FCI La Tuna

La Tuna at a glance

FCI La Tuna is closing. On July 1, 2026 the BOP announced it will close FCI La Tuna, its Federal Satellite Low (FSL) and its Satellite Camp. The BOP release gives no closing date, says a reduction-in-force will take effect at La Tuna, and says the FSL is already not operating. Call 915-791-9000 before you travel or send mail, and ask where your loved one will be moved. La Tuna is a low-security federal prison for men in Anthony, Texas, with a minimum-security prison camp next to it.

How many people

225 in the FCI and 85 at the camp (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) ↗

Who is there

Men. On the first day of the July 2026 audit, ages ran from 19 to 83 at the FCI and 20 to 82 at the camp. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI La Tuna (onsite July 21 to 23, 2026) ↗

Built for

486 people at the FCI and 243 at the camp. The audit counted 548 at the FCI and 149 at the camp on its first day, so the FCI was over capacity then. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI La Tuna (onsite July 21 to 23, 2026) ↗

Average stay

592 days at the FCI and 328 days at the camp. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI La Tuna (onsite July 21 to 23, 2026) ↗

Counts

Weekdays: five official counts at 12:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Weekends and federal holidays have six, including 10:00 a.m. The 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. counts are stand-up counts. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

UNICOR

The FCI has a vehicle factory that installs equipment packages on vehicles for federal agencies. The camp has a warehouse operation. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI La Tuna.

Visiting hours and days

Visitors are not processed after 2:00 p.m. On weekends and holidays, visitors are not admitted after 9:30 a.m. until the 10:00 a.m. count clears. You may not come onto the grounds earlier than 30 minutes before visiting starts. Once the visit starts you cannot go back to your car and return.

No visiting Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at the FCI (per the 2025 handbook). Click here to read the source: LAT 5267.09, Visiting Regulations (August 10, 2018) ↗

The BOP's own papers disagree. La Tuna's papers disagree, and the visiting rules are old (August 10, 2018). The rules put FCI visits on Saturday, Sunday, the first Monday of each month and holidays. The handbook (February 12, 2025) says Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Points: the rules give the FCI 5 points a month and the camp 6; the visitor handout in the rules says 6; the handbook says 7 points for both. In both, a weekday visit costs 1 point and a weekend or holiday visit costs 2. Go by the newer handbook, and because the prison is closing, call 915-791-9000 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 La Tuna
La Tuna Fsl
P.O. Box 3000
Anthony, Nm 88021

The handbook gives the main prison's mailing address as Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna, Post Office Box 3000, Anthony, New Mexico 88021 and the camp's as Federal Prison Camp La Tuna, Post Office Box 8000, Anthony, New Mexico 88021. The BOP's online address record shows "La Tuna FSL" on the line above P.O. Box 3000. Use the P.O. Box number and ask your loved one which first line to use. Mail is delivered Monday to Friday. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (La Tuna Fci/scp, 8500 Doniphan Road, Anthony, Tx 79821).

Sealed outgoing mail

Because this is a low-security prison, they may seal their outgoing mail, and it is sent without being opened or inspected. They write their committed name, register number and the prison's return address in the upper left corner. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Legal mail

Opened in front of them to check for contraband, and not read. It must name the attorney by name, title and address, and the front must say "Special/Legal Mail - Open in presence of the inmate" or similar. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Stamps

They may buy up to 20 first-class stamps a week and keep no more than 20 at a time. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Writing to other inmates

Needs approval from their case manager. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Mail restrictions

If staff think they are mailing threats, doing crime or running a business, mail can be limited to an approved list, and all mail is read. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Money

Never put money in a letter. It goes to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

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 La Tuna. 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 La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗ 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

La Tuna's handbook (February 12, 2025) says they may spend a maximum of $100.00 a week and have a monthly spending limit of $320.00, re-validated each month. Stamps, phone credit and over-the-counter medicine are not counted. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) raised the monthly limit to $460, plus $50 more in November and December. La Tuna's handbook may not reflect the new limit yet. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

The price list: La Tuna'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/SCP La Tuna Commissary Sheet (no date printed) ↗

Phone calls and email

Minutes

300 minutes a month, unless they are on phone restriction. Each call ends automatically after 15 minutes, and a waiting period between calls may be set. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Contacts

Up to 30 approved phone numbers. Collect calls can be made to approved numbers. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Paying

They move money from their commissary account to their phone account. Phones are in each housing unit. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Rules

All calls are monitored and recorded. No three-way calls, call forwarding or other third-party calls, and no sharing a PAC (phone access code). For an unmonitored attorney call they contact their case manager. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

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 La Tuna

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

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. They must report to Health Services before 6:30 a.m. or they will not be seen, except for emergencies. Staff triage the problem and schedule an appointment. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Clinical staff on site

From 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Outside those hours, urgent care is through an on-call provider or community emergency services. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Emergency

Tell any staff member. They are not to walk to Health Services themselves. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

If they get sick later

Tell their work supervisor or unit officer, who calls Health Services. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Dental

On-site dentist and hygienist. Dental problems also go through sick call. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Co-pay

$2.00 for care they ask for, unless they are indigent. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

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

The BOP's RDAP list (updated June 4, 2026) names FCI La Tuna, and the handbook says RDAP is available here. How to apply: send a cop-out (Inmate Request to Staff Member). Staff check the pre-sentence report, then a drug program coordinator interviews them. Admission is by nearness to release. Treatment is at least 9 months. A non-violent person may get up to 1 year off for completing it. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Other drug programs

Drug Abuse Education Course and treatment options in all BOP prisons. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

UNICOR (prison factory)

The FCI has a vehicle factory; the camp has a warehouse. Priority often goes to people with large court-ordered fines or restitution, and to transfers who already worked UNICOR. Pay: grade 5 $.23 an hour, grade 4 $.46, grade 3 $.69, grade 2 $.92, grade 1 $1.15, premium grade $1.35. No promotion above grade 4 without a high school diploma or GED. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Education

GED, English as a Second Language, vocational training, post-secondary programs, Adult Continuing Education classes (quarterly), First Step Act programs, apprenticeships registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, an automotive technical program taught by an El Paso Community College instructor, and a law library. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

Food service jobs

Training in cooking and baking. Pay grades run from $.12 to $.40 an hour. Click here to read the source: FCI La Tuna Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated February 12, 2025) ↗

La Tuna is closing, so programs may end or move. The BOP's First Step Act guide (May 2026) lists FCI La Tuna for RDAP and Federal Prison Industries. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Safety record

Criminal cases at La Tuna

• February 23, 2025An inmate was reported missing from the satellite camp. (KTSM 9 News)

Deaths announced by the BOP

• November 2020A 41-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 and died on November 21, 2020. The BOP announced it November 24, 2020. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI La Tuna," November 24, 2020 ↗
• December 2020A 74-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2020 and died on December 12, 2020. The BOP announced it December 14, 2020. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI La Tuna," December 14, 2020 ↗

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.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited La Tuna July 21 to 23, 2026. Result: 1 standard exceeded, 44 met. The report leaves its "not met" line blank, and 1 plus 44 is 45, the full set. In the 12 months before the audit, La Tuna recorded 6 sexual-abuse allegations (4 against staff, 2 against other inmates) and 0 sexual-harassment allegations. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI La Tuna (onsite July 21 to 23, 2026) ↗

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

News about La Tuna

• Congresswoman Escobar Visits FCI La TunaCongresswoman Veronica Escobar (.gov) · Aug 13, 2026
• Protest against closing of La Tuna prisonKVIA · Aug 13, 2026
• La Tuna federal prison closure leaves questions about inmate transfers, employee futuresKFOX · Jul 18, 2026
• Historic La Tuna federal prison is slated for closure and moreKRWG Public Media · Jul 3, 2026
• La Tuna Federal Prison to shutdown staff to be laid-off96.3 KKOB · Jul 2, 2026
• Federal Bureau of Prisons to Close La Tuna Prison in Anthony as Part of Nationwide RestructuringKSST Radio · Jul 2, 2026
• La Tuna prison in Anthony, Texas, to close; Rep. Escobar shares concernsKVIA · Jul 1, 2026
• Pedestrian critically injured after being struck by vehicle near La Tuna federal prisonKFOX · Dec 14, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name FCI La Tuna, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 8:11 am 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 La Tuna yet.

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