FCI Berlin

Berlin at a glance

FCI Berlin is a medium-security federal prison for men in Berlin, New Hampshire, with a satellite prison camp (SCP). Since March 2025 it has also held people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who are kept separately from BOP inmates.

How many people

859 in the FCI and 63 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 18 to 70 in the main prison and 24 to 58 in the camp. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Berlin (onsite August 4 to 6, 2026) ↗

Built for

1,148 people in the main prison and 128 in the camp, according to the audit. (The Inspector General lists physical capacity as 1,532 in the main prison and 128 in the camp.) Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Berlin (onsite August 4 to 6, 2026) ↗

Average stay

403.3 days in the main prison and 322.6 days in the camp. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Berlin (onsite August 4 to 6, 2026) ↗

Federal inspection (January 2026)

The Justice Department's Inspector General inspected Berlin without warning on January 12 to 15, 2026. It found the prison <strong>staffed at 80 percent</strong> (222 of 276 jobs filled). It found delays in routine medical care, contraband that was visible in housing units, and contraband-search equipment that was not working. It called inmate programming a strength, but said staff shortages limited it. Click here to read the source: DOJ Inspector General, Inspection of FCI Berlin, report 27-002 (October 2026) ↗

Counts

They must be standing at their bed for official counts at 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and at 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI Berlin.

Visiting hours and days

Visitors are not processed before 8:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. Visitors are also not processed from 9:00 a.m. to about 10:45 a.m. because of institutional activities.

The visiting rules list no regular visiting days except Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Click here to read the source: BER 5267.09G, Visiting Regulations (March 2, 2023) ↗

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 Berlin
P.O. Box 9000
Berlin, Nh 03570

Use P.O. Box 9000 exactly as shown. The handbook also asks senders to put the housing unit on the envelope to speed up delivery. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (1 Success Loop Road, Berlin, Nh 03570).

Mail days

First-class mail is handed out Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) by the evening-watch officer in each housing unit. Weekend and holiday mail service is usually not provided. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Packages

Every package needs approval first. Approval is limited to release clothing. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Books and magazines

At a medium-security prison, softcover books and magazines must come only from the publisher, a book club or a bookstore. Hardcover books and newspapers also must come from the publisher, a book club or a bookstore. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Their letters to you

At a medium-security prison, outgoing mail is not sealed and staff may read it (legal mail excepted). The envelope needs their name, register number and the full return address. They must not abbreviate "Federal Correctional Institution Berlin." Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Legal mail

Opened in front of them. The front of the envelope must say "Special Mail - Open only in the presence of the inmate" and the sender must be named. Without that, staff may open and read it as ordinary mail. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Money

Never put money in a letter. The handbook sends money orders to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

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 Berlin. 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 and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗ 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

Berlin's handbook (updated November 2023) says the National Spending Limit is $320.00 and may be restricted further at the local level. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) has since raised the limit from $360 to $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. Berlin's handbook has not caught up. Accounts are re-validated monthly, every two weeks or weekly; the schedule is posted on the commissary bulletin board. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

The price list: Berlin'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. Each call is limited to 15 minutes. The handbook says they ordinarily get 100 extra minutes in November and December. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Hours

Phones work from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the FCI (11:30 p.m. at the camp). On weekdays, access is normally limited from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. until after the 4:00 p.m. count. They must not call during their work hours. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Paying

Phone credit comes out of their commissary account in whole-dollar amounts. Calls can be monitored and recorded. A lost or shared phone code costs a replacement fee. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

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 Berlin

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

Bring the ID card to Health Services at the first move of the morning, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (not holidays). The handbook says sick call is ordinarily at 7:45 a.m. Fill out the sick call form in ink with name, register number and complaint. A triage nurse sets appointments by urgency. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

At the camp

Camp sick call sign-up is 6:00 to 6:30 a.m. on the same four days. Camp dental forms are taken on Tuesdays only. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

In segregation

A Health Services clinician makes rounds daily. Sick call there is ordinarily 6:00 to 6:30 a.m., and they can ask by written request or at their door. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Pill lines

FCI: 6:30 to 6:45 a.m. daily; refill pick-up 8:30 a.m.; restricted pill line (certain medications only) 4:45 p.m. Camp: 6:00 to 6:15 a.m. daily; refill pick-up 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Co-pay

$2.00 for visits they ask for themselves, charged to their commissary account. Emergencies, staff referrals and chronic-care follow-up are not charged. Someone with no more than $6.00 in their account for the past 30 days counts as indigent and is not charged. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Staffing

The Inspector General found Berlin struggled to answer routine medical requests and to get people to outside medical providers, because of staff vacancies in Health Services. Click here to read the source: DOJ Inspector General, Inspection of FCI Berlin, report 27-002 (October 2026) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

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

Berlin is not on the BOP's RDAP list. The handbook describes RDAP in general terms (at least 9 months, interview about 24 to 42 months before release) but does not say Berlin has a unit. They can send a "cop-out" to Psychology Services to ask about a transfer. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Other drug programs

The Drug Abuse Education Course (required for some, and others can ask to join) and non-residential drug abuse treatment. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Psychology Services

Open house is Monday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at the FCI, and Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the camp. They can also send a cop-out. The department includes a Chief Psychologist, two staff psychologists, a drug abuse program coordinator and five drug abuse treatment specialists. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Hydroponics and Gardening

A skills program the First Step Act guide lists Berlin as able to offer. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Education

GED and English as a second language classes (ESL is required until they score 225 on the CASAS reading test and 215 on the listening test). Adult continuing education, vocational training, apprenticeships, and correspondence courses they pay for. The Education Department is open Monday to Thursday 7:45 to 10:30 a.m., 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Friday 7:45 to 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Saturday 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Click here to read the source: FCI and FPC Berlin Inmate Handbook (updated November 2023) ↗

Staffing limits

The Inspector General called Berlin's inmate programming a strength, but said staff shortages limited how much could be offered. Click here to read the source: DOJ Inspector General, Inspection of FCI Berlin, report 27-002 (October 2026) ↗

The BOP's First Step Act guide lists Berlin for the Hydroponics and Gardening program. Berlin is not on its RDAP list (updated June 4, 2026). Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Safety record

Criminal cases at Berlin

• October 2026The Justice Department's Inspector General published its inspection of FCI Berlin. It found contraband present and highly visible in housing units, contraband-search equipment not working, employee searches not done as policy requires, and inconsistent security rounds by officers. (DOJ Inspector General report)

Deaths announced by the BOP

We found no deaths at Berlin announced by the BOP.

We found no BOP press release announcing a death at Berlin (checked November 3, 2026). The BOP does not publish a full count of deaths at each prison, so this does not mean no one has died there.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Berlin August 4 to 6, 2026. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Berlin recorded 4 sexual-abuse allegations (2 against staff, 2 against other inmates) and 1 sexual-harassment allegation (against another inmate). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Berlin (onsite August 4 to 6, 2026) ↗

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

News about Berlin

• Berlin federal prison strained by ICE population, staffing shortageThe Conway Daily Sun · Oct 21, 2026
• DOJ Finds FCI Berlin Short on Staff, Healthcare, and Security – Update for October 19, 2026Legal Information Services Associates LLC · Oct 19, 2026
• Federal watchdog finds staffing gaps, care delays at FCI Berlin prisonNew Hampshire Union Leader · Oct 16, 2026
• Audit finds staffing struggles, ICE detainees, stretching Berlin prisonNew Hampshire Public Radio · Oct 15, 2026
• Wind Power Fraudster Escapes From Berlin PrisonThe Berliner · Aug 28, 2026
• Reports: Berlin prison eyed to house 500+ ICE detaineesNew Hampshire Union Leader · Feb 24, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name FCI Berlin, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 7:35 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 Berlin yet.

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