Federal Correctional Institution · Estill, South Carolina
FCI Estill
- Security level
- Low
- Medical care level
- 2 of 4
- Mental health care level
- 2 of 4
- Population
- 466
- Phone
- 803-625-4607
Last checked: November 3, 2026 (BOP documents for this prison) Intel last checked: November 3, 2026 BOP status updated: Nov 3, 2026, 9:10 pm ET News updated: Nov 3, 2026, 9:10 pm ET
Your loved one here? Look up their exact committed name
Estill at a glance
Estill is a federal prison (FCI) in Hampton County, South Carolina, at 100 Prison Road. A tornado heavily damaged it in April 2020. The BOP held a ceremony on April 14, 2026 to mark the end of the rebuilding. The BOP says the satellite camp was renovated too.
- How many people
- 466 in the FCI (BOP, October 29, 2026).
- Medical care level 2
- Stable outpatients who need to see a clinician anywhere from monthly to every 6 months. Examples the BOP gives: diabetes controlled with medication, epilepsy, emphysema. 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 2
- Routine outpatient mental health care, or short crisis care such as suicide watch. 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) ↗
- Rebuilt
- Six years after the tornado, the BOP marked the restoration of FCI Estill. The prison is filling up again. During the May 2026 audit it held 119 people, and it was built for 1341. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Estill (onsite May 5 to 7, 2026) ↗
- Who is there
- Men. On the audit, ages ran from 24 to 78. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Estill (onsite May 5 to 7, 2026) ↗
- Restoration story
- The BOP story names renovated housing units and a renovated satellite camp. Click here to read the source: BOP news story, "BOP Celebrates the Restoration of FCI Estill," April 15, 2026 ↗
How far is it from you?
Driving directions (Google Maps) → Bus or train (Google Maps) →
Plan your drive around this: Visitors who arrive after 7:30 p.m. on Friday, or after 2:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays, are not allowed to visit. Any exception must be approved by the warden.
Our miles and time are an estimate from your ZIP code's center. Google Maps gives the exact route. Your ZIP code never leaves your phone unless you tap a Google Maps button.
Visiting hours and days
| Who | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Main prison (FCI) | Friday evening, plus weekends and federal holidays | Friday 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
Visitors who arrive after 7:30 p.m. on Friday, or after 2:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays, are not allowed to visit. Any exception must be approved by the warden.
The handbook gives no other visiting days. <strong>Please call before you drive.</strong> The BOP does not post a visiting-rules paper for Estill. The only BOP document with visiting hours is the handbook, and it was last revised in <strong>March 2013</strong>. The prison was damaged by a tornado in 2020 and reopened after rebuilding in 2026, so these hours may have changed. Call 803-625-4607.
The rules at the door: ID, points, what you can bring
- How many people
- A maximum of four adult visitors in the visiting room at a time. There is no limit on children, but your loved one is responsible for how all visitors behave. No toys. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- ID
- Everyone 16 or older needs valid photo ID: driver's license, state ID, photo ID or passport. Birth certificates do not count. No photo ID means no visit. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Screening
- All visitors must clear the metal detector and may get a random pat search. Visitors who refuse a search or test are not allowed in and may lose visiting privileges. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- What you can carry
- Everything else stays in your car. A reasonable amount of diapers, infant care items and feminine hygiene products are allowed. No food, because there are vending machines. Hats, hair wraps and scarves are not allowed, except a hijab. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- What to wear
- Not allowed: low-cut or see-through clothes, tube or tank tops, backless or sleeveless clothes, shorts of any type (children under 10 may wear shorts), no bra, bare midriffs, bathing suits, spandex or tight clothes, camouflage, khaki-type or colored button-down shirts, clothes like the prison uniform, sweat pants, wind pants, and offensive logos. Skirts must come below the knees. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Touching
- A kiss, embrace and handshake are allowed only when the visitor arrives and when they leave. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Money
- They cannot receive coins or money for their commissary account in the visiting room. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Photos
- Photos are taken in the visiting room on Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Children under 10 may sit on a lap. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
How to get on the visiting list
- Your loved one gives their counselor a visiting list. Only people on the approved list can visit.
- Immediate family (wife, children, parents, brothers, sisters) found in their pre-sentence report are ordinarily put on the list for a 30 day grace period. During that time they send you the visiting forms.
- Other visitors fill out an information sheet and a signed release. The handbook also asks for at least two notarized statements from people who are not family, saying they knew the relationship before prison.
- Do not visit until your loved one tells you that you are approved.
Driving directions (from the BOP)
- By car
- FCI Estill is about 63 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, 76 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina, and 3 miles south of the Estill city limits. Use US 321 and South Carolina Route 3. From the north on I-95 use Exit 5; from the south on I-95 use Exit 38 (at Yemassee). There are no local taxi companies at the Hampton County bus or train station.
Street address for your GPS: 100 Prison Road, Estill, Sc 29918. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.
FCI Estill
13 years old. Ask your loved one to check the copy posted in the unit before you drive.
| Skirts and dresses | Skirts, including slits, must extend below the knees. |
|---|---|
| Shorts | No shorts of any type; children under 10 may wear shorts. |
| Colors to avoid | No khaki button-down shirts or trousers like inmate issue (FCI). No green clothing like inmate issue (camp visiting room). |
| Leggings, spandex | No spandex tops or bottoms. No figure- or form-fitting (tight) clothing. |
| Bras and metal | No braless visitors. |
| Camouflage, military | No camouflage/combat military clothing. No combat military type clothing. |
| Shoes | Not in the written rules. |
| Children | Children under 10 may wear shorts; list applies to adult-bodied visitors. |
All 21 rules, in the BOP's own words
Length and fit
- Skirts, including slits, must extend below the knees.
All skirts, including splits in front, side or back, must extend below the knees
- No shorts of any type; children under 10 may wear shorts.
shorts of any type (children under the age of 10 may wear shorts);
- No sleeveless clothing or tank tops.
backless clothing; sleeveless clothing;
- No low-cut clothing.
Low-cut or see-through clothing;
- No bare midriffs.
braless; bare midriffs;
- No tube tops or backless clothing.
tube or tank tops; backless clothing;
- No see-through clothing.
see-through clothing; tube or tank tops;
- No figure- or form-fitting (tight) clothing.
figure- or form-fitting (tight) clothing of any type;
- No spandex tops or bottoms.
spandex type tops or bottoms;
- No bathing suits regardless of age.
bathing suits (bathing suits are not permitted regardless of age);
- No sweat pants or wind pants.
sweat pants; wind pants;
Colors and uniforms
- No khaki button-down shirts or trousers like inmate issue (FCI).
khaki-type/colored button-down shirts;
- No green clothing like inmate issue (camp visiting room).
green-colored clothing similar to institution-issued clothing (SPC
- No camouflage/combat military clothing.
camouflage/combat military type clothing;
- No combat military type clothing.
camouflage/combat military type clothing;
Bras, underwear and metal
- No braless visitors.
wear shorts); braless; bare midriffs;
Hats, hoods and coats
- No hats, hair wraps or scarves.
Hats, hair wraps, and scarves, with the exception of the “hijab,” are not permitted inside the institution.
- Hijab allowed.
with the exception of the “hijab,”
Children
- Children under 10 may wear shorts; list applies to adult-bodied visitors.
children under the age of 10 may wear shorts
Everything else
- No offensive logos, quotes or lettering.
inappropriate logos, quotes or lettering on clothing that is offensive;
If they say no
- Duty officer consulted before denying entry for attire.
The duty officer will be consulted prior to denying a visitor's entry into the institution because of his/her attire.
Inmate mailing address
JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES Reg. No. 12345-678 FCI Estill P.O. Box 699 Estill, Sc 29918
Put their committed name and register number on the envelope. Mail goes to the P.O. Box shown on the Mail tab. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (100 Prison Road, Estill, Sc 29918).
- Mail days
- Mail is ordinarily handed out Monday through Friday, not on weekends or holidays. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Legal mail
- Must be marked "SPECIAL MAIL - open only in the presence of the inmate" and show the attorney's name. Unit staff give it to them as soon as possible. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Rejected mail
- If mail is rejected, the sender gets a written notice with the reason and can appeal. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Money
- Never put money in a letter. Send it to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
Books and magazines: at a low security prison, soft-cover books and magazines can come from anyone. Hardcovers only from a publisher or bookstore.
How to send money to an inmate here
Money never goes to Estill. 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 Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 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
- Decide the amount. Up to $1,000 in one money order.
- Go to any Post Office.
- Bring cash or a debit card. The Post Office does not take credit cards for money orders.
- Fill it out at the counter with the clerk. Use the boxes below.
- Pay the amount plus the fee: $2.65 for up to $500, $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.
- 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 ↗
- Pay toJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONEStheir committed name, exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it
- Address (under Pay to)Federal Bureau of Prisons, P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
- FromMARIA SMITH-JONESyour name
- Address (under From)123 Main Street, Trenton, NJ 08608your address
- 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.
123 Main Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
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:
- Company NameFederal Bureau of Prisons
- City & StateWashington, DC
- Receive Code7932always the same
- Account Number of the Bill to Pay12345678SMITHJONESone letter or number per box
- Amount to Payup to $300
- 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
- Go to moneygram.com (Pay Bills) or the MoneyGram app and log in or sign up.
- Search the biller 7932 or "Federal Bureau of Prisons."
- Enter the amount (up to $300) and the account number
12345678SMITHJONES. - 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:
- Dollar Amountyour amount
- Pay toFederal Bureau of Prisons
- Code CityFBOP, DC
- AttentionJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
- 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.
- Go to send2corrections.com or the Send2Corrections app. Log in or register.
- "Who are you sending to?" Choose the facility Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP DC).
- Receiver first name, middle name (optional), last name: exactly as the BOP has it.
- 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. - Ignore the pop-up that says "BOP number will not work." That text shows for every prison. The register number is what works.
- 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
Estill's handbook (March 2013) says they can spend $320.00 a month. Stamps, over-the-counter medicine, copy cards, TRULINCS units and phone time do not count toward it. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) is $460 a month. The commissary list posted on the BOP site is dated May 2013, so we have not copied its prices. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗
How shopping works at Estill
- Shopping hours in the handbook: Monday through Wednesday 6:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; Thursday 6:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (SHU shopping day).
- Shopping days rotate every quarter based on their register number.
- Their spending limit renews on a day set by the 5th digit of their register number: multiply it by 3 and add one (for example 1 gives the 4th).
- All sales are final. Additions to the list are not allowed.
The price list: Estill'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. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Commissary List (May 2013) ↗
Phone calls and email
- Minutes
- 300 minutes a month, and 400 in November and December. Each call ends after 15 minutes. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Hours
- Phones in the housing units work 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Rules
- They can only call people on their approved phone list. No other inmate may join a call. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- TRULINCS email costs $0.05 a minute to send and receive. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 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 Estill
Medical care level 2 and mental health care level 2 (of 4). Stable outpatients who need to see a clinician anywhere from monthly to every 6 months. Examples the BOP gives: diabetes controlled with medication, epilepsy, emphysema. 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 Health Services Department between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday (not holidays). They fill out an Inmate Triage sheet (SF-600). Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Dental
- Dental sick-call sign-up is at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Routine cleaning is requested with an Inmate Request to Staff addressed to the dental clinic. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Late for an appointment
- More than 10 minutes late counts as "out of bounds" and the appointment is canceled. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- No fee for some care
- No co-pay for blood pressure checks, glucose checks, insulin, chronic care clinics, TB testing, vaccinations, wound care or patient education when the provider orders them. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
Programs
- Drug programs
- The handbook lists a 15-Hour Drug Education class and non-residential drug abuse treatment (individual or group counseling). They ask the drug treatment specialist with an Inmate Request to Staff. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Psychology groups
- Groups can include Drug Education, Personal Finance, Employment, Parenting and Release Preparation. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
- Education
- The Education Department offers academics, testing, parenting, vocational training, pre-release programs and a law and leisure library. Click here to read the source: FCI Estill Inmate Information Handbook (last revised March 2013) ↗
The BOP's First Step Act guide does not list Estill as an RDAP site (list updated June 4, 2026). The handbook is from 2013, so programs may have changed. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Safety record
Criminal cases at Estill
Deaths announced by the BOP
We found no deaths at Estill announced by the BOP.
We found no BOP press release announcing a death at Estill (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 Estill May 5 to 7, 2026. Result: 8 standards exceeded, 37 met, 0 not met. The final report is dated June 20, 2026. The prison was only starting to fill up again then. In the 12 months before the audit, Estill recorded 7 sexual-abuse allegations (5 against staff, 2 against other inmates) and 1 sexual-harassment allegation (against staff). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Estill (onsite May 5 to 7, 2026) ↗
An allegation is a report, not a finding. The audit counts reports made, not what investigators concluded.
News about Estill
- Six years after devastating tornado, federal prison in Estill renovated, restoredBluffton Today · Apr 20, 2026
Stories from news outlets that name FCI Estill, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 9:10 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 Estill yet.
Know something about Estill that families should know? Tell Scooter. Our team checks every report before it goes up, and we never publish names.