FCI Bennettsville

Bennettsville at a glance

FCI Bennettsville is a medium-security federal prison for men in South Carolina, with a satellite prison camp (SCP). It is off State Highway 9 on the edge of the town of Bennettsville, about 50 miles northwest of Florence, 110 miles northeast of Columbia and 85 miles southeast of Charlotte, N.C.

How many people

1,070 in the FCI and 86 at the camp (BOP, October 29, 2026).

Medical care level 1

Generally healthy people under 70 who need to see a clinician only every 6 to 12 months. Examples the BOP gives: mild asthma, diet-controlled diabetes, well-controlled high blood pressure. Click here to read the source: BOP "Institution Care Levels for Medical Assignment," February 13, 2024 (released under FOIA 2024-03455) ↗

Mental health care level 1

No regular mental health care. People with a major mental illness, or who take antipsychotic medication, are not ordinarily classified at this level. The BOP does not post care levels on its website. This list is dated February 13, 2024 and came out through a public records request. Click here to read the source: BOP "Institution Care Levels for Medical Assignment," February 13, 2024 (released under FOIA 2024-03455) ↗

Who is there

Men. On the first day of the 2026 audit, ages ran from 20 to 76. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Bennettsville (onsite March 3 to 5, 2026) ↗

Built for

1,152 people in the FCI and 128 in the camp. The audit counted 1,620 people on the first day (1,530 in the FCI, 90 in the camp), so the prison was over capacity then. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Bennettsville (onsite March 3 to 5, 2026) ↗

Average stay

645.5 days, according to the audit. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Bennettsville (onsite March 3 to 5, 2026) ↗

Where it is

Rural. Lodging is limited, and there is no city bus between the prison and nearby towns. Click here to read the source: BEN 5267.08G, Visiting Regulations (July 1, 2013) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI Bennettsville.

Visiting hours and days

Friday: visitors are processed from 5:00 p.m. and not after 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays: processing starts at 8:30 a.m. and stops at 2:00 p.m. Staff handle visits to the SHU one case at a time.

The visiting rules list no regular visiting days except Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays (plus Wednesday for camp inmates in the SHU). Holidays that make a three-day weekend are open to all inmates at the FCI and camp. Click here to read the source: BEN 5267.08G, Visiting Regulations (July 1, 2013) ↗

The BOP's own papers disagree. Bennettsville's visiting rules are from July 1, 2013, and the handbook has no date. They mostly agree, but on small things they do not: the rules allow 4 diapers per child and the handbook says 5. The rules also say visits are ended by how long a visitor has been in the room, while an attachment adds weather, how often you visit and how far you traveled. These papers are about 13 years old. Call 843-454-8200 before you drive.

The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.

Inmate mailing address

JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
Reg. No. 12345-678
FCI Bennettsville
P.O. Box 52020
Bennettsville, SC 29512

Put their name, register number and unit on the envelope. The handbook says this helps mail reach them quickly. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (696 Muckerman Road, Bennettsville, SC 29512).

Mail days

Mail is handed out Monday through Friday by the evening-watch officer. No mail on weekends or holidays. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Books and magazines

Paperbacks, magazines and newspaper clippings must come only from the publisher, a book club or a bookstore. They may keep 5 books, 5 magazines (no more than three months old) and 5 newspapers (no more than three weeks old). Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Number of letters

There is no limit on how many letters they receive unless it becomes an unreasonable burden. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Legal mail

Opened by the unit team in front of them. The front of the envelope must say "SPECIAL MAIL ONLY TO BE OPENED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE INMATE" and the sender must be named. Without that, staff may read it as ordinary mail. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Their letters to you

Outgoing letters are left unsealed and staff check them. Each needs a TRULINCS-printed label, their name, register number and return address. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Rejected items

The Warden can reject a publication that threatens security or could help a crime. Sexually explicit material that shows nudity is returned. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Money

Never put money in a letter. The handbook sends checks and money orders to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa (P.O. Box 474701). Money can also go by Western Union or MoneyGram (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Books and magazines: at a medium security prison, books and magazines must come straight from a publisher, book club or bookstore (Amazon, for example), never from home.

How to send money to an inmate here

Money never goes to Bennettsville. It goes to the BOP, and the BOP puts it on their account. There are 3 ways. Each one below shows you the actual form and exactly what to write in each box, already filled in with their name and number.

First, they must sign the power-of-attorney form (BP-A0407) when they arrive. Until they do, MoneyGram and Western Union money cannot post. Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

1. Postal money order Our pick

"Postal" means the U.S. Post Office. A postal money order is one you buy at the counter of a U.S. Post Office, from the United States Postal Service. Money orders sold at Walmart, a grocery store, a bank, Western Union, MoneyGram or a check-cashing store are not postal money orders.

Why it matters: a postal money order has no hold. Once the BOP's lockbox in Des Moines gets it, it goes on their account. Every other money order and every personal or company check is put on a 15-day hold first, and the 15 days only start when the lockbox receives the envelope. Add the days it spends in the mail, and it can be close to three weeks before they can spend it.Click here to read the source: BOP, Sending money by U.S. mail ↗ Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗ Foreign money orders and checks are held 45 days. The postal money order is also the cheapest way.

The Post Office's own steps

1. Decide the amount. Up to $1,000 in one money order.
2. Go to any Post Office.
3. Bring cash or a debit card. The Post Office does not take credit cards for money orders.
4. Fill it out at the counter with the clerk. Use the boxes below.
5. Pay the amount plus the fee: $2.65 for up to $500, $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.
6. Keep your receipt. You need it to track the money order or replace it if it is lost.Click here to read the source: U.S. Postal Service, Money Orders ↗

1. Pay toJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONEStheir committed name, exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it
2. Address (under Pay to)Federal Bureau of Prisons, P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
3. FromMARIA SMITH-JONESyour name
4. Address (under From)123 Main Street, Trenton, NJ 08608your address
5. MemoReg. No. 12345678their 8-digit register number, no dash

Unconfirmed: the BOP does not say in writing what goes on the "Pay to" line. Their name is what families use. The name and number on the envelope are what the BOP requires.

Maria Smith-Jones
123 Main Street
Trenton, NJ 08608

STAMP

Federal Bureau of Prisons
JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
12345678
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

Lost it? Tracking and replacing a money order

• Keep the receipt. You need the serial number, post office number and amount to track it at tools.usps.com/money-orders.htm.
• Lost or stolen: take the receipt to any post office and ask for a Money Order Inquiry. It costs $23 and can take up to 60 days.

2. MoneyGram

Posts in about 2 to 4 hours if sent 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern, any day. Up to $300 per payment. In a store, you fill out the blue ExpressPayment form. This is the BOP's own filled-in sample:

1. Company NameFederal Bureau of Prisons
2. City & StateWashington, DC
3. Receive Code7932always the same
4. Account Number of the Bill to Pay12345678SMITHJONESone letter or number per box
5. Amount to Payup to $300
6. Message to Biller or Beneficiary NameJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES

Top section: your own name, address, phone and signature. Pay cash. Keep the receipt with the reference number.

Unconfirmed: some stores now type it into a screen instead of using the paper form. The boxes are the same.

Doing it online or in the MoneyGram app instead

1. Go to moneygram.com (Pay Bills) or the MoneyGram app and log in or sign up.
2. Search the biller 7932 or "Federal Bureau of Prisons."
3. Enter the amount (up to $300) and the account number 12345678SMITHJONES.
4. Pay with a debit or credit card. A credit card can charge a cash-advance fee.

3. Western Union

Posts in about 2 to 4 hours. In a store, ask for the Quick Collect form ("To Send Money Form for Bill Payments"). Do not ask for a regular money transfer. This is a real Quick Collect form filled in with the BOP's values:

1. Dollar Amountyour amount
2. Pay toFederal Bureau of Prisons
3. Code CityFBOP, DC
4. AttentionJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
5. Account # with Company (in the SENDER section: this is where people get lost)12345678SMITHJONES

Leave Promo Code blank. Put your own name, phone and address in the rest of the Sender section and sign at 3. Pay cash (some stores take debit). You get a 10-digit tracking number (MTCN). Keep it.

Unconfirmed: some stores have the blue Quick Collect form, some a "Pay a Bill" section, and some a phone to an agent.

Doing it online (Send2Corrections), screen by screen

You need a photo ID to set up the account: your name must match your ID exactly.

1. Go to send2corrections.com or the Send2Corrections app. Log in or register.
2. "Who are you sending to?" Choose the facility Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP DC).
3. Receiver first name, middle name (optional), last name: exactly as the BOP has it.
4. Commissary number: type only the 8 digits, 12345678. No dash, no name. The site adds the last name itself and shows the full account number in a grey box you cannot type in.
5. Ignore the pop-up that says "BOP number will not work." That text shows for every prison. The register number is what works.
6. Amount: $1 to $300. Pay by card, or choose "Pay Cash (in-store)" and pay at a Western Union counter within 12 hours, or it cancels.

Hyphenated last name? The site drops the hyphen: Smith-Jones becomes 12345678SMITHJONES.

Money sent to the wrong person is not returned by Western Union. Western Union payments cannot be changed after they are sent.

Commissary: what they can spend

Bennettsville's handbook (undated; file from 2013) says they can spend up to $80 per week, with stamps and phone time not counted. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) now sets $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. Bennettsville's handbook has not caught up, so ask the prison how it applies the national limit. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

The price list: Bennettsville's official list is a scan or an older layout we could not turn into a reliable searchable list, so we don't retype prices we can't be sure of. Ask your loved one for the current list, or see the prison's page on bop.gov.

Phone calls and email

Minutes

300 minutes a month. Every call ends after 15 minutes. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Hours

Phones in the housing units work 6:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. daily. They must hang up for counts and cannot call during work hours. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Contacts

Up to 30 approved numbers. Changes are allowed once a month through their counselor. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Paying

They move money from their commissary account to their phone account after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends. No three-way calls and no call forwarding. Every call can be monitored and recorded. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

They have to add your number and email to their list first. Emails come through CorrLinks: you get an invitation by email once they add you.

Health care at Bennettsville

Medical care level 1 and mental health care level 1 (of 4). Generally healthy people under 70 who need to see a clinician only every 6 to 12 months. Examples the BOP gives: mild asthma, diet-controlled diabetes, well-controlled high blood pressure. Click here to read the source: BOP "Institution Care Levels for Medical Assignment," February 13, 2024 (released under FOIA 2024-03455) ↗

Sick call

Sign-up at the FCI is 6:30 to 7:00 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (not holidays), and they must be in Health Services before 6:45 a.m. At the camp it is 6:15 to 6:30 a.m. on the same days. For routine problems they send an Inmate Request to Staff Member form (a "cop-out") to the Medical Department. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Emergencies

Urgent and emergency care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They tell an officer, who calls Health Services. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Pill lines

Monday to Friday: insulin 6:00 to 6:15 a.m., morning pills 6:15 to 6:30 a.m., insulin 4:30 to 4:45 p.m., night pills 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Weekends and holidays: insulin 7:00 to 7:15 a.m., morning pills 7:15 to 7:30 a.m., evening pills 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Times can change. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Dental

Dental sick call sign-up is at the same time as medical sick call. Cleanings and other routine requests go in on a cop-out and they are put on a list. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Over-the-counter medicine

Health Services does not give out over-the-counter medicine. Limited items can be bought at the commissary, and no one is refused for being unable to pay. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Co-pay

$2.00 for visits they ask for that are not emergencies. Staff referrals, chronic-care follow-up, emergencies and vaccinations are not charged. No one is denied care for lack of money. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

RDAP (drug program; can mean up to a year off for those eligible)

Bennettsville does not have RDAP. They can send a "Request to Staff" to the Drug Treatment Specialist to be interviewed, and if they qualify they may be transferred to a prison that has it. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Other drug programs

The 40-hour Drug Education class (required for some, and others can volunteer) and non-residential drug treatment, which can be individual or group counseling. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Other psychology programs

The handbook says none of the BOP's residential psychology treatment programs (for example CODE, Values or BRAVE) are offered at Bennettsville. They may be able to transfer to a prison that has one. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

UNICOR (prison factory)

The handbook says only a limited number of jobs are in Federal Prison Industries. The First Step Act guide lists Bennettsville as a place that may offer it. Refusing to pay court fines bars them from UNICOR. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Jobs on arrival

People in admission and orientation are ordinarily put in Food Service for the first 90 days. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

Vocational training

Classes certified through Northeastern Technical College: automotive, culinary arts, electrical, green technology, HVAC, mechanical maintenance, construction, machine shop, Microsoft 2010 and welding. They need a GED or high school diploma first. There are also two Department of Labor apprenticeships: Industrial Cleaning and Electrical. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

GED and English

GED and English as a second language classes. Correspondence courses need approval from the Supervisor of Education. Click here to read the source: FCI Bennettsville Admission and Orientation Handbook (undated; file created September 2013) ↗

College

The First Step Act guide lists Bennettsville as a site for post-secondary education, delivered by an approved college. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

The BOP's First Step Act guide lists FCI Bennettsville for Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR) work and post-secondary education. Its RDAP list (updated June 4, 2026) does not include Bennettsville. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Safety record

Criminal cases at Bennettsville

• September 2026The BOP and the Justice Department's Inspector General ran a four-day task force operation at the prison (August 3 to 6, 2026). They recovered electronic devices, drugs, homemade weapons and gang-related information, and moved 40 inmates to other prisons. (BOP news story)
• August 2026A former Bennettsville correctional officer was indicted on bribery and drug charges. (WPDE)
• August 2026A federal prison officer in Marlboro County was accused of accepting more than $60,000 in bribes. (WMBF)

Deaths announced by the BOP

• October 19, 2021A 50-year-old man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at a hospital. The BOP said the death was related to COVID-19. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI Bennettsville," June 27, 2022 ↗
• September 4, 2021A 46-year-old man died in a hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 on August 30, 2021. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI Bennettsville," September 7, 2021 ↗

These are deaths the BOP announced in a press release. The BOP does not publish a full count of deaths at each prison, so this is not a total. News reports in 2025 told of inmate deaths at Bennettsville that we did not find in a BOP press release.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Bennettsville March 3 to 5, 2026. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Bennettsville recorded 5 sexual-abuse allegations (2 against staff, 3 against other inmates) and 1 sexual-harassment allegation (against another inmate). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Bennettsville (onsite March 3 to 5, 2026) ↗

An allegation is a report, not a finding. The audit counts reports made, not what investigators concluded.

News about Bennettsville

• Multi-Agency Operation Conducted at FCI BennettsvilleBOP: Federal Bureau of Prisons (.gov) · Sep 2, 2026
• Brian Carn Begins Tax-Fraud Sentence At FCI BennettsvilleThe North Carolina Beat · Aug 15, 2026
• Ex-Bennettsville federal correctional officer indicted on bribery, drug chargesWPDE · Aug 12, 2026
• Bennettsville federal correctional officer arrested after $100K in contraband seizedWPDE · Dec 11, 2025
• Inmate dead in Bennettsville prison after being found unresponsiveWCIV · May 22, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name FCI Bennettsville, checked every day. Last updated Nov 4, 2026, 7:39 pm ET. We link to the original story; we did not write these.

Intel from the Inside

Intel last checked: November 3, 2026

Reports from people inside, in their own words. It is how the place really runs, not official policy, and it can change. We never publish names.

No Intel reported for Bennettsville yet.

Know something about Bennettsville that families should know? Tell Scooter. Our team checks every report before it goes up, and we never publish names.