Federal Correctional Institution - Big Spring

Federal Correctional Institution - Big Spring is a low-security federal correctional institution that houses males inmates. It is located in Big Spring, Texas - which is halfway between Dallas and El Paso - and it is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The facility also has a satellite prison camp for minimum-security offenders.

Big Spring, Texas is also the location for the privately-owned and operated Big Spring Correctional Center, which contracts with the BOP to house federal detainees at four different locations.

Both facilities occupy buildings and facilities that used to be part of the now-closed Webb Air Force Base.

Big Spring FCI houses a total of 1,267 inmates, with 1,099 at the main location and 168 at the satellite camp. The inmates are housed in two-person cells that are located in twelve different housing units. Inmates at the camp are housed in dormitories.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours for Big Spring FCI are on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

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.

Each inmate may receive up to five visitors at one time. This includes both adults and children.

All visitors are subject to a visual and pat search by an officer. You will also be scanned by a metal detector and receive a stamp on your hand that can be detected by ultraviolet light.

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.

All visitors must be fully clothed, including shoes. No open-toed shoes and no strapless heels are authorized. All shoes must be strapped to the foot, and you can’t wear slippers, shower shoes, or flip-flops.

Clothing which is similar to and resembles the style or color of that is issued to inmates (for example, khaki colored clothing) is not allowed to be worn inside the Visiting Room.

Visitors can’t wear apparel which is revealing or suggestive, or any clothing that contains sexually suggestive/offensive writing or writing/logos that reference gangs.

The dress code prohibits the following items:

• Revealing shorts
• Halter tops
• Bathing suits
• See-through garments of any type
• Crop tops
• Low-cut blouses or dresses
• Leotards
• Spandex
• Miniskirts
• Hats or caps
• Sleeveless garments
• Skirts two inches or more above the knee
• Dresses or skirts with a high-cut split in the back, front, or side
• Coats or other outerwear
• Hooded jackets or sweatshirts

Authorized Items:
1. Clear plastic bag
2. Up to $20.00 in cash (must be in $1 and $5 bills)
3. Valid Photo identification

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.

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

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 FPC Bryan.
• Gather the information you'll need:

Account Number: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name
Company Name: Federal Bureau of Prisons
City & State: Washington, DC
Receive Code is always: 7932
Beneficiary: Inmate's full committed name

• Visit moneygram.com to complete your payment

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.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• Living Sober Group
• Drug Education Classes
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Literacy/ GED
• ESL
• High School and Post-Secondary Education (Paid Correspondence Courses)
• Parenting
• Occupational Education Programs in Building Trades, Commercial Maintenance, Computer Skills/Desktop Publishing, Electrical Trades, Food Service Management, Green Insulation Technology, HVAC, High Reliability Soldering, Masonry Trades, Plumbing Trades, and Wind Energy Technician

Pictures of Federal Correctional Institution - Big Spring

Careers at Federal Correctional Institution - Big Spring

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, you can find available positions at Big Spring 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 Big Spring FCI say that a job there can be stressful, but there is a good team of people to work with. The work/life balance is also well above average, and the salary and benefits are competitive.