Learn About Aliceville FCI 

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Learn about Aliceville FCI

My name is Michael Santos, a founder of Prisons Professors. While serving 26 years in different federal prisons, I learned how to succeed in federal prison.

Our team strives to help other people learn and grow while serving time in prisons like FCI Aliceville, a prison for women.

Prepare for the best outcome during imprisonment. We acknowledge that the mystery of imprisonment can disrupt a person’s mindset, which could take a toll on them. However, we also know how to restore strength and confidence by offering helpful knowledge about federal prisons, including Aliceville FCI. At Prison Professors, we offer guidance people can use to push through life in prison and come out as better citizens no matter where they serve their time

Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville, popularly known as Aliceville FCI, is a medium-security federal correctional facility in Pickens County, Alabama. It is an all-female prison with about 1200 people in its main facility and another 250 at the adjacent minimum-security camp. The BOP runs the daily operations in this prison.

The construction of this prison kicked off in 2008 after approval by the Aliceville public officials with the support of residents, but its operations started in 2013. It sits on a 650-acre plot of land about 2.5 miles north of Aliceville along Alabama State Route 14 in the Southern part of unincorporated Pickens County.

Notable People

Aliceville FCI has held some notable individuals whose outstanding cases were almost impossible to miss. Among them are the following individuals:

  • Jordan Linn Graham

Jordan Linn Graham’s case could not escape the local media outlets on account of its mystery. On 12th December 2013, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after luring her new husband, Cody Johnson, to Glacier National Park, Montana, and pushing him off a cliff to his death on 7th July 2013. She is currently serving a 30-year sentence and is scheduled for release in 2039.

  • Shannon Conley

Shannon Conley is one of the first Americans to be convicted for conspiracy to support the terrorist organization ISIS. In 2014 she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to this terrorist group and attempting to travel to Syria to engage in violent Jihad. She received a four years sentence and was released in 2017. 

  • Bernetta Willis

Bernetta Willis was at the center of the infamous Hurricane Katrina fraud. She was convicted in 2007 for masterminding the fraud by filing false claims and theft of federal funds intended to help the disaster’s victims. She received the longest sentence ever for the fraud, 43 years, and is scheduled for release in 2043. 

  • Reta Mays

Reta Mays was convicted in 2020 of seven counts of second-degree murder and one account of assault with intent to commit murder. She is said to have injected her victims at Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, WV, with lethal amounts of insulin leading to their deaths. She is currently serving seven consecutive life sentences at Aliceville FCI.  

General Visitation Information at Aliceville FCI

The federal prison system allows the general public to visit their loved ones at Aliceville FCI. However, the visitation endeavor is a synchronized engagement that follows a strict schedule and a very detailed process. Ideally, in this facility, the process entails the following processes:

Locating an Inmate

Before visiting your loved one at Aliceville FCI, it is imperative to determine whether they are physically located here. Sometimes a person could be transferred to another facility to partake in a unique program not offered here. Moreover, they could also be moved for security concerns or receive medical treatment, among many other reasons. As such, the first step before you visit a loved one is to find out where they are currently housed. 

Be Approved

If you want to visit your loved one at this prison, you must first be approved by the BOP. Ideally, when a person surrenders to any federal prison, they are expected to create a visiting list of individuals they want to have as potential visitors. The process of creating the list entails the following:

  • The individual receives a visitor information form.
  • The individual fills their portion of the form and mails a copy to their potential visitors.
  • The potential visitors fill their fields.
  • The potential visitors resend the completed form to the inmate.
  • The facility conducts a background check on the presented potential visitors.
  • The individual is notified when a potential visitor is not approved so they can notify them accordingly. 

Potential Visitors

You can add any of the following people to your list of potential visitors:

Immediate Family:

  • Father
  • Mother
  • Spouse 
  • Children 
  • Step-parent(s)
  • Foster parent(s)
  • Brothers
  • Sisters

Relatives:

  • Grandparents
  • Uncles
  • In-laws
  • Cousins
  • Aunts

Other types of approved visitors:

  • Parole advisors
  • Attorneys
  • No more than ten friends/associates
  • Foreign officials 
  • Employers 
  • Members of religious groups 
  • Members of civic groups
  • Sponsors

An individual might not yet have a visiting list in some unwarranted circumstances like transfer to a new prison or even the initial admission stage when a new person joins a correctional facility. In such cases, immediate family members as established by a person’s pre-sentence report may be allowed to visit. However, the report should have enough information about such members, failure to which they might also not be allowed. As such, to know whether you will be permitted to visit your loved one in such cases, it is always advisable to call the facility ahead of time. 

Be Prepared

Before you visit your loved one at Aliceville FCI, you should be prepared accordingly. Take some time to familiarize with the set visitation rules, regulations, and procedure. This way, you will be able to navigate flawlessly during your visit without friction with the administration. Among the most critical things you should familiarize yourself with are the following:

Dress Code

Just like when you want to visit a large gathering of men, women, and children, you are expected to dress modestly and appropriately when visiting your loved ones in this facility. If you dress inappropriately, provocatively, and revealingly, you will be denied your visit. Some of the clothing that is not allowed during visits to this facility includes the following:

  • Revealing shorts
  • Halter tops
  • Low-cut blouses or dresses
  • Miniskirts
  • Bathing suits
  • Backless tops
  • Hats or caps
  • Sleeveless garments
  • Leotards
  • Spandex
  • See-through garments of any type
  • Crop tops
  • Dresses or skirts with a high-cut split in the back, front, or side
  • Clothing that resembles inmate clothing (khaki or green military-type clothing)

Skirts two inches or more above the knee

The visitation Duration

According to federal laws, an inmate is assigned at least four hours of visitation time per month, but this is at the discretion of an individual prison. However, at the FCI Aliceville, for instance, the warden may restrict the length of the visits to prevent overcrowding.

On-site Behavior

A visitation day could have many visitors; hence all are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and dignified way. If a visitor does not conduct themselves with decorum or is loud disorderly, they might be required to leave the facility. If a visitor brings along their children, they are also expected to keep them under control.   

Physical Contact

In most federal correctional facilities, including FCI Aliceville, physical contact between a person and their loved ones may be limited to a hug, kiss, or a handshake at the beginning and the end of a visitation session. The contact is limited to avoid the smuggling of contraband or any other illegal items. Like in other federal prisons, this facility does not permit conjugal visits. 

Plan your Visit

After getting acquainted with the visitation requirements at FCI Aliceville, the next process is to plan your visit. This entails knowing when you can visit and getting the direction to this facility. 

Visitation Times

The visits to this facility happen on Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Holidays between 8 am and 3 pm. However, visitors are expected to be at the facility at least 30 minutes before the set time for prompt processing. Moreover, the facility does not allow visitors after 2 pm since by 3 am; all the visitors should be leaving the prison. 

How to get to the facility

This facility does not offer public transport to the facility, and the government does not offer reimbursement for the same. As such, visitors are expected to make personal transport arrangements. However, the prison staff can guide you accordingly on how to get here by public means. 

Rehabilitation and Educational Programs at Aliceville FCI

Most federal prisons, including Aliceville FCI, offer a variety of beneficial rehabilitation and educational programs to individuals serving their time here. These programs not only arm these individuals with priceless skills that they can use to earn a living when they leave prison but also give them a positive attitude towards life. Even better, some help them to overcome crime-inducing addictions and habits. At FCI Aliceville, you can participate in the following programs:

Educational Programs

  • GED and GED Prep classes
  • English-As-A-Second Language (ESL)
  • Literacy
  • Spanish Language GED
  • Adult Continuing Education (ACE) 
  • Parenting classes
  • Special learning needs program
  • Release preparation
  • Tutors are also available to teach resume writing, job searching, budgeting, and buying a home.
  • High School Diplomas and post-secondary programs (available through paid correspondence programs)
  • Vocational; carpentry and electrical
  • Apprenticeship Training; HVAC, electrician, carpentry, and plumbing
  • Law Library Services (electronically) and Leisure Library Services

Drug Abuse

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

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