Today we welcome Christopher Zoukis to I'm Shelf-ish! Christopher is the co-author of the reference/law book, Directory of Federal Prisons. His co-author is Dr. Randall Radic. Christopher is here to talk about security levels in the Federal Bureau of Prisons as part of his nationwide blog tour.
Security
Levels in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
By
Christopher Zoukis
The
paramount concern of many first-time federal prison inmates is their safety and
what security level they will be housed within.
We've all seen the HBO series Oz and read of brutal violence and
sexual assaults in prison. Thus, the
first question which comes to mind is, "How do I protect myself once
confined in a federal prison?"
Often the answer to this question revolves around what security level
the inmate is housed in. Let's set the
record straight on the topic of surviving federal prison, what security level
the inmate is housed at,
and remove all of the spin that often permeates such
discussions.
The
Housing of Diverse Prison Populations
Prisons
are populated with those who violate societal norms by breaking the law. No one goes to prison for singing too loudly
in the choir, but they all aren't monsters either. The truth of the matter is that federal
prison inmates are housed in varying security levels depending upon their
propensity for escape and violence. As
such, white collar offenders generally will not be housed with murderers or
rapists or terrorists. Instead, they
will be housed with other white collar offenders (e.g., embezzlers, fraudsters,
tax cheaters, etc.) and with low-level, non-violent, first-time drug
offenders. Likewise, prison inmates with
extensive criminal history records will be housed with fellow inmates who have
been engaging in crime for a very long time, too. As such, for many inmates, surviving federal
prison is not as hard as it might sound, owing to the fact that federal prison
inmates are generally housed at security levels with others of their same
propensities for violence and history of criminality.
The
Dividing of the Prison Populations by Security Levels
Federal
prison inmates who have shorter or less serious criminal histories will be
housed at lower security levels (i.e., minimum security federal prisons and low
security federal prisons), while those with extensive criminal histories (and,
in particular, histories of violence or escape) will be housed at the higher
security levels (i.e., medium security federal prisons and high security
federal prisons). The higher the
security level, the more prevalent violence will be and the more inherently
dangerous the prison experience is.
While these groupings do not stop -- or even limit -- violence or
dangerousness, they do ensure that the more dangerous or violence prone federal
prison inmates are housed together.
Thus, white collar offenders will not be housed in prisons where the
danger is extreme, even if there is a certain level of risk at federal prisons
of every security level.
How
Does the Federal Bureau of Prisons Differentiate Amongst the Various Security
Levels?
The
Federal Bureau of Prisons houses federal prison inmates in five security
categories or levels, depending upon their current crime, criminal history,
history of prison misconduct, and other factors. These categories are minimum security
(sometimes called "Federal Prison Camps" or "Satellite Prison
Camps"), low security (called "Federal Correctional
Institutions" or "FCIs"), medium security (called "Federal
Correctional Institutions" or "FCIs"), high security (called
"United States Penitentiaries" or "USPs"), and
administrative security (which go by a number of different titles based upon
the institution's mission). The Federal
Bureau of Prisons' website summarizes each security level as follows:
·
Minimum Security Federal Prisons: "Minimum-security
institutions, commonly called 'federal prison camps,' are designed for
offenders who do not pose a risk of violence or escape. Minimum-security institutions have dormitory
and room housing, a relatively low staff-to-inmate ratio, and limited or no
perimeter fencing." It should be
noted that satellite prison camps, which usually exist to support operation of
a higher security facility, are much the same.
·
Low Security Federal Prisons: "Low-security Federal
Correctional Institutions (FCIs) have double-fenced perimeters, mostly
dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work and program components. The staff-to-inmate ratio in these
institutions is higher than at minimum-security facilities."
·
Medium Security Federal Prisons: "Medium-security FCIs
have strengthened perimeters (often double fenced with electronic detection
systems), mostly cell-type housing, a wide variety of work and treatment
programs, an even higher staff-to-inmate ratio than low-security FCIs, and even
greater internal controls."
·
High Security Federal Prisons: "High-security
institutions, also known as United States Penitentiaries (USPs), have
highly-secured perimeters (featuring walls or reinforced fences), multiple- and
single-occupant cell housing, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and close
control of inmate movement."
·
Administrative Security Federal Prisons: "Administrative
facilities are institutions with special missions, such as the detention of
pretrial offenders; the treatment of inmates with serious or chronic medical
problems; or the containment of extremely dangerous, violent, or escape-prone
inmates. They are capable of holding
inmates in all security categories.
Administrative facilities include Metropolitan Correctional Centers
(MCCs), Metropolitan Detention Centers (MDCs), Federal Detention Centers
(FDCs), and Federal Medical Centers (FMCs), as well as the Federal Transfer
Center (FTC), the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP), and the
Administrative-Maximum (ADX) U.S. Penitentiary."
Where
Can I Learn More About the Various Federal Prison Security Levels?
Further
reading about the various security levels used in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
can be located through several reputable sources. The most current source is http://www.prisonlawblog.com. The Prison Law Blog discusses not only prison
law and prisoners' rights, but also life in federal prison, including issues
specific to each prison security level.
For a guide to the security level at every prison within the Federal
Bureau of Prisons and every private prison which houses federal prison inmates,
buy a copy of my book the Directory of Federal Prisons: PrisonLawBlog.com's
Federal Bureau of Prisons Facility Directory.
About the Authors:
Christopher
Zoukis is an impassioned advocate for prison education, a legal scholar,
and a prolific writer of books, book reviews, and articles. His articles
on prison education and prison law appear frequently in Prison Legal News, and
have been published in The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, Blog Critics,
and Midwest Book Review, among other national, regional, and specialty
publications.
Mr.
Zoukis is often quoted on matters concerning prison law, criminal law,
prisoners' rights, and prison education. Recently, he was the focus of an
article at Salon.com concerning America's
broken criminal justice system and potential solutions to the current crisis.
When
not in the thick of the battle for prison reform, prison education, or
prisoners' rights advocacy, Mr. Zoukis can be found blogging at PrisonLawBlog.com, PrisonEducation.com, and ChristopherZoukis.com.
Randall
Radic is the Senior Editor and Chief Operating Officer of Middle Street
Publishing (MSP), where he superintends PrisonLawBlog.com and
PrisonEducation.com, and manages all of MSP's print and online endeavors.
After
graduating from the University of Arizona
with a B.A. in the classics, Dr. Radic matriculated at Agape Seminary, where he
received the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology, and then Trinity Seminary
where he received the degree of Doctor of Theology.
Dr.
Radic is the author of several non-fiction books, including Blood In, Blood
Out: The Violent Empire of the Aryan Brotherhood (Headpress, 2011), The Sound
of Meat (Ephemera Bound Publishing, 2008), A Priest in Hell: True Crimes of
America's Clergy (ECW Press, 2009), and Terminal Disaster: Inside the Money
Machine (Sunbury Press, 2012).
Dr.
Radic has appeared on National Public Radio and A&E Television discussing
prison education and America's
prison gangs.
I think your comment on no one being in there for singing to the choir is both ignorant and condescending. I was in prison. Read about conspiracy laws. I was in prison with a woman who had 25 years for drugs who did not know what a roach was.
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