FCI Williamsburg

Williamsburg at a glance

Williamsburg is a medium-security federal prison (FCI) for men in Salters, South Carolina, with a minimum-security satellite camp. The address is 8301 U.S. Highway 521.

How many people

1,578 in the FCI and 99 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 February 2024 audit, ages ran from 19 to 81. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Williamsburg (onsite February 13 to 15, 2024; final report March 20, 2024) ↗

Built for

The audit lists a capacity of 1,276 people. The population on the first day was 1,448, and the average over the 12 months before was 1,480. The audit says the prison was over capacity at some point that year. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Williamsburg (onsite February 13 to 15, 2024; final report March 20, 2024) ↗

Average stay

60 to 100 months. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Williamsburg (onsite February 13 to 15, 2024; final report March 20, 2024) ↗

Counts

Official counts at 12:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. (they stay in bed), 5:00 a.m. (stand-up count), 10:00 a.m. on weekends and holidays, and 4:00 p.m. (stand-up). Lockdown is at 9:15 p.m. and the final stand-up count is at 9:30 p.m. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Tobacco

"All housing units are designated as non-smoking areas. Tobacco products are considered contraband." Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Inmate dress

Khaki pants and khaki button-down shirts for the FCI. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

The BOP's own page for FCI Williamsburg.

Visiting hours and days

Visitors are not processed before 8:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. You may not be in the parking lot before 8:00 a.m. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays there is an official count: everyone must be processed through the front lobby by 9:30 a.m. or wait until the count clears.

The visiting rules (2018) and the handbook (2026) both list only Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Visitors do not arrive early on a holiday; the holiday follows the Saturday or Sunday arrival time. Click here to read the source: WIL 5267.09A, Visiting Regulations, Institution Supplement (May 22, 2018) ↗

The BOP's own papers disagree. The visiting rules are old (May 22, 2018). The handbook is new (August 2026) and differs on several points. Money: the 2018 rules let visitors bring up to $25.00 for vending machines; the 2026 handbook says visitors may not bring money, and vending machines take TBS vending cards bought in the lobby. How many visitors: the 2018 rules say 5 adults, with children under 16 not counted; the 2026 handbook says 5 visitors in total, children included. Clothes: the 2018 rules allow shorts that reach two inches below the knee; the 2026 handbook says short shorts are not permitted. Go by the newer handbook, and call 843-387-9400 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 Williamsburg
P.O. Box 340
Salters, Sc 29590

The handbook gives the mailing address as P.O. Box 340, Salters, South Carolina 29590. Use their full name and register number. Their outgoing letters carry a mailing label printed on TRULINCS. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

The camp uses the same P.O. Box.

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (8301 Highway 521, Salters, Sc 29590).

No colors

No colored envelopes or paper. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Return address

Your mail must have a complete return address and their full name and register number. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

How much

The number of incoming letters is not ordinarily limited, unless the volume is an unreasonable burden on staff. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Books and photos

Special mail is limited to 25 photographs and no more than 5 books per package. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Packages

A package authorization form (BP-A0331) must be on file. Ordinarily they cannot get packages through the mail, other than approved medical devices and release clothing within 30 days of release. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Legal mail

Treated as special mail only if the attorney is identified on the envelope. It is opened in front of them and not read. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Not allowed

Stamp collecting, express mail, COD, USPS box service, UPS and private carriers. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Money

Never put money in a letter. Deposits go to Federal Bureau of Prisons, [Name], [Register Number], P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001, or through Western Union. Send a postal money order, Western Union money order or government check. No personal checks, letters or pictures with it. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

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 Williamsburg. 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 Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗ 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 list: what they can buy and what it costs

The Williamsburg handbook (August 2026) does not state a dollar limit. It says the limit is set by BOP policy, is posted in each housing unit and at the commissary window, and is revalidated on the 1st and 15th of every month. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) sets the limit at $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. People who refuse to pay court fines on the payment plan ("IFRP refuse") may face commissary restrictions. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

(K) kosher, (H) halal. A number like "max 3" is the most they can buy at once. From the official list approved August 17, 2026 (printed from the BOP system TRUFACS on that date). Prices change without notice. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Commissary Shopping List (printed August 17, 2026) ↗

Phone calls and email

Minutes

300 minutes a month, or 400 in November and December. Each call is limited to 15 minutes. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Hours

The handbook table says 6:00 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. every day. The question-and-answer page of the same handbook gives different hours: weekdays 6:00 to 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 to 10:00 p.m.; weekends and holidays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Ask your loved one which applies. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Contacts

They get a phone access code (PAC) and are authorized 30 telephone numbers. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Rules

No third-party calls. No international collect calls. Phone credits are bought in whole dollar amounts. Calls are monitored and recorded, except properly arranged attorney calls. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

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 Williamsburg

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 is 6:30 to 6:45 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, before the morning meal, except federal holidays. (The question-and-answer page in the same handbook says the 8:30 a.m. move; ask your loved one.) Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Emergency

They tell the housing unit officer or work supervisor, who calls Health Services. Medical coverage on evenings, weekends and holidays is for acute problems only. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Pill line

Morning pill and insulin line 6:15 to 7:00 a.m.; opioid use disorder pill line 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.; self-carry medicine 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; evening pill and insulin line 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. SHU pill and insulin line at 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Dental

Dental sick call (toothaches, abscesses, temporary fillings) is Monday and Thursday on the 8:30 a.m. move. Routine care (fillings, dentures, cleanings) is requested by cop-out and scheduled by call-out. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Eye care

They send a cop-out to Health Services for a vision screen. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Co-pay

$2.00 for care they ask for themselves. No fee for staff referrals, chronic-condition follow-up, preventive care, emergencies, prenatal care, chronic infectious disease, mental health care or substance abuse treatment. Indigent inmates are ordinarily not charged. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

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

Williamsburg does not have RDAP. To apply, they send a cop-out to the Drug Treatment Specialist. If they qualify, they may be designated to a prison that has RDAP. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Other drug programs

Drug Abuse Education and the non-residential program (NRDAP), which is recommended for people waiting for RDAP. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

BRAVE

A six-month, 350-hour behavioral health treatment program for younger people with longer sentences. It has three phases: Orientation, Core Treatment and Transition. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

BRAVE on the BOP list

The First Step Act guide lists WIL as a BRAVE (Residential) site. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

UNICOR (prison factory)

Work hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. People who refuse the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program (IFRP) cannot work there. The First Step Act guide lists WIL as a Federal Prison Industries site. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

Education

GED, English as a second language, vocational training, adult continuing education and apprenticeships. Without a verified high school diploma or GED, they must enroll in the literacy program. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

College classes

The First Step Act guide lists Williamsburg (WIL) as a Post-Secondary Education site. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗

Release preparation

Classes in the Education Department: employment readiness, resume writing, mock job fairs and interviews, personal finance, parenting, health and nutrition. Generally for people within three years of release. Click here to read the source: FCI Williamsburg Admissions & Orientation Handbook, 2026 Edition (updated August 2026) ↗

The BOP's First Step Act guide lists Williamsburg (WIL) as a site for BRAVE (residential), Post-Secondary Education and Federal Prison Industries. Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg

• August 17, 2025A news report said a former correctional officer was arrested in a contraband scheme at FCI Williamsburg. (Post and Courier)
• February 3, 2025A news report said a woman was convicted of smuggling drugs and goods into the federal prison in Williamsburg County. (Live 5 News)

Deaths announced by the BOP

• January 8, 2021A 65-year-old man was pronounced dead at a hospital. The man had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 2, 2021. Announced January 11, 2021. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI Williamsburg," January 11, 2021 ↗
• January 14, 2021A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive, taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The man had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 7, 2021. Announced January 22, 2021. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI Williamsburg," January 22, 2021 ↗
• January 22, 2021A 64-year-old man was pronounced dead at a hospital. The man had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 1, 2021. Announced January 27, 2021. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FCI Williamsburg," January 27, 2021 ↗

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. We found no BOP press release announcing a death at Williamsburg after January 2021 (checked November 3, 2026).

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Williamsburg February 13 to 15, 2024 (final report March 20, 2024). Result: 2 standards exceeded, 43 met, 0 not met. This audit is more than two years old. In the 12 months before the audit, Williamsburg recorded 3 sexual-abuse allegations (all against other inmates, none against staff) and 4 sexual-harassment allegations (all against other inmates). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCI Williamsburg (onsite February 13 to 15, 2024; final report March 20, 2024) ↗

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

News about Williamsburg

• WTC and FCI Williamsburg launch CDL program to expand career opportunitiesPost and Courier · Sep 23, 2026
• Former correctional officer arrested in contraband scheme at FCI WilliamsburgPost and Courier · Aug 17, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name FCI Williamsburg, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 3:47 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 Williamsburg yet.

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