Federal Bureau of Prisons: What Families Need to Know (2026)
The federal system works differently from any state system, because one rule covers all 118 institutions the guide lists. Under the Bureau of Prisons rule at 28 CFR 540.42, each warden sets the visiting schedule, with visiting at a minimum on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, though some institutions limit visitors to one weekend day. That means there is no single federal visiting calendar: each institution posts its own Visiting Regulations PDF on its bop.gov location page, and that document is the one to read before planning a trip. The guide lists every BOP-operated institution in the bop.gov facility locator, from FCI Aliceville and FPC Montgomery to USP Florence ADMAX and FCI Danbury, each with its street address, phone number, security level, and population, so families can find the right institution and call it directly. Mail addresses for incarcerated people are also on each institution's page, rather than in the street listing. The Bureau is led by Director William K. Marshall III, and the central office is at 320 First St., NW, Washington, DC 20534, phone 202-307-3198. Schedules change, so the guide's advice is the same throughout: call the facility to confirm before traveling.
Full guide: https://8a1c6da4-9eeb-47b4-b576-ee932f459420.usrfiles.com/ugd/de0afa_b65132c41f0c4065a75e19beab4ff4cf.pdf
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