Federal Medical Center - Devens

The Federal Medical Center, Devens -- or FMC Devens -- is a federal prison located in Ayer, Massachusetts that houses male inmates of all security levels with special medical and mental health needs.

FMC Devens also has an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp.

The facility houses 1,164 total inmates - 1,051 at the FMC and 113 at the camp.

FMC Devens has regular onsite specialists in cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, surgery, neurology, and pulmonology. Inmates also leave the facility to see outside specialists for various tests and medical procedures.

Inmates are housed in one or two-person cells at the FMC, and inmates at the camp are housed in open dormitories.

The age of the inmates ranges from 21 to 96, and the average stay is ten years at the FMC and 80 months at the satellite camp.

The main facility is a Sex Offender Management Program (SOMP), which means that nearly half of the inmate population is incarcerated for a sexual offense. There are also many inmates that have been convicted of white-collar crimes or have connections with organized crime.

Notable inmates include former New York congressman Anthony Weiner (currently serving a 21-month sentence), Peter Madoff (brother of Bernie Madoff), and former underboss of the Gambino crime family, Frank Locascio.

Former inmates include Rajat Gupta - former director of Goldman Sachs - who served two years for insider trading, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (convicted of the Boston Marathon bombing) who was transferred to ADX Florence when he was sentenced to death.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at FMC Devens are on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm.

Visiting hours at the Satellite Camp are on Friday from 2:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

Authorized visitors who can visit an inmate include family, friends, and associates. You can't visit an inmate unless he 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.

Inmates will be limited to five total approved visitors at any one time, including children.

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

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

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.

The following clothing will not be permitted:

• Sheer clothing 
• Miniskirts
• Tank tops
• Halter tops
• Midriff tops
• Strapless tops or dresses
• Spandex
• Watches or other electronic wristbands
• Form fitting clothing
• Khaki clothing
• Flip-flops or open-toed shoes

You can bring in a clear plastic bag to carry money for the vending machine. You must also have a government-issued photo ID, like a driver’s license, state ID, or passport. All visitors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have a small child, you can bring 5 diapers, 1 sealed formula mix, 1 sealed jar of baby food, 1 empty baby bottle, and 1 plastic serving spoon.

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 FMC Devens and the FMC Devens 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 FMC Devens.

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, 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.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• GED
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Continuing Education
• High School Diplomas or Post-Secondary Programs via paid correspondence
• Vocational training in Computer Applications/MS Office and Culinary Arts
• Apprenticeships in Education & Training and HVAC (the camp also offers Animal Trainer and Cook)
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Drug Education
• Parenting Program

Pictures of Federal Medical Center - Devens

Careers at Federal Medical Center - Devens

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at FMC Devens 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 FMC Devens are overwhelming positive. They report an excellent work/life balance, competitive pay and benefits, and fantastic job security. They also rave about the excellent management.