FCI Manchester

Manchester at a glance

FCI Manchester is a medium-security prison in Manchester, Kentucky, with a minimum-security satellite camp (FPC). It sits north of the town, off US Highway 421.

How many people

1,004 in the FCI and 253 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) ↗

Capacity

The PREA audit lists a capacity of 1,272 (760 in the FCI and 512 at the camp). On the day of the audit there were 984 in the FCI and 126 at the camp. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Manchester (onsite June 24 to 26, 2025) ↗

Ages

From 20 to 70. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Manchester (onsite June 24 to 26, 2025) ↗

Average stay

FCI: 540.7 days. Camp: 266.5 days. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Manchester (onsite June 24 to 26, 2025) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI Manchester.

Visiting hours and days

On Saturdays and Sundays no one is let in during the last hour, so be inside before 2:00 p.m. On Tuesdays (SHU) no one is let in after 1:00 p.m. No one may enter the grounds before visiting starts.

The visiting rules list no other regular visiting days. If the schedule changes, the prison says it will post a notice on its webpage. Click here to read the source: MAN-5267.09(f), Inmate Visiting (December 20, 2024) ↗

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 Manchester
P.O. Box 4000
Manchester, Ky 40962

The handbook gives the address as "Manchester FCI/FPC, P.O. Box 4000, Manchester, KY 40962." Ask your loved one if they are at the FCI or the camp and for their unit. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (805 Fox Hollow Road, Manchester, Ky 40962).

Money

Never put money in a letter to the prison. Mail it to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, or use Western Union Quick Collect (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Other mail rules

The Manchester handbook we have (2022) does not give envelope, paper or card rules we could read. Ask your loved one or call the prison before you send photos, cards or packages. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

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 Manchester. 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 Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗ 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

The Manchester handbook (updated August 2022) says the national limit was $360 and that Manchester had a local limit of $90 per week. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) now sets $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. Someone behind on court-ordered payments (FRP refuse status) is limited to $25 a month. Call the prison to ask what limit applies now. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

The price list: Manchester'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 Manchester Commissary List (revised 2-15-16) ↗

Phone calls and email

Minutes

300 minutes a month, collect or direct dial. They ordinarily get an extra 100 minutes in November and December. Each call is limited to 15 minutes. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Paying

Phone credit moves from their commissary account to their phone account. Calls are monitored and recorded. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

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 Manchester

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: 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. At the camp: 7:00 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., the same days. They fill out a short questionnaire and are triaged by a provider. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Appointments

Most care is by appointment, set days to weeks ahead from a written request, or follow-ups the providers schedule. Each provider has a caseload by register number. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

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

Manchester is not a listed RDAP site. The handbook says people apply by sending a request to the Drug Abuse Program Coordinator; admission depends on how close they are to release and on the security level and waiting list of the prison with the program. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Other drug programs

The Drug Abuse Education course and non-residential drug treatment are available. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

UNICOR (prison factory)

The First Step Act guide lists Manchester as a Federal Prison Industries site. Someone behind on court-ordered payments cannot work for UNICOR. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Education

GED and English as a Second Language classes. People without a high school diploma or GED must take part under federal law. Click here to read the source: FCI Manchester Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated August 19, 2022) ↗

Manchester is not on the BOP's RDAP list (updated June 4, 2026). The First Step Act guide (May 2026) lists Manchester for Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR). Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Safety record

Criminal cases at Manchester

Deaths announced by the BOP

We found no deaths at Manchester announced by the BOP.

We found no BOP press release announcing a death at this prison. The BOP does not publish a full count of deaths at each prison, so this does not mean there were none.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Manchester June 24 to 26, 2025. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Manchester recorded 5 sexual-abuse allegations (all against staff) and 6 sexual-harassment allegations (3 against other inmates, 3 against staff). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Manchester (onsite June 24 to 26, 2025) ↗

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

News about Manchester

• Inquest to open into self-inflicted death at Manchester prisonINQUEST · Oct 29, 2026
• Man who brought cannabis to Greater Manchester prison jailedOldham Times · Jun 10, 2026
• Manchester prison still plagued by drones, inspector saysUnmanned airspace · Apr 14, 2026
• A year in the life of a Greater Manchester prisonManchester Evening News · Dec 22, 2025
• More than 500 phones seized from inmates at Manchester prisonBBC · Nov 13, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name FCI Manchester, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 8:56 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 Manchester yet.

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