Federal Prison Camp · Duluth, Minnesota
FPC Duluth
- Security level
- Minimum
- Medical care level
- 2 of 4
- Mental health care level
- 2 of 4
- Population
- 256
- Phone
- 218-722-8634
Last checked: November 3, 2026 (BOP documents for this prison) Intel last checked: November 3, 2026 BOP status updated: Nov 3, 2026, 9:00 pm ET News updated: Nov 3, 2026, 8:49 pm ET
Your loved one here? Look up their exact committed name
Duluth at a glance
Duluth is changing from a camp to a low-security prison. On July 1, 2026 the BOP announced that FPC Duluth will change from a minimum-security camp to an FSL (Federal Satellite Low, a low-security prison). The release gives no date. Until then, Duluth is a minimum-security federal prison camp for men, north of Duluth, Minnesota, next to the airport. It has no separate main prison. The handbook says the camp has dorms, a chapel, a health services unit that works as an outpatient clinic, and a Visiting Center. Both of Duluth's papers are old (visiting rules 2022, handbook 2012), so confirm everything by phone at 218-722-8634.
- How many people
- 256 in the FPC (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) ↗
- Changing
- The BOP announced on July 1, 2026 that FPC Duluth will change from a minimum-security camp to an FSL (Federal Satellite Low). No date was given. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Federal Bureau of Prisons Announces Facility Closures and Operational Changes," July 1, 2026 ↗
- Who is there
- Men. On the first day of the 2024 audit, ages ran from 21 to 77. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Duluth (onsite May 7 to 9, 2024) ↗
- Built for
- 901 people. On the first day of the audit it held 472, and the daily average over the past 12 months was 391. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Duluth (onsite May 7 to 9, 2024) ↗
- Health clinic
- "The Health Services Unit (HSU) at FPC Duluth functions as an ambulatory outpatient clinic." (2012 handbook) Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
How far is it from you?
Driving directions (Google Maps) → Bus or train (Google Maps) →
Plan your drive around this: The outside gate opens at 8:10 a.m. and the inside gate at 8:15 a.m. No visitor may enter the visiting room after 2:30 p.m. Processing continues once a clear count is established. Visits end at 3:00 p.m.
Our miles and time are an estimate from your ZIP code's center. Google Maps gives the exact route. Your ZIP code never leaves your phone unless you tap a Google Maps button.
Visiting hours and days
| Who | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting Center | Every Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays | 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
The outside gate opens at 8:10 a.m. and the inside gate at 8:15 a.m. No visitor may enter the visiting room after 2:30 p.m. Processing continues once a clear count is established. Visits end at 3:00 p.m.
The rules give no regular visiting days except Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
The BOP's own papers disagree. Duluth's two papers are old and disagree. The visiting rules (November 30, 2022) say Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays, 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with no one entering after 2:30 p.m. The handbook (February 2012) says Saturday, Sunday, Monday and federal holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Go by the newer rules, but call 218-722-8634 before you drive. The 2022 rules also cite an older national visiting policy.
The rules at the door: ID, points, what you can bring
- How many visits
- No more than 8 visits a month. They are charged one visit each time they are called to the visiting room, however many visitors come. If a visit ends and they are called back, that is a second visit. Federal holiday visits do not count. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- How many people
- No more than 6 visitors at one time. Fewer if it is crowded. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- ID
- Everyone except children under 16 needs valid photo ID issued by a state or the federal government. Every visitor fills out Form BP-224(52), Notification to Visitor, for each visit. Children under 16 must come with a responsible adult. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Screening
- Visitors empty their pockets. You and your things can be searched with a walk-through or hand-held metal detector or an ion scanner. Refuse a search and you are denied entry or told to leave. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- What you can carry
- One small clear coin purse. For a baby: 8 to 10 diapers, 4 bottles of formula or liquid, a rattle or teething ring, up to two clear plastic bags about 16 by 16 inches, and a small hand-carried infant seat. Emergency medicine such as heart medicine. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Not allowed in
- Playing cards, toys, newspapers, magazines, food, matches, cell phones, laptops and other electronics (including e-cigarettes and smart watches), chewing gum, diaper bags, strollers, baby carriages, lighters, tobacco and pagers. Leave them in your locked car; lockers are for people without a car. Pets are not allowed, except a certified service dog with the Warden's approval. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Money
- You cannot leave money for their account during a visit, and they may not handle money. Money goes through the mail. Visitors may buy them vending machine food to eat during the visit. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Touching
- A brief embrace or kiss when you arrive and when you leave. Nothing more. Crossing legs together, kissing, fondling or lying on furniture ends the visit and may bring an incident report. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Leaving
- If you leave the visiting area, the visit is over. You may not come back in. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- When it gets crowded
- Staff end the visits that have gone on the longest first, and consider out-of-town and out-of-state visitors. Ordinarily no one who has visited less than 2 hours is asked to leave. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- Parking
- Park in the lot south of and next to the Visiting Center. No one may stay in a vehicle if they are not allowed in. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
How to get on the visiting list
- Your loved one asks their unit team in writing (an Inmate Request to Staff or the visitation request form) which immediate family to add. They give name, relationship, birth date, address, phone and Social Security number.
- The unit team mails you the approved list and the visiting room guidelines through your loved one. Do not drive until you are approved.
- Non-family visitors must have known your loved one before prison, unless the Warden approves. They cannot visit until the forms and an NCIC check are done.
- The list holds up to 24 visitors. A married couple counts as two. Children under 16 do not count toward the 24.
- A visitor can be on only one Duluth inmate's list unless the Warden approves. Family members who are both at Duluth can share the same family.
- Adding or removing visitors can be requested every six months. Someone removed cannot be put back for six months.
- Someone transferred from another prison must list the names of previously approved visitors again, or those visitors may be delayed or denied.
Driving directions (from the BOP)
- To the camp, 4464 Ralston Drive, Duluth, MN 55811
- The camp is north of Duluth next to the airport. From the northeast: take U.S. 61 south to I-35 south, then north on U.S. 53 past Miller Hill Mall to Stebner Road. Turn right on Stebner Road to the Visiting Center entrance road, turn left and follow the road. From Superior, Wisconsin: cross the Blatnik Bridge on U.S. 53 and stay on 53 past Miller Hill Mall to Stebner Road, turn right. From the north: take U.S. 53 south to Stebner Road and turn left. From the south: take I-35 north to U.S. 53 north, past Miller Hill Mall to Stebner Road, turn right. Local taxis can be called.
Street address for your GPS: 4464 Ralston Drive, Duluth, Mn 55811. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.
FPC Duluth
Official rules (PDF) En español (PDF)
4 years old. Ask your loved one to check the copy posted in the unit before you drive.
| Skirts and dresses | No skirts/dresses above the knee (0 inches); no miniskirts. |
|---|---|
| Shorts | No shorts. |
| Colors to avoid | Not in the written rules. |
| Leggings, spandex | No spandex. No tight-fitting or extremely loose-fitting clothing. |
| Bras and metal | Not in the written rules. Some prisons ban underwire bras anyway, and the penalty can be more than being sent home. Wear a sports bra or a bra with no wire. |
| Camouflage, military | No camouflage. |
| Shoes | No open-toe shoes. No thongs or sandals. |
| Children | Not in the written rules. |
All 18 rules, in the BOP's own words
Length and fit
- No skirts/dresses above the knee (0 inches); no miniskirts.
skirts/dresses above the knee, camouflage, shorts
- No shorts.
shorts and clothing with any inappropriate or graphic language are not authorized.
- No sleeveless attire.
Sleeveless attire is not allowed.
- No tube or strapless tops.
tube or strapless tops,
- No see-through blouses.
attire, see through blouses, bathing suits, miniskirts, tube or strapless
- No tight-fitting or extremely loose-fitting clothing.
Spandex, tight fitting, or extremely loose-fitting clothing will not be allowed.
- No spandex.
Spandex, tight fitting, or extremely loose-fitting clothing will not be allowed.
- No bathing suits.
see through blouses, bathing suits,
Colors and uniforms
- No camouflage.
camouflage, shorts and clothing with any
Bras, underwear and metal
- Proper undergarments required.
and a lack of proper under garments.
Shoes
- No open-toe shoes.
No open toe shoes, thongs or sandals will be worn.
- No thongs or sandals.
No open toe shoes, thongs or sandals will be worn.
Everything else
- No clothing with inappropriate or graphic language.
clothing with any inappropriate or graphic language are not authorized.
- No capri pants.
Capri pants or skirts/dresses above the knee,
- No slacks or jeans slit or cut to reveal buttocks.
slacks or jeans slit or cut to reveal buttocks,
- No soiled workout attire.
At no time will soiled work out attire be authorized within the visitation area.
If they say no
- Clothing not covering shoulder to upper knee means refused entry.
will result in that visitor being refused entrance into the Visiting Room.
- Visiting Center Officer determines inappropriate attire.
A determination of inappropriate attire will be made by the Visiting Center Officer.
Inmate mailing address
JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES Reg. No. 12345-678 FPC Duluth P.O. Box 1000 Duluth, Mn 55814
The 2012 handbook says mail must carry their committed name, register number, "Federal Prison Camp" in full, the P.O. Box number, city, state and zip. Ask your loved one for their dorm too. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (4464 Ralston Drive, Duluth, Mn 55811).
- Mail days
- Mail service runs Monday through Friday, not Saturday, Sunday or federal holidays. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Money, packages, gifts and pictures
- All must come through the institution mail service. They may not receive items any other way. Click here to read the source: DTH 5267.09F, Visiting Regulations (November 30, 2022) ↗
- 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: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
Books and magazines: at a minimum 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 Duluth. 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: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗ Foreign money orders and checks are held 45 days. The postal money order is also the cheapest way.
The Post Office's own steps
- Decide the amount. Up to $1,000 in one money order.
- Go to any Post Office.
- Bring cash or a debit card. The Post Office does not take credit cards for money orders.
- Fill it out at the counter with the clerk. Use the boxes below.
- Pay the amount plus the fee: $2.65 for up to $500, $3.75 for $500.01 to $1,000.
- 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 ↗
- Pay toJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONEStheir committed name, exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it
- Address (under Pay to)Federal Bureau of Prisons, P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
- FromMARIA SMITH-JONESyour name
- Address (under From)123 Main Street, Trenton, NJ 08608your address
- 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.
123 Main Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
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:
- Company NameFederal Bureau of Prisons
- City & StateWashington, DC
- Receive Code7932always the same
- Account Number of the Bill to Pay12345678SMITHJONESone letter or number per box
- Amount to Payup to $300
- 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
- Go to moneygram.com (Pay Bills) or the MoneyGram app and log in or sign up.
- Search the biller 7932 or "Federal Bureau of Prisons."
- Enter the amount (up to $300) and the account number
12345678SMITHJONES. - 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:
- Dollar Amountyour amount
- Pay toFederal Bureau of Prisons
- Code CityFBOP, DC
- AttentionJOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
- 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.
- Go to send2corrections.com or the Send2Corrections app. Log in or register.
- "Who are you sending to?" Choose the facility Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP DC).
- Receiver first name, middle name (optional), last name: exactly as the BOP has it.
- 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. - Ignore the pop-up that says "BOP number will not work." That text shows for every prison. The register number is what works.
- 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 2012 handbook gives no spending limit. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) sets $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. The handbook says they shop by dorm, rotating each quarter, and that Special Purpose Orders are limited to one a month and $300.00 a quarter. We did not copy the price list: the only list on the BOP site is an undated scan (its first-class stamp price is $0.47, so it is old). Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗
How shopping works at Duluth
- They must have their picture ID card to shop.
- Fill out the order before going. Nothing can be added once it is handed in. All sales are final. (Handbook and list.)
- Once the list is turned in, they must not leave the line. If they leave and their name is called, they lose the week. Names are called three times.
- Trading or giving commissary items to someone else is not allowed.
The price list: Duluth'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: FPC Duluth Commissary Sales List (undated) ↗
Phone calls and email
- Minutes
- 300 minutes a month, in any mix of collect or direct-dial calls. The account resets each month and unused minutes do not carry over. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Hours
- Monday to Friday: 6:00 to 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 6:00 to 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. (from the 2012 handbook). Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Paying
- They move money from their commissary account in whole dollar amounts. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
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 Duluth
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) ↗
- Dental emergencies
- Dental sick call is Monday through Friday at 7:00 a.m. for severe pain, swelling, oral infections or mouth injuries. The most severe cases are seen first. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Urgent care after sick call
- They must have their work supervisor or dorm officer call the clinic. Being in the clinic without an appointment or permission is "out of bounds." Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Medical sick call
- The 2012 handbook says sick call is run as set out in its health sections but we could not find sign-up days and times. Call the prison. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Clinic staff
- A physician, a Health Services Administrator, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, a dentist, a pharmacist, an emergency medical technician and nurses, plus outside specialists. (2012) Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
Programs
- RDAP (drug program; can mean up to a year off for those eligible)
- Duluth is not on the BOP's May 2026 RDAP list. The 2012 handbook describes RDAP here: at least 500 hours over nine to twelve months, in a dorm treatment area, for people within 36 months of release, in English only. That may no longer be true. Ask the Drug Treatment Specialist, and do not count on RDAP at Duluth until the prison confirms it. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Other drug programs
- Drug Education classes and non-residential groups, held in the mornings. People who skip required drug education are held to the lowest pay grade (about $5.25 a month in 2012). Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Education
- GED and ESL (English as a second language) graduates each get a cash award in their account ($25.00 in 2012) and a certificate. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
- Chapel
- The Chapel has a six-month spiritual growth program called Threshold. Click here to read the source: FPC Duluth Admission and Orientation Handbook (February 2012) ↗
Duluth is not named in the BOP's First Step Act program-site lists (May 2026), including the RDAP list. The only program details we have are from the 2012 handbook. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Safety record
Criminal cases at Duluth
Deaths announced by the BOP
- September 8, 2025A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive at about 8:30 a.m. Staff began life-saving efforts, and emergency medical staff pronounced the death. The FBI was notified. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Death at FPC Duluth," September 8, 2025 ↗
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 Duluth May 7 to 9, 2024. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 41 met, 0 not met (4 were not audited at the facility level). In the 12 months before the audit, Duluth recorded 3 sexual-abuse allegations (2 against staff, 1 against another inmate) and 0 sexual-harassment allegations. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Duluth (onsite May 7 to 9, 2024) ↗
An allegation is a report, not a finding. The audit counts reports made, not what investigators concluded.
News about Duluth
- FPC DuluthLegal Information Services Associates LLC · Jul 2, 2026
- Inmate death under investigation at FPC DuluthNorthern News Now · Sep 8, 2025
- Duluth prison camp to remain open, reversing earlier decision to 'deactivate' the facilityMPR News · Jul 16, 2025
- Lawmakers say that Duluth Federal Prison Camp will stay openWDIO.com · Jul 15, 2025
- Bureau of Prisons plans to ‘deactivate’ Duluth Federal Prison CampWDIO.com · Dec 5, 2024
Stories from news outlets that name FPC Duluth, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 8:49 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 Duluth yet.
Know something about Duluth that families should know? Tell Scooter. Our team checks every report before it goes up, and we never publish names.