Federal Transfer Center - Oklahoma City

FTC Oklahoma City, or Federal Transfer Center Oklahoma City, is an administrative security federal transfer center. It has a population of 1,300 male and female offenders belonging to differing levels of security.

Inmates are commonly housed together by gender and the security level they are assigned when they first arrive on the grounds. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has five levels of security minimum, low, medium, high and administrative.

FTC Oklahoma City is adjacent to Will Rogers World Airport, and it can be pictured as the “grand central station” or the main hub to the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System, popularly known as Con Air. Since it’s opening in 1995, the population has been primarily offenders and parole violators who are waiting to be assigned to a permanent prison facility.

The inmates will be assigned to either a one or two-tiered housing unit. Each housing unit consist of standard cells with bunk beds inside the cell.

Notable inmate Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black, allegedly gave her own review saying, in short, in 2005 the women's side of the facility is kept spotless and subdued.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at FTC Oklahoma City are on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The maximum number of visitors an inmate may have at one time is five, including 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. After each visitor has been properly identified and processing has been completed, a fluorescent stamp will be affixed to a predetermined location on one of the visitor's hands. This will provide an additional means of identification prior to departing the Visiting Room and Front Entrance.

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 may bring the following items into the institution:

• Money for vending machines
• 1 small, clear 6 x 10 plastic coin purse
• 1 small non-quilted blanket (under 2' x 2') (infant)
• 3 disposable diapers (per child)
• 3 premixed clear plastic baby bottles
• 1 small packet of baby wipes (no more than 20)
• 1 small tube of diaper rash ointment (if necessary)
• 1 small baby's bib
• 1 empty child spill-proof cup

The items noted above will be the only items taken into the Visiting Room. A visitor may not take in baby toys, baby foods (glass or plastic containers), spoons, teething cookies, powder milk mixes, extra clothing, or diaper bags of any kind.

All authorized baby items can be carried in a clear plastic bag that cannot have any metal framework and cannot exceed 12" by 12" in size.

All visitors purses and other items not authorized will be secured in their vehicles or in the lockers provided at the Front Entrance. The Lobby Officer will ensure all carry items are thoroughly searched/x-rayed before they are permitted inside the secure perimeter, or placed in a Front Entrance locker.

Visitors are not allowed to bring any item into the institution to give to an inmate.

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

Visitors should dress within the bounds of good taste and should not wear clothing which would offend others who may be present in the visiting room.

Khaki, hunter green or orange colored clothing, shorts/skorts, as well as sheer or revealing clothing are not authorized in the Visiting Room. Visitors wearing tight fitting, sexually provocative clothing will be prohibited from admission to the Visiting Room.

Female visitors must wear a bra (no underwire bras), and may not wear miniskirts (this is defined as any outer clothing which ends above the knee), spandex jeans or pants, halters or tops that expose the midriff or that cannot be tucked in, see-through or tight fitting clothing.

Children under 10 years old may wear shorts.

Coats will be authorized if they are in season, or the weather dictates their use (During the Summer months, coats will not be permitted).

No open toe shoes will be allowed, i.e., sandals, flip flops.

All coats will be passed through the x-ray machine and physically searched by the Lobby Officer, prior to them being authorized in the Visiting Room. However, coats or jackets will not be worn to cover up inappropriate attire and coats with hoods will not be permitted due to security reasons.

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 FTC Oklahoma City.
• 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 Education Course
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Literacy
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• GED
• High School Diploma (via paid correspondence)
• Post-Secondary Programs (via paid correspondence)
• Release preparation classes
• Structured fitness programs

Pictures of Federal Transfer Center - Oklahoma City

Careers at Federal Transfer Center - Oklahoma City

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at FTC Oklahoma City 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 FTC Oklahoma City report that it was an understaffed work environment, but they consider it a great place to start with advancement opportunities. The work/life balance is alright, but the salary and benefits are considered below average for the job.