Federal Correctional Institution - Williamsburg

Federal Correctional Institution - Williamsburg, or FCI Williamsburg, is a medium-security federal facility with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp located in Salters, South Carolina. The facility houses a total of 1,335 male inmates - 1,189 at the FCI and 146 at the camp. 

At the FCI, inmates are housed in cells, and at the camp they are housed in dormitories.

Notable inmates include former NFL player Art Schlichter, who is serving a ten-year sentence for wire fraud, bank fraud, and filing a false tax return. He defrauded dozens of people of more than $1 million in a football ticket scam. He is scheduled to be released in 2020.

Former oncologist Farid Fata is currently serving a 45-year sentence for healthcare fraud. He received kickbacks for administering unnecessary chemotherapy to 553 cancer patients, and he also filed fraudulent claims which resulted in millions of dollars in profit for personal use. He is scheduled for release in 2052.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

The following information is for visits with inmates who are in general population. Visits with inmates who are in special housing units or in special custody status will have their own rules. Please contact the institution for more information.

Visiting hours at the FCI and camp are as follows: Saturdays, Sundays, and all Federal holidays from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M.

The maximum number of persons allowed to visit an inmate at one time is five adults. There are no limits on the number of 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 she 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, military ID, 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 and ION drug detection scanner.

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 not authorized to bring any item into the institution to give to an inmate. Personal items not allowed in the institution must be returned to the visitor's personal vehicle.

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

Visitor’s personal property which will be allowed into the visiting room is as follows:

• One Small Change purse (clear) - not to exceed 6" long by 6" wide by 3" deep 
• ​Comb/hair brush 
• Empty baby bottles (must be clear plastic) 
• Diapers (reasonable amount), baby powder, ointment, and small baby blanket 
• Commercially sealed, prepackaged baby food in clear plastic containers 
• Baby clothes (one set) Life maintenance medications (i.e., heart, epileptic, etc.) Diabetic medication and syringes are not considered life maintenance medications
• Jewelry worn (a reasonable amount) in by the visitor 
• Sweater/light jacket 
• Reasonable amount of feminine hygiene items 
• Money to be used for refreshments, no more than $25.00 
• Valid Photo identification 
• Commercially sealed baby formula (sealed single serving packets are acceptable) 
• One small package of baby wipes (unopened) 
• ​ One, 20 ounces or less, see-through drinking cup 

All other items will be placed in lockers provided for visitors located in the front reception area or secured in the visitor's vehicle.

The Front Lobby Officer will ensure all visitors are appropriately dressed. Visitors will dress appropriately and avoid clothing styles that are suggestive.

See through garments, sleeveless tops, overly tight fitting clothes, plunging necklines, or garments that expose private parts of the body will not be permitted to be worn in the visiting room.

No hats except Religious Headwear are allowed in the Visiting Room.

Halter tops, wrap-around skirts, strapless shirts or dresses, spandex, caps, and clothing with logos that may indicate gang affiliation or bathing-suit type attire will not be permitted.

Provocative attire worn by men or women is reason to deny visiting. A visit may be terminated in order to maintain good taste and consideration for others. Visitors will be expected to wear clothing which is within the bounds of good taste.

Visitors will not be allowed to wear low-cut or see-through clothing; tube or tank tops; backless clothing; camouflage, khaki, or green-colored clothing; any article of clothing or dress slit that is above two inches below the knee.

Nylon jogging suits in good taste are allowed to be worn. No open shoes or shoes with a heal more than three inches.

The Operations Lieutenant or Institution Duty Officer will be consulted prior to denying a visitor entry into the institution because of his/her attire. The Lieutenant or Institutional Duty Officer will proceed to the front lobby area and determine whether the visitor is dressed appropriately.

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 FCI Williamsburg.
• 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

• Anger and stress management
• Sexual abuse/assault prevention and intervention
• Smoking Cessation
• People in Prison Entering Sobriety
• Drug education classes
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Career Counseling
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• GED
• High School Diploma (via paid correspondence)
• Post-Secondary Programs (via paid correspondence)
• Advanced occupational education in Culinary Arts, NCCER COre, Residential Carpentry, and ServSafe
• Apprenticeships in Custodial Maintenance, HVAC, and Plumbing
• Intramural sports
• Wellness programs

Pictures of Federal Correctional Institution - Williamsburg

Careers at Federal Correctional Institution - Williamsburg

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at FCI Williamsburg 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 FCI Williamsburg report that it is a well-managed facility and a great place to work.The salary and benefits - as well as the work/life balance - are well above average.