Federal Correctional Institution - Dublin

Federal Correctional Institution - Dublin is a low-security federal correctional institution, located in Dublin, California, with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. This is one of three female federal prisons in the United States, and it houses a total of 1,250 inmates - 1,024 inmates at the FCI and 226 inmates at the satellite camp. 

There is also a federal detention center at the facility that houses males on holdover or pre-trial status.

FCI Dublin was opened in 1974, but didn’t become an all-female institution until 2012.

Originally, the cells were designed for a single prisoner. But now, three inmates share a cell on the top tier and four inmates share a cell in the bottom tier.

Inmates at the camp are housed in both cells and dormitories.

Because the dining facilities are so small, meals are served in shifts.

FCI Dublin has two UNICOR programs, one is a call center and the other manufactures textiles like custom draperies, parachutes, and disaster blankets. They also sort and repair USPS mailbags.

The average sentence of inmates at the FCI is about five years.

FCI Dublin has housed many notable inmates including Heidi Fleiss, Patricia Hearst, Sara Jane Moore, and Michael Milken.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at the FCI and Camp are on Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Visiting hours for the detention center are the same as the FCI and camp. However, only immediate family is allowed and visits can last no longer than one hour.

Authorized visitors who can visit an inmate at the FCI and camp include family, friends, and associates. You can't visit an inmate unless she puts you on the visiting list.

Everyone must fill out a visitor form, and they must have a relationship with the inmate prior to incarceration. If a potential visitor does not have a prior relationship with the inmate, their request will be reviewed by the warden.

Once the inmate requests to add someone to their visit list, a correctional counselor will provide them with a visiting form, and the inmate is responsible for mailing these out and letting the potential visitor know that they need to fill out the form and return it to the institution staff.

The unit team will do a background check and determine if a visitor application is approved.

They make their decision based on constructive and security factors. The process takes about a week, and the unit staff will notify the inmate when the requested visitor is approved or refused.

It is the inmate’s responsibility to notify the visitor of the decision, and the process is the same for both adult and minor visitors.

An inmate can have a maximum of five visitors at one time. If there is more than five visitors, they will have to alternate during the visit.

All visitors are to be dressed appropriately.

PERSONS WEARING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS OF CLOTHING WILL NOT BE ADMITTED:

• Khaki shirt and/or trousers similar to inmate clothing
• Mini-skirts, halter tops, or halter dresses
• Strapless blouses or dresses, sleeveless shirts, see-through blouses, or other apparel which is revealing in nature
• Hats (religious headgear is permitted)
• Sweat suits or jogging suits

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PERMITTED INTO THE VISITING ROOM:

1) One clear change purse not to exceed 8" by 10" that can be easily searched
2) Up to $35 for vending machines
3) Three plastic baby bottles
4) Ten diapers
5) Four unopened plastic containers of baby food or one unopened can of formula

All visitors are subject to a visual and pat search by an officer. You will also be scanned by a metal detector and given a hand stamp that will be inspected by a black light when you leave.

Any item you bring into the facility will be opened and searched by a staff member, and anyone who refuses a search of themselves or their property will not be allowed to visit with the inmate.

If you are 16 years of age or older, you must bring a valid photo ID with you to the visit, like a state or federal ID card, driver's license, current passport, or resident alien card. Birth certificates are not valid forms of ID.

Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or responsible adult over 18.

There is no limit on the amount of mail that inmates receive, but all correspondence must have the inmate’s complete name, registration number, facility name, and address.

You can only send cards or letters to these addresses. Paperback books, newspapers, and magazines must come directly from the publisher via a subscription or mail order.

Inmates cannot receive packages through the mail, with the exception of a package of release day clothing. You can't send the release day package until 30 days prior to the scheduled release date.

How to Call an Inmate

Federal inmates are not allowed to have cellphones and they can't receive inbound calls. They can make outbound calls during approved hours, and they must pay for them with the money that is on their personal account or call collect.

Inmates will use TRULINCS to call to both landlines and cell phones. This is also how inmates are able to send and receive emails. Your number must be added to the contact list for approval.

All phone calls are limited to 15 minutes, and will be monitored and recorded.

How to Send Money

Sending money is one of most important things you can do for an inmate. The prison will issue each prisoner the minimum amount of clothing and hygiene items, and provide them with three meals a day. But, it is extremely difficult for prisoners to have any level of comfort when living with just the items that are prison-issued.

Inmates can receive outside funds while incarcerated at a BOP-managed facility, which are deposited into their commissary accounts.The process for sending money is the same for FCI Dublin and the FCI Dublin Satellite Camp.

Postal Service

For federal prisoners, you can send money through the United States Postal Service by MONEY ORDER to the following address:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Inmate Name
Eight-Digit Register Number
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

Send the funds to the address above. Replace the second line with the inmate's valid, full committed name. Replace the third line with the inmate's eight digit register number. Never send money directly to the prison. If you are using the postal service, you must always send your money order to the bureau of prisons using the above address.

MoneyGram

You can send an inmate funds electronically using MoneyGram's Express Payment Program.To send funds using this method, please read and follow these steps carefully:

Wait until an inmate has physically arrived at a FCI Dublin.Gather the information you'll need. Which includes the inmate’s name and number.Visit moneygram.com to complete your payment.

Information needed to complete MoneyGram payment:

Account Number: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name (example: 12345678DOE).
Company Name: Federal Bureau of Prisons
City & State: Washington, DC
Receive Code is always: 7932
Beneficiary: Inmate's full committed name

Western Union

If you would like to see a sample Western Union form click here. On their website, they have a special form for sending money to inmates, and you go directly to it by clicking here.

You will need to know the inmate’s full name and number, and you can pay with a debit or credit card at westernunion.com. Remember, any time you send money to an inmate you must always include their name and registration number on everything.

There are a few things that inmates can spend their money on. This includes phone calls, emails, and commissary.  The commissary is the prison store, where inmates can buy things like beverages, meals and snacks, OTC medications, stationary, personal hygiene items, electronics, clothing, or other miscellaneous products.

Please be aware that prisoners have their own economy inside the prison walls just like we do in the real world. Inmates that have a lot of money can do a lot of things both legal and illegal.

Prisoners can potentially use the money in their account to buy things for other inmates in exchange for drugs and paraphernalia. This activity is illegal and can get an inmate in a lot of trouble. It Is important to keep track of how much money you are sending your incarcerated loved one, and watch out for any suspicious behavior.

The monthly spending limit at FCI Dublin is $360.00.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• GED
• English as a second language
• High School Diploma (via paid correspondence)
• Post-Secondary Programs (via paid correspondence)
• Occupational Education Programs in Custodial Maintenance, HVAC, Office Technology, and ServSafe. All of these are available at the FCI, but not at the camp.
• Apprenticeships at the FCI in Carpentry, Customer Service Representative, Dental Assistant, Electrician, Building and Grounds Cleaning, General Maintenance, HVAC, Plumbing, and Welding

Pictures of Federal Correctional Institution - Dublin

Careers at Federal Correctional Institution - Dublin

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at FCI Dublin by visiting USAJobs.gov. The salaries at the facility begin around $40,000 and can go up into the six-figure range, depending on the position.

Reviews from employees at FCI Dublin are not good. They say the work/life balance is below average, and the salary and benefits were not competitive.