Learn about FCC Butner

As the founder of Prisons Professors, I work with a team that strives to improve outcomes for people in prisons like those at the FCC Butner, a federal correctional complex.

My name is Michael Santos and a federal judge sentenced me to serve a 45-year sentence. During the 26 years that I lived in federal prison, authorities sent me to different federal prisons across the nation.

I learned a great deal about these facilities. Imprisonment can disrupt a person’s mindset, which could take a toll on him. Restore strength and confidence by getting guidance to push through life in prison and come out as better citizens no matter where a person serves time, including FCC Butner.

The Federal Correctional Complex, Butner is a male federal prison complex under the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The complex is in Butner, North Carolina, about 40 kilometers northwest of Raleigh. It is well known for hosting the most significant medical complex in the BOP that runs a drug treatment program; specializes in behavior science and oncology. FCC Butner has four correctional facilities with different custody levels;

  1. FCI Butner Low

Established in 1995, Federal Correctional Institution Butner Low is a low-security federal prison for males. The correctional facility has an adjacent minimum security satellite camp. It currently houses 628 incarcerated individuals in four housing units; in two-person and three-person cubicles. There is a Unit director assigned to every housing unit and is responsible for coordinating and planning events and ensuring the safety of incarcerated individuals. Together with other correctional staff members, they ensure people adhere to prison rules and admit disciplinary actions for broken rules. 

Despite being a low-security prison, the facility holds famous inmates particularly convicted of white-collar crimes, including;

  • Troy Titus

Scheduled for release in 2035, Troy Titus is currently serving a 30-year sentence in FCI Butner Low. The former real estate investor was guilty of money laundering, fraud, and other crimes for arranging a Ponzi Scheme in 2009. The scheme’s victims lost more than $5 million. The CNBC television program American Greed featured his story.

  • Samuel Israel

Israel, the now-defunct Bayou Hedge Fund Group founder, is currently serving a 22-year sentence; to be released in 2027. In 2008, Samuel Israel pleaded guilty to defrauding $400 million of investors. At one point, he tried to fake his suicide to avoid going to jail. Like Troy Titus, the CNBC television program American Greed featured his story. 

Sending Mail

FCI Butner Low permits incarcerated individuals to write and receive mail from family, friends, and other community contacts. Correspondence maintains ties between incarcerated people and the outside world. Address your mail to:

  • FCI Main Unit

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER LOW
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 999
BUTNER, NC  27509

  • At the Camp

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER LOW
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
SATELLITE CAMP
PO BOX 1000
BUTNER, NC  27509

  1. FCI Butner Medium I

Established in 1976, Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium I is a medium-security prison with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp. FCI Butner Medium I was the first facility of the Butner Federal Correctional Complex. The prison currently houses 737 male incarcerated people, including 585 at the FCI and 152 at the Camp. Generally, the jail houses people in eight housing units, each with two-person dorm rooms. The Camp, on the other hand, holds incarcerated people in two-person rooms. People who wish to participate in educational and vocational programs occupy half of these housing units. On the other hand, the prison dedicates the other half (also known as Psychiatric Center) to people who require attention due to poor behavioral health. Usually, this prison transfers people who have completed the RDAP program to FCI Butner Low.

Notable Inmates 

The most outstanding people in this correctional institution include;

  • Bernie Madoff 

Bernie Madoff, a former financier, served 11 years of his 150-year time before he died on April 14, 2021. Madoff pleaded guilty to perjury, money laundering, fraud, and theft. He perpetrated the largest Ponzi Scheme in the United States history, robbing investors of more than $65 million in more than 20 years. CNBC featured his story.

  • Carmine Persico

The former Colombo crime family Boss and a Mafia figure were convicted of murder, extortion, bribery, and loansharking in 1986. All these crimes he committed in aid of racketeering to control and benefit from the New York City concrete industry. Carmine Persico, scheduled for release in 2050, died while serving a combined 139-year sentence at Duke University Medical Center. 

Sending Mail

Federal prisons encourage family and friends to the incarcerated to exchange correspondence; this way, people in jail maintain ties with loved ones. 

Addresses include;

  • At the FCI

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER MEDIUM I
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 1000
BUTNER, NC  27509

  • At the Camp

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER MEDIUM I
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
SATELLITE CAMP
PO BOX 1000
BUTNER, NC  27509

  1. FCI Butner Medium II

Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium II is a medium-security correctional facility. Originally designed to hold a maximum of 1400 incarcerated people, the prison has over time expanded its capacity and currently houses 1475 people.  During the construction of this prison, BOP also established a nearby firing range. The facility provides various services and programs, including access to medical and behavioral health services. It houses incarcerated people in two-person cells. 

Some notable people held at the facility include:

  • Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela

Orejuela is currently serving a 30-year sentence that ends in 2030. He is the co-founder of Cali Cartel (now defunct); it was responsible for more than 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. His co-founder is also currently serving a similar sentence. 

  • Lee Farkas

Lee Farkas is also serving a 30-years sentence awaiting release in 2037. The former Chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation was in 2011 convicted of fraud. He masterminded a $2.9 billion scheme that caused Colonial Bank to collapse in 2009. CNBC’s American Greed featured this story. 

How to Send Mail 

Family and friends can send mail to incarcerated individuals through;

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER MEDIUM II
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 1500
BUTNER, NC  27509

  1. FMC Butner

Federal Medical Center, Butner is an administrative security medical center for male incarcerated people. The institution initially hosted 513 people and an additional 250 from the other FCC Butner facilities. Established in 1995, FMC Butner acts as a BOP medical referral center to treat primary medical conditions that other federal prisons cannot handle. It not only treats people with general medical needs but also those with behavioral health issues. The medical center is famous for hosting the only program that treats sexual offenders among all other federal prisons. 

Incarcerated people are assigned or referred to treatment programs, including dental care, emergency services, and routine general medication. The facility houses its people in two-person cells or pods. Additionally, FMC Butner has an Employee Development Center that mainly houses the medical center employees. 

Notable individuals held at FMC Butner include:

  • John Hinckley, Jr.

Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC, in 1981. The assassination attempt was his effort of trying to impress teen actress Jodie Foster. He was declared not guilty by insanity reason in 1982. FMC Butner admitted him for insanity and later released him to a psychiatric hospital to get special attention for his mental needs in 1981. 

  • Frank Calabrese Sr.

The former Hitman for the Chicago Outfit Mafia organization died at FMC Butner while serving his life sentence in 2012. He was arrested as part of Operation Family Secrets in 2007 and convicted of racketeering conspiracy; Additionally, he directed and participated in mafia activities, including loansharking, extortion, and murder. 

Mailing Address

You can send mail and parcels to incarcerated individuals at FMC Butner through:

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FMC BUTNER
FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER
PO BOX 1600
BUTNER, NC  27509

How to Lookup an Incarcerated Person

If you believe your loved one is incarcerated at the federal correctional complex, visit the BOP website and click on the Find an Inmate provision. The database contains all data and whereabouts of imprisoned people in the national system since 1982. The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not guarantee the currency of data available on the site and therefore advises visitors to refresh and check back frequently for changes. Records in the database may include data on individuals held in BOP custody but were not served a federal sentence. For instance, when someone was detained pre-trial but criminal charges were dismissed, when someone was held as a material witness, and when BOP had someone for civil contempt. 

You can search for an incarcerated person in two ways:

  • Find by Number: Provide the person’s BOP register number, DCDC Number, FBI number, or INS number. 
  • Find by Name: This requires you to provide the individual’s first, middle, and last name, race, age, and gender. 

Visitations 

All federal facilities permit incarcerated people to receive visitors who appear on their pre-approved lists. Upon admission and booking, all people must complete a Visitor Information Form. The person then mails the form to their potential visitors; potential visitors fill out the required fields and mail back the form using the indicated address. The Bureau of Prisons reviews the application and notifies the incarcerated person of the approval. The person in prison is entirely responsible for informing the approved visitor. 

Before planning a visit to the complex correctional facilities, it is advisable to locate an inmate to know the whereabouts of an incarcerated individual. Remember that sometimes a facility can move them to another to benefit from the unique programs offered. Additionally, federal prisons can transfer a person to receive treatment for a medical condition or security concerns. 

Visitation Schedules

  • FCI Butner Low 

Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Federal Holidays 8 am to 3 pm

Thursdays and Fridays 2:30 pm to 8:00 pm

  • FCI Butner Medium I 

Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays 8:30 am to 3 pm

Mondays and Fridays 2:30 pm to 8 pm

  • FCI Butner Medium II

Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays 8:30 am to 3 pm

Mondays and Fridays 2:30 pm to 8 pm

  • FMC Butner

Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays 8:30 am to 3 pm

Fridays 2:30 pm to 8 pm

Programs and Services

Similar to all federal facilities, Federal Correctional Complex Butner offers humane and progressive treatment services to all incarcerated individuals based on their individual needs. These facilities are dedicated to implementing these programs to ensure successful reintegration into society after release. 

Here are some of the reintegration programs in the complex:

  • Education Programs

All institutions provide literacy programs aimed at improving people’s cognitive abilities. Academic programs include General Education Diploma (an equivalency of a high school diploma), English as a Second Language, Parenting classes, Adult Continuing Education, and instruction in leisure time activities. Parenting classes train incarcerated individuals on essential parenting skills and bonding with their children after release. Individual institutions offer post-secondary programs and high school diplomas through paid correspondence.

  • Health Services

The four correctional facilities conduct compulsory medical screening during the admission and booking process, after which they schedule a physical examination. The complex schedules regular physical assessments, dental reviews, and laboratory studies; other medical services include sick calls, general medicine, emergency services, routine screenings for TB, colon cancer, HIV, vaccinations, cholesterol and diabetes screening, and chronic care. The other facilities refer individuals with acute conditions to FMC Butner or other community hospitals for advanced care. 

  • Library Services

Every facility has a legal and leisure library. The leisure library contains fiction and non-fiction books and other leisure reading materials such as newspapers, magazines, comic books, parenting books, multicultural studies, and career planning selections. The legal library is typically available at each facility’s Education Department. Legal libraries contain several legal reference materials that incarcerated individuals can utilize when preparing legal documents.

  • Recreational Activities 

Recreation programs aim to keep the incarcerated individuals active and busy during their free periods or leisure time. Each facility has a yard where people can engage in physical fitness activities. Recreation programs include indoor and outdoor activities such as intramural sports, art and craft, unit-based activities, movie program, screenplays, and hobby crafts. 

  • Substance Abuse Treatment

A significant number of incarcerated individuals held at federal prisons present drug and alcohol dependency traits. All institutions conduct a compulsory drug screening during admission; the screening determines the specific needs and assigns particular programs. Those who present severe dependency problems must enroll in substance abuse treatment; however, any interested individual can join the program at any point of incarceration. These programs include Drug Abuse Education, Non-Residential Drug Abuse Treatment, Residential Drug Abuse Program, and Community Treatment Services. Treatment may continue after release.

  • Religious Services

The four prisons offer religious programs to incarcerated individuals from recognized faiths. Federal prisons are keen to ensure people exercise their Constitutional religious rights. The Chaplain’s office facilitates spiritual services such as worship, spiritual guidance, pastoral care, religious scriptural studies, and counseling services. Additionally, religious programs can include the Life Connections Program (LCP) and Threshold Programs that assist people in improving particular life areas within their faith and value system contexts. 

Sending Money

All federal facilities allow incarcerated individuals to access funds through their commissary accounts which they set up during the intake process. They can then use these funds to purchase commissary items, pay for postage or make calls. Even better, their loved ones can support them in this regard by sending them money through the approved means. To learn more about how you can effortlessly send funds to your loved ones in any federal facility, including FCC Butner, check out this resourceful article that we have prepared for you:

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