Federal Correctional Institution - Bennettsville

Federal Correctional Institution - Bennettsville is a medium-security prison for male inmates that is located in Marlboro County, South Carolina, which is about an hour from Myrtle Beach. It also has an adjacent satellite camp that houses minimum-security inmates. 

The population of the camp is approximately 1,700, including 150 in the satellite camp.

The main Bennettsville FCI facility has three large housing units that each have four levels and four pods. The camp houses inmates in a dormitory.

The average sentence for an inmate at Bennettsville FCI is approximately 143 months (12 years), and the inmates range in age from 20 to 86 years old.

Bennettsville FCI is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Prison Insights

Visiting hours at Bennettsville FCI (and the satellite camp) are on Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and federal holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The visiting rules at Bennettsville FCI are the same for all security levels.

Each inmate is allowed a maximum of five total visitors at one time. All minors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

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.

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.

You can bring up to $20 in change (no bills larger than $5) to the visiting room to use for vending machines. You can also bring a wallet or clear plastic purse, a Debitek card, a coat during cold weather, photo identification, necessary medication, and female hygiene items. Everything else must be left in your vehicle.

You can also bring in items that an infant needs during a visit, including diapers, baby wipes, bottles, and sealed baby food.

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.

The dress code for visits is as follows:

• No shirts that are low cut or revealing, no tank tops, no tube tops, or halter tops.
• No clothes that are see-through, extremely tight, or that reveal the mid drift. This includes spandex and leggings.
• No sleeveless or strapless dresses, no swimsuits.
• No skirts or dresses that hit above the knee.
• No bandanas, doo-rags, camouflage, military clothing, or clothing that resembles security uniforms.
• No gang or obscene or distracting messages, shapes or designs.
• No hats except as religiously recognized.
• No flip-flops or house shoes.
• No sleeveless shirts.
• No jogging or sweat suits.
• No torn or ripped clothing.
• No khaki, camouflage, or green-colored clothing.

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 Bennettsville FCI and the Bennettsville 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:

1. Wait until an inmate has physically arrived at a Beaumont FCC.

2. Gather the information you'll need. Which includes the inmate’s name and number.

3. Visit moneygram.com to complete your payment.

Information needed to complete MoneyGram payment:

1. Account Number: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name (example: 12345678DOE).

2. Company Name: Federal Bureau of Prisons

3. City & State: Washington, DC

4. Receive Code is always: 7932

5. 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, magazine subscriptions, 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 classes
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Literacy
• GED instruction in English and Spanish
• Adult Continuing Education (ACE)
• Parenting Program
• High School Diploma (via paid correspondence)
• Post-Secondary Programs (via paid correspondence)
• Advanced Occupational Education in Welding and Microsoft 2010 (at the FCI only)
• Vocational training programs in Automotive Service, Electrical Technology, Green Technology, HVAC, Mechanical and Maintenance Systems, Construction and Extraction, NCCER Core, and Welding (at the FCI only)

Pictures of Federal Correctional Institution - Bennettsville

Careers at Federal Correctional Institution - Bennettsville

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at Bennettsville FCI 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 Bennettsville FCI report that the institution is an excellent work environment that is fast-paced and enjoyable. Everyone is willing to help and teach you, and the pay and benefits are competitive.