FMC Butner

Butner at a glance

FMC Butner is a federal medical center for men, rated administrative security. It is one of the prisons of the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Butner, North Carolina. Its handbook says it provides "extensive medical services and mental health care."

How many people

818 in the FMC (BOP, October 29, 2026).

Medical care level 4

People who need services found only at a BOP Medical Referral Center, with limited inpatient care. Some may need 24-hour nursing care. Examples the BOP gives: cancer on active treatment, dialysis, stroke or head injury. 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 4

Care happens only at a Medical Referral Center. A written treatment plan reviewed at least every 90 days, and treatment or contact at least once a week. 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) ↗

Built for

923 people. On the first day of the 2026 audit, 848 were there. The audit says the complex was over capacity at some point in the 12 months before. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCC Butner, all Butner prisons together (onsite January 13 to 15, 2026) ↗

Ages

Ages ran from 19 to 89 on the first day of the audit. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCC Butner, all Butner prisons together (onsite January 13 to 15, 2026) ↗

Holdovers and pretrial

The handbook says holdover and pretrial inmates may be limited to immediate family on their visiting list. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

The BOP's own page for FMC Butner.

Visiting hours and days

Visitor processing stops at least 30 minutes before visiting ends. On weekends and holidays it stops at 9:15 a.m. until the 10:00 a.m. count clears. If you arrive after the cutoff, go back to your car and wait. Nobody can wait in the lobby, and nobody may leave the visiting room until a clear count is called.

No regular visiting except Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Click here to read the source: BUX 5267.09A, Visiting Regulations, Federal Correctional Complex Butner (April 1, 2026) ↗

The BOP's own papers disagree. The handbook (undated; file created in 2009) says something different: visits Monday, Thursday and Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The 2026 rules (April 1, 2026) list only Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays at the FMC. The handbook also gives the mailing box as P.O. Box 1600 and the 2026 visiting rules list P.O. Box 1500 for the FMC; the BOP feed says 1600. Go by the 2026 rules and call 919-575-3900 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
FMC Butner
P.O. Box 1600
Butner, Nc 27509

The handbook asks for their full name, register number, unit and correct return address on every envelope. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (Old N. Carolina Hwy 75, Butner, Nc 27509).

Packages and publications

Books and magazines must come from the publisher, a book club or a bookstore. Limit of 5 per mailing. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Not allowed in the mail

Stationery items, musical cards, cigarettes, maps, food, double-backed (Polaroid) photos, stamps and stamped items, sexually explicit or nude photos, body hair and drugs. Unauthorized items are returned to the sender. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Their letters to you

Outgoing mail dropped in the unit mailbox cannot be sealed. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Money

Never put money in a letter. It goes to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa (see the Money tab). Cash is not accepted. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Books and magazines: at a administrative 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 Butner. 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: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗ 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

This prison's handbook (undated, file created 2009) says they may spend up to $290.00 a month on regular purchases, plus an extra amount for special purchase items. Their account is validated once a month. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) now sets the limit at $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. The handbook is very old and has not caught up. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

The price list: Butner'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. Ask your loved one for the current list, or see the prison's page on bop.gov.

Phone calls and email

Minutes

300 minutes a month, which reset on their validation date. Each call is limited to 15 minutes, with a 15 minute wait between calls. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Hours

Phones work 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. every day. They are turned off 15 minutes before each count and back on once it clears. Not during their work hours. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Phone list

Up to 30 phone numbers, approved by unit staff. A secret phone code (PAC) comes from their counselor. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Rules

No toll-free or three-way calls. Every call can be monitored. This handbook is old (about 2009). Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

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 Butner

Medical care level 4 and mental health care level 4 (of 4). People who need services found only at a BOP Medical Referral Center, with limited inpatient care. Some may need 24-hour nursing care. Examples the BOP gives: cancer on active treatment, dialysis, stroke or head injury. 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, 6:45 to 7:15 a.m. Cadre and 3rd floor patients go to the Ambulatory Care Clinic on the 2nd floor. Everyone else signs up in their housing unit. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Staff on duty

Medical staff are available 24 hours a day. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Dental

Dental sick call: 6:45 to 7:15 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Routine care goes on a waiting list. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Co-pay

They pay a fee for care they ask for themselves. See the Co-Payment section of the handbook for the amount. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

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

FMC Butner does not have RDAP. It offers drug education classes and non-residential drug counseling. They can send a written request ("cop-out") to Psychology Services to learn about RDAP and eligibility. The BOP's RDAP list (updated June 4, 2026) does not name FMC Butner. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Drug programs here

Forty-hour Drug Education class, Transitional Drug Treatment and Non-residential Drug Treatment. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Psychology

Individual and group counseling, voluntary, on topics such as anger, stress, coping, grief and depression. Psychology Services also hires some inmates as suicide watch observers and for palliative care. Click here to read the source: FMC Butner Inmate Handbook (undated; the PDF file was created December 9, 2009) ↗

Safety record

Criminal cases at Butner

• March 2026A former Butner prison guard pleaded guilty in a case about covering up an assault on an inmate. The story does not say which Butner prison. (Raleigh News & Observer)
• April 2026A man who escaped from Butner was arrested and charged with escaping and holding a Lee County woman hostage. The story does not say which Butner prison. (ABC11 News)
• April 2025A former Butner prison guard was sentenced for violating an inmate's civil rights. The story does not say which Butner prison. (Raleigh News & Observer)

Deaths announced by the BOP

• February 4, 2022A 65-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted September 21, 2022 ↗
• March 3, 2022A 60-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted March 22, 2022 ↗
• January 14, 2022A 47-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted January 25, 2022 ↗
• October 23, 2021A 75-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted October 28, 2021 ↗
• August 22, 2021A 42-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted August 30, 2021 ↗
• November 12, 2020A 62-year-old man died. The BOP release says COVID-19 was involved. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at FMC Butner," posted November 23, 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. Names are left out.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit covered the whole Butner complex (all five prisons together) and visited January 13 to 15, 2026. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. The audit reports one set of numbers for the whole complex. In the 12 months before it, the complex recorded 13 sexual-abuse allegations (3 against staff, 10 against other inmates) and 46 sexual-harassment allegations (10 against staff, 36 against other inmates). They are not split by prison. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FCC Butner, all Butner prisons together (onsite January 13 to 15, 2026) ↗

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

News about Butner

• Butner prison escapee nabbed in Lee County after taking woman hostage at gunpoint: SheriffCBS 17 · Apr 22, 2026
• Former Butner prison guard pleads guilty to inmate assault cover-upRaleigh News & Observer · Mar 10, 2026

Stories from news outlets that name FMC Butner, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 8:10 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 Butner yet.

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