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Federal Correctional Institution · Waseca, Minnesota

FCI Waseca

Security level
Low
Medical care level
2 of 4
Mental health care level
2 of 4
Population
777
Phone
507-835-8972

Last checked: November 3, 2026 (BOP documents for this prison) Intel last checked: November 3, 2026 BOP status updated: Nov 3, 2026, 9:20 pm ET News updated: Nov 3, 2026, 3:47 pm ET

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Waseca at a glance

Waseca is a low-security federal prison for women, in southern Minnesota. It has five housing units. The handbook says E Unit is the drug treatment (RDAP) unit.

How many people
777 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) ↗
Who is there
Women. On the first day of the 2023 audit, ages ran from 21 to 72. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Waseca (onsite November 28 to 30, 2023) ↗
Built for
The audit lists a capacity of 712 people and an average population of 793 over the previous 12 months. It says the prison was over capacity at some point in that year. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Waseca (onsite November 28 to 30, 2023) ↗
Staff
"At FCI Waseca, both male and female staff routinely work and visit inmate housing areas." Click here to read the source: FCI Waseca Admission and Orientation Handbook (no date printed; the file was made in March 2023) ↗
Counts
Official counts at about midnight, 3:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., plus 10:00 a.m. on weekends and federal holidays. Stand-up counts (they stand by their bed) are at 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. every day, and at 10:00 a.m. on weekends and federal holidays. Click here to read the source: FCI Waseca Admission and Orientation Handbook (no date printed; the file was made in March 2023) ↗
Movement
They have ten minutes to get from one place to another when a move is announced. Click here to read the source: FCI Waseca Admission and Orientation Handbook (no date printed; the file was made in March 2023) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI Waseca.