Metropolitan Correctional Center - Chicago

The Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago (MCC Chicago) is a federal prison located in Chicago, Illinois, that holds male and female prisoners of all security levels before and during court proceedings in the Northern District of Illinois. It is located in downtown Chicago, at the corner of Clark and Van Buren.

It also houses inmates that are serving brief sentences.

There are cells and dormitories for both male and female inmates. The facility is twenty-six stories high, and inmates are housed based on gender, security level, and trial status.

It has a unique design compared to other prison facilities because it has a right-triangle shape, features a rooftop exercise yard, and each cell has a small slit window.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at MCC Chicago are on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Federal Holidays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The visiting schedule is on a rotation based on unit. To get detailed information about the day your inmate is allowed to visit, you need to contact the facility directly. You will need to know what unit the inmate is housed in to get the proper visiting schedule.

Authorized visitors who can visit an inmate will depend upon the inmate’s status. Pre-trial and holdover inmates are usually limited to immediate family, but they can put one visitor on their list that is not immediate family.

Everyone must fill out a visitor form, and they must have a relationship with the inmate prior to incarceration.

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.

Inmates will be limited to between and three and six total visitors (adults and children) at any one time, depending on their status and housing unit.

All visitors must be dressed in an appropriate manner. Any visitor who arrives inappropriately dressed will be denied the privilege of visiting.

All visitors must be fully attired, including shoes. No open-toed shoes and no strapless heels are authorized. All shoes must be strapped to the foot, and you can’t wear slippers, shower shoes, or flip-flops.

Clothing which is similar to - and resembles the style or color of - what is issued to inmates is not allowed to be worn inside the visiting room.

Visitors should avoid wearing apparel which is revealing or suggestive, or any clothing that contains sexually suggestive/offensive writing or writing/logos that reference gangs.

Bras are required, but visitors can’t wear undergarments containing metal (i.e. underwire bra). Dresses or skirts must be no shorter than knee length, and may not have a slit above the knee.

Religious headwear is not considered part of a visitor’s belongings, but rather their person. Random pat searches should NOT ordinarily include removal and inspection of religious headwear. Except in emergencies, the Warden’s authorization is required before staff pat or visually search religious headwear.

The following attire is strictly prohibited:

• Shorts (except for children up to age 4) 
• Sleeveless garments (except for children up to age 4)
• Sweat pants, sweat shirts
• Sun dresses, leotards, wrap around skirts
• Crop tops, low-cut blouses, zippered dresses/shirts, button down skirts or dresses or low cut dresses
• Halter tops, tube tops, bathing suits or backless tops
• Hats, caps, headbands, head scarfs, hooded garments, wigs, hairpieces, and sunglasses
• Spandex pants, tights or clothing with revealing holes
• No extra clothing or outer garments, coats, overcoats, jackets, or windbreakers.
• Any clothing similar to that issued to inmates or staff uniforms
• No bare feet will be allowed except for infants
• Clothing that is sexually suggestive, revealing, or any type of garment that is see through 

Visitors are not allowed to bring any items into the institution except a small, clear or see-through coin purse, three diapers, baby wipes in a clear or see through bag, one receiving blanket, and three feeding bottles for infants. You must also have a government-issued photo ID.

Inmate visitors may possess no more than a total of $50.00 in denominations no larger than $10.00, when visiting. Visitors are not allowed to bring any items in for an inmate.

All visitors are subject to a visual and pat search by an officer. You will also be scanned by a metal detector and an Ion Spectrometry Device. 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.

Because there are so many different types of inmates at this facility (gender, security level, status), we strongly recommend that you contact MCC Chicago directly to get all of the visit details.

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 landline 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 every prisoner at MCC Chicago.

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 Butner FCC.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.

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 spend limit at MCC Chicago is $360.

​Programs For ​Inmates

MCC Chicago offers the following programs for inmates:

• Literacy
• GED
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Continuing Education
• High School Diplomas or Post-Secondary Programs via paid correspondence
• Drug Education
• Alcoholic Anonymous

Currently, only the male inmates are allowed to work in the prison. Inmates can use the rooftop exercise yard every other day for two hours, and they can visit the gym up to two times a week. The facility also has a library where inmates can checkout books and movies twice a week.

Pictures of Metropolitan Correctional Center - Chicago

Careers at Metropolitan Correctional Center - Chicago

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at MCC Chicago 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 MCC Chicago report that it is a good place to work with flexible hours and good pay. There is also room for advancement.