Federal Prison Directory

Use the official Federal Bureau of Prisons locations directory to browse current federal institutions, detention centers, medical centers, prison camps, complexes, and residential reentry management offices. Confirm the person in the BOP Inmate Locator before relying on a facility name.

How to use the official locator

1. Open the official BOP Inmate Locator.
2. Choose Find By Name or Find By Number.
3. Enter only fields you know accurately.
4. Confirm the Register Number, age, status, and location.
5. Check state or county custody if the federal result is missing.

How to browse federal prisons

The BOP locations directory can be filtered by state, facility type, security level, region, and prison type. Open the current facility page for its address, visiting information, communications, and local notices.

Facility names and abbreviations

BOP facility names can include FCI, USP, FPC, FMC, FDC, MDC, FCC, FTC, and RRM. The abbreviation describes a mission or facility type, but the current BOP page should control because names and missions can change.

Confirm the person before contacting a prison

A facility directory identifies institutions; it does not establish that a particular person is housed there. First confirm the inmate record and Register Number in the BOP locator, then open the current facility page.

Why locations change

Designation and redesignation can depend on security, supervision, medical care level, programs, court movement, treatment needs, sentence administration, and release planning.

Information to prepare before searching

Have the person’s complete legal name, likely age or date of birth, and any document that shows a federal identifier. Do not guess demographic fields when the official form makes them optional. A wrong filter can remove the correct result, while a precise Register Number or correctly labeled agency number can reduce same-name matches.

How to confirm the correct federal record

Compare more than the displayed name. Review the BOP Register Number, age, status, facility, and projected release information together. If the facility is shown, open the current BOP facility page for contact and visitation details. A same-name result, an old screenshot, or a third-party profile is not enough to establish current federal custody.

When another custody search is more appropriate

The BOP locator does not replace state Department of Corrections or county jail systems. A person may be awaiting federal placement in a local facility, held by another federal agency, serving a state sentence, or recently transferred. Use the current housing agency first when reliable information identifies it, then search BOP after federal designation or transfer. Save the official identifier and recheck the current source instead of relying on an old screenshot.

Federal search limitations

• The online locator starts with records from 1982.
• A federal case does not guarantee current placement at a BOP facility.
• Projected release dates can change.
• A person no longer in BOP custody can remain under another agency or supervision.