Metropolitan Correctional Center - New York

Metropolitan Correctional Center - New York, or MCC New York is an administrative security center located in Manhattan, New York, for both male and female offenders. Since it is classified as an administrative security facility, this means that it houses every security level offender - from minimum to maximum security. 

At any given time, there are between 700 and 900 inmates housed at this facility.

The 12-story building is separated into 10 housing units. Eight of the housing units consist of the standard two person cells. The other two housing units are dormitories made to hold 20 offenders in either unit.

MCC New York was the first high rise location ever used by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is occupied by mostly pre-trial detainees and holdover inmates. High profile criminals that have been through MCC New York include crime family bosses John Gotti and Jackie D'Amico and convicted terrorist Alsa Omar Abdel Rahman. Most recently, the Mexican drug lord El Chapo went through MCC New York when he was extradited to the United States.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at MCC New York are specific to each individual housing unit. It is up to your loved one to inform you of the specific assigned visiting hours or you can contact the facility directly to get more detailed information.

Before going to MCC New York for a visit, you MUST plan your trip. Only public parking in the area can be used. There is NO parking available on site.

The visiting hours are as follows:

MONDAY (Z-A) 9 South - SHU
MONDAY (B-A) Unit 2 - Females

TUESDAY (K-S) 11 South

WEDNESDAY (G-S) 7 South
WEDNESDAY (G-N) 7 North

THURSDAY (I-N) 9 North
THURSDAY (E-N) 5 North

FRIDAY (K-N) 11 North
FRIDAY (K-S) 11 South

SATURDAY (E-S) 5 South - CADRE

SUNDAY (E-S) 5 South - CADRE

The maximum number of visitors will be limited to three (3) adults and three (3) children.

Getting on the Approved Visit List

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.

Basic Visit Procedures and Rules

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, or current passport. Birth certificates are not valid forms of ID.

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.

Visitors are the only ones allowed to utilize the vending area. Visitors will be permitted to bring in a small clear change purse to keep coins and one dollar bills.

Visitors are not authorized to bring any item into the institution to give to an inmate. Lockers are not available to visitors for the storage of personal items not allowed in the institution. These items must be returned to the visitor's personal vehicle.

Cell phones, pagers, cameras, or electronic devices of any type are not authorized inside the institution.

Appropriate dress is required and must be in good taste. Excessively provocative, immodest or revealing attire is reason to deny a visit.

Visitors over the age of 12 will not be allowed into the institution in skirts, shorts, or dresses exceeding three inches above the kneecap in length.

Bathing suits or any type of swim wear will not be permitted in the institution. See-through clothing, revealing sleeveless garments, halter tops, tube tops, tank tops and any kind of top that reveals the midriff area, low-cut shirts or blouses, revealing front and backless clothing, skin-tight clothing, spandex clothing, leotards, and sweatpants are NOT permitted.

Any pants with holes in the knee or buttocks area are also prohibited. Additionally, hooded shirts of any kind, hats, caps, and head scarfs (except for religious reasons) are also prohibited.

All visitors are required to wear footwear (no shower shoes of any kind) and undergarments (including bras for females). In accordance with OSHA guidelines, Visitors shoes are to be "closed toed" and have the existence of (at a minimum) a strap around the heel of the foot.

The front lobby officer will not permit visitors to wear jackets or blazers up to the visiting room.

A random selection of visitors will be tested with the Ion Spectrometry Device.

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.

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 MCC New York.
• 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

• Drug Abuse Education Course
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• GED

Pictures of Metropolitan Correctional Center - New York

Careers at Metropolitan Correctional Center - New York

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at MCC New York 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 MMC New York report that it was a decent work environment but poorly managed. It is reliable career choice, but the days are long. Unanimously, all reviews agreed that benefits are the best part and make up for having less time at home.