contract services from the community. Psychologists are available for professional counseling and treatment on an individual or group basis. In addition, staff in an inmate’s living unit are available for informal counseling. The Bureau also provides forensic services to the courts, including a range of evaluative mental health studies outlined in Federal statutes.
Institutions schedule services and meeting times for inmates of many faiths. Religious programs are led or supervised by staff chaplains, contract spiritual leaders, and community volunteers. Chaplains oversee inmate self-improvement forums such as scripture study and religious workshops, and provide pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and counseling. Inmates may also request spiritual counseling from community representatives. Inmates can observe religious holy days and wear and use religious items consistent with their faith and with the security, safety, and good order of the institution.
For security, safety, and sanitation reasons, the Bureau limits the amount of property (jewelry, photographs, books, magazines, etc.) inmates may have, and the types of publications inmates can have sent to them. The institution issues clothing, hygiene items, and bedding, and provides laundry services. Inmates may purchase other personal care items, sneakers, some recreational clothing, and some food items through the commissary. Money earned by working in the institution or sent in from the community is placed in an account for the inmate to use. (Money sent in from the community, other than Postal Money Orders, may be held up to 15 days before being posted in an inmate’s account.) Negotiable instruments must contain the inmate’s name and register number.
Visiting, Telephones, and Correspondence
Visiting, telephone privileges, and correspondence help inmates maintain family and community ties while incarcerated. Inmates may have contact visits with family, friends, and attorneys except in the highest-security prisons. Visiting hours vary from institution to institution. Inmates can make telephone calls. Except for pre-arranged calls to an attorney, all calls are recorded and are subject to monitoring by staff. Inmates have liberal mail privileges. Staff inspect general mail for contraband and randomly read incoming mail for general security purposes. Staff do not read appropriately-identified special mail (from attorneys, Members of Congress, embassies and consulates, the courts, the Department of Justice [excluding the Bureau of Prisons], other Federal law enforcement officers, governors, and State attorneys general), but it is inspected for contraband in the presence of the inmate.
Temporary Releases from Custody
Under special limited circumstances, inmates who meet strict requirements are allowed temporary releases from the institution through furloughs and staff-escorted trips. A furlough allows inmates to be in the community without a staff escort. There are several purposes for furloughs, including allowing inmates to be present during a family crisis, re-establish family and community ties, and participate in certain activities to help their transition before release. The Bureau also allows inmates on staff-escorted trips for purposes such as visiting a critically-ill family member, attending a funeral, receiving medical treatment, or participating in an educational, religious, or work-related function.
Release and Employment Preparation
The Release Preparation Program includes classes in areas such as resume writing, job seeking, and job retention. The program also includes presentations by community-based organizations that help ex-inmates find jobs and training opportunities after release. The Bureau places appropriate inmates in halfway houses prior to release to help them adjust to life in the community and find employment. Some inmates will be eligible for a release gratuity, clothing, or money for transportation to their release destination.
The Inmate Placement Program provides additional post-release employment help. Many institutions hold mock job fairs to instruct inmates in job interview conduct and to expose community recruiters to the skills available among inmates. Qualified inmates may apply for jobs with companies that have posted job openings. The Inmate Placement Program helps inmates prepare release portfolios which include a resume; education certificates, diplomas, and transcripts; and other significant documents needed for a successful job interview.
For additional information, please call the Bureau’s Central Office at 202-307-3198 and select 2 from the automated list, or call the local institution of interest (their phone number will appear under the BOP Directory).