Many of you who are taking the time to read our stories, watch our tips on social media, and work with us as consultants, are justice impacted people who are first time offenders, oftentimes white collar. Most of our audience is on “pre-release” bond awaiting trial, sentencing or self report. More often than not, these same people are not going to the USP, but rather Minimum security camps, known as FPCs and low security institutions, known as FCI lows.
The spot where most of our readers are is scary. That scared feeling is compounded by the fact that you are receiving conflicting information from a wide variety of sources.
The fact is that most of our readers, who are over the age of 35, on their first time offense ,and a non-violent white collar crime, facing less than 10 years. If that’s you, rest assured you are most likely going to a federal prison camp.
Now Federal Prison camp is NOT the sleepaway camp that you went to as a child. But it’s far from the USP that many TikTokkers are talking about.
For starters you will most likely be housed in a housing unit with “cubes”. Cubes are like cubby holes or more like cells without a front wall or door. This means you have enough privacy to change into pajamas and sleep without being disturbed, but you can freely walk about the unit.
In these camp dormitories (called housing units in the BOP) there is a shared common bathroom. Bathrooms at camps are a kin to the bathrooms in shopping malls or airports. Large rooms with lots of sinks and toilet stalls with doors. The showers either have stall doors or curtains designed to keep your private areas private. There is no sex in the prison camp, unless of course you want it (and youre then risking your privilege of being at camp).
Most camps don’t have a bed time however you are required to be in your assigned cube for all counts which fall on weekdays at 4pm, 9 or 10pm, 12am, 3am and 5am. On the weekends they add a 10am count. The 4pm count and the evening count during the week are “stand up” counts. During these count times you must stand (unless you’re wheelchair bound) and you must be completely quiet. You can’t even go to the bathroom until count clears. Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays add one more “stand up” count at 10am. The 4pm count is called into BOP headquarters in DC and determines the nationwide BOP population. The other three counts (12am, 3am and 5am) are not stand up counts. You must be in your cube or cell but you don’t have to stand, they will count you sleeping.
Camps have a wide range of activities and they are “wide open” from after 5am count clears until preparation for the 4pm and evening counts. This means that if you want to spend your freetime in education or recreation, or just walking the approved grounds, you can. At FPC Montgomery and FPC Pensacola, you’ll find guys under trees playing guitar, reading books or even playing D&D.
At most prison camps you’ll be able to take a wide range of Re-Entry classes as well as Adult Continuing Education classes and Evidence Based Recidivism Reducing Classes. They also have a variety of “hobby crafts” ranging from leather shop to woodshop, ceramics, art and music.
Overall, the Federal Prison Camp experience is the best for a lousy situation.
You probably need the help of an experience and qualified Federal Prison consultant. Please email info@federalprisontips.com or call (407)735-6995 for more information.
