Federal Prison Camp · Montgomery, Alabama
FPC Montgomery
- Security level
- Minimum
- Medical care level
- 2 of 4
- Mental health care level
- 2 of 4
- Population
- 840
- Phone
- 334-293-2100
Last checked: November 3, 2026 (BOP documents for this prison) Intel last checked: November 3, 2026 BOP status updated: Nov 4, 2026, 11:10 pm ET News updated: Nov 4, 2026, 10:30 am ET
Your loved one here? Look up their exact committed name
Montgomery at a glance
Montgomery is a minimum-security federal prison camp (FPC) for men, inside Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama 36112. It has no separate main prison. Visitors enter the base and ride a shuttle to the camp. The visiting rules are from 2014, so confirm everything by phone.
- How many people
- 840 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) ↗
- Built for
- 920 people Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Montgomery (onsite March 17 to 19, 2026) ↗
- Age range at the time of the audit
- 20 to 78 Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Montgomery (onsite March 17 to 19, 2026) ↗
- Average length of stay at the time of the audit
- 300.50 days Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Montgomery (onsite March 17 to 19, 2026) ↗
- Tobacco
- A tobacco-free facility. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
- Housing
- Residence units include the Birmingham Unit, which is the RDAP drug-program unit. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
How far is it from you?
Driving directions (Google Maps) → Bus or train (Google Maps) →
Plan your drive around this: No visitors are let onto the base after 2:00 p.m. The handbook says visitor in-processing at the camp stops at 2:30 p.m. Starting about 2:15 p.m. staff announce that visiting ends at 3:00 p.m. The first shuttle leaves for the camp at about 8:00 a.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 |
|---|---|---|
| FPC Montgomery | Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays | 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
No visitors are let onto the base after 2:00 p.m. The handbook says visitor in-processing at the camp stops at 2:30 p.m. Starting about 2:15 p.m. staff announce that visiting ends at 3:00 p.m. The first shuttle leaves for the camp at about 8:00 a.m.
No visiting Monday through Friday unless a federal holiday falls on one of those days. Visiting stops at the 10:00 a.m. count and resumes when it clears. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
The BOP's own papers disagree. The visiting rules (March 11, 2014) say to enter Maxwell Air Force Base by the Bell Street gate only. The handbook (revised April 2022) says the Maxwell Boulevard gate only. Go by the newer handbook, but call the prison before you drive.
The rules at the door: ID, points, what you can bring
- How many people
- Normally no more than 4 adult visitors per inmate at a time. It can be lowered when the room is crowded. The visiting room is rated for 550 people. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
- ID
- Visitors 16 and older need a valid driver's license or government or state photo ID with a picture and date of birth. Each visitor fills out the Notification to Visitor form (BP-224) before every visit. The handbook says each visitor is photographed the first time. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Getting on the base
- Everyone must be processed by Maxwell Air Force Base Security Forces at the gate. Bring a valid driver's license or other approved photo ID, valid vehicle registration and valid vehicle insurance. Security Forces decide the route and the way you travel, and they can change it without notice. Parking is on the base and visitors then ride a shuttle bus or van to the camp. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
- Screening
- Everyone can be searched, including personal items. Refusing a search ends the visit. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- What you can carry
- One small clear plastic change purse that may hold vehicle keys, feminine hygiene items and vending money. No large sums of money. For a baby: a small clear plastic diaper bag, one day's diapers, 1 change of clothes (undershirt, shirt, pants), factory-sealed milk or formula and baby food, a spoon, a bib, a washcloth or wipes, and a small baby blanket. One small umbrella-type collapsible stroller (two for twins) is allowed under the 2014 rules. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
- Not allowed in
- Cell phones, pagers and other communication devices (leave them in your car), toys, tobacco, cigarettes, lighters, matches and vapes. Medicine is generally not allowed unless the Operations Lieutenant or Institution Duty Officer approves it. No food from outside, except sealed baby food. Vending machines are provided. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- What to wear
- Footwear is required (no flip-flops or open-toe shoes). Dresses, skirts and shorts no more than 2 inches above the knee. No revealing shorts, bathing suits, see-through clothing, clothing with holes or tears, halter tops, tank tops, sleeveless apparel of any kind, or tops that show the midriff. No camouflage, green, brown or khaki that looks like inmate uniforms. No skin-tight or spandex clothing, hats, caps or scarves (religious headgear excepted). Bras and undergarments are required. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Contact
- A short embrace and kiss at the beginning and end, and holding hands. If you leave the visiting room the visit is over. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Children
- Children under 16 cannot visit unless a responsible adult on the approved list is with them. The Warden can make exceptions. There is a children's play area. Visitors must keep their children in the authorized areas. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- When it gets crowded
- Staff look at how often you visit and how far you traveled. Visits where a warning was given are ended next. Click here to read the source: MON 5267.08I, Visiting Regulations (March 11, 2014) ↗
How to get on the visiting list
- Your loved one asks their counselor for a visiting list in their first two weeks. The counselor gives them a Visitor Information Form (BP-629) and a Notice to Visitor. They mail them to you.
- You fill out the form and mail it to their counselor. The camp does not accept completed forms handed in by inmates.
- The list holds up to 25 visitors aged 16 and older. A verified member of the clergy can be added on top of the 25. They can change the list without limit.
- Immediate family is normally approved. Other relatives and friends need a background check, and must have known them before prison. A visitor with a felony conviction can only be approved by the Warden or a designee.
- The counselor tells your loved one if you are approved. It is their job to tell you. Do not drive until they do.
- Transferred from another prison? Visitors already on the list normally do not have to be approved again.
Driving directions (from the BOP)
- From I-65 North
- Take the Herron Street exit (follow the signs to Maxwell AFB) to Maxwell Boulevard, at the second traffic light. Turn left onto Maxwell Boulevard and go about 1 mile to the Maxwell Boulevard entrance.
- From I-65 South
- Take the Clay Street exit (follow the signs to Maxwell AFB). Turn left one block past the first traffic light, then left at the next light and go to Maxwell Boulevard. Turn left onto Maxwell Boulevard and go about 1 mile to the Maxwell Boulevard entrance.
- At the base
- Enter the base, park in the area for inmate visitors, then board the bus or van to the camp.
Street address for your GPS: Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL 36112. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.
FPC Montgomery
Official rules (PDF) En español (PDF)
12 years old. Ask your loved one to check the copy posted in the unit before you drive.
| Skirts and dresses | Culottes, shorts, skorts, skirts (and slits) no shorter than 2 inches above the knee. |
|---|---|
| Shorts | Shorts allowed if no shorter than 2 inches above the knee. |
| Colors to avoid | Not in the written rules. |
| Leggings, spandex | No spandex. |
| 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 | Not in the written rules. Many prisons ban both; leave them home. |
| Shoes | Not in the written rules. |
| Children | No exception: dress code applies to children too. |
All 10 rules, in the BOP's own words
Length and fit
- Culottes, shorts, skorts, skirts (and slits) no shorter than 2 inches above the knee.
Culottes, shorts, skorts, skirts or skirts with splits cannot be any shorter than two inches above the knee.
- Shorts allowed if no shorter than 2 inches above the knee.
Culottes, shorts, skorts, skirts
- No sleeveless clothing or tank tops.
Sleeveless clothing, halter tops, see-
- No halter tops or strapless dresses.
halter tops, see- through clothing, tank tops, spandex or strapless dresses,
- No see-through clothing.
see- through clothing,
- No spandex.
tank tops, spandex or strapless
Bras, underwear and metal
- Undergarments must be worn at all times.
Undergarments shall be worn at all times.
Children
- No exception: dress code applies to children too.
The dress code applies to children as well as adults.
Everything else
- No derogatory/offensive logos, profane language or offensive designs.
Clothing which displays any form of derogatory or offensive logo, any profane language,
- Visitors may not remove footwear in the Visiting Room.
Visitors are not permitted to remove their footwear while in the
Inmate mailing address
JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES Reg. No. 12345-678 FPC Montgomery Maxwell Air Force Base Montgomery, AL 36112
The handbook gives only the return-address format for outgoing mail: committed name, register number, dorm and wing, Federal Prison Camp (spelled out), Montgomery, Alabama 36112. Ask your loved one for the exact line to use when you write to them. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
Use exactly this address. Montgomery has no P.O. Box for inmate mail.
- Mail days
- The mail room works Monday through Friday. First-class mail and publications reach the dorms by 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (not holidays). Mail is not processed on weekends or holidays. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Opened and checked
- All incoming mail is opened by staff and checked for contraband. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Legal mail
- Incoming special and legal mail is opened in their presence. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Money
- Send money orders or checks to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa (Post Office Box 474701, Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001), or use Western Union Quick Collect. Money orders are recommended because other kinds can take up to 60 days to clear. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Rejected mail
- Mail can be rejected for obscene, lewd or vulgar statements, threats, contraband, signs of escape, discussion of criminal activity, or codes. They get a copy of the rejection notice. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Not allowed
- Express or overnight mail, COD, private carriers and stamp collecting are not permitted. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
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 Montgomery. 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 Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 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
- 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
Montgomery's handbook (April 2022) gives no dollar limit and says it is "subject to change." National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) is $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. Over-the-counter medicine and stamps do not count toward the limit. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗
How shopping works at Montgomery
- Express Trust Fund Sales run Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- They need their inmate account card to buy anything.
- They may buy at most 3 books of stamps at regular sales, or the same value in other stamps.
- The commissary is closed twice a year for inventory.
The price list: Montgomery'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 Montgomery Commissary List (2017) ↗
Phone calls and email
- Minutes
- 300 minutes a month in any mix of collect and direct-dial calls, with a 30-minute wait between calls. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- PIN
- Their personal identification number comes from their unit counselor. The Trust Fund office holds an open house on Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Cell phones
- An unauthorized cell phone is a Greatest Severity (Code 108) prohibited act. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 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 Montgomery
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 6:00 to 6:20 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. There is no sick call on Wednesday, weekends or federal holidays. They report to the clinic. They may get an appointment, be asked to wait, or be told to come back, depending on need. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Dental
- Dental sick call is the same days and times, 6:00 to 6:20 a.m., for things like a lost filling or an abscess. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Emergency
- If a medical or dental emergency happens during working hours, they tell their work supervisor or staff. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- New arrivals
- A dental screening is done on all new commitments within 30 days. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
Programs
- RDAP (drug program; can mean early release for those eligible)
- The Birmingham Unit is the RDAP housing unit. Only people on the RDAP wait list, in the program, or who finished it may live there. People who finished RDAP at another prison and then transfer here are routinely expected to live there too. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Other drug programs
- A Drug Abuse Education Course and a Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- UNICOR (prison factory)
- A laundry plant serving Maxwell Air Force Base. New hires start at grade V, $.23 an hour, and can reach grade I, $1.15 an hour. The shift is 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. People are hired from waiting lists. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Education
- GED and English as a Second Language classes. Anyone without a diploma or GED must take 240 hours in the literacy program. The GED is offered in English and Spanish. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
- Vocational training
- Training to earn a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). The handbook also lists apprenticeships and parenting classes. Click here to read the source: FPC Montgomery Admission and Orientation Handbook (revised April 2022) ↗
The BOP's First Step Act guide lists a Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) at FPC Montgomery (updated June 4, 2026). Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Safety record
Criminal cases at Montgomery
Deaths announced by the BOP
We found no deaths at Montgomery announced by the BOP.
We found no BOP press release announcing a death at Montgomery (checked November 3, 2026). The BOP does not publish a full count of deaths at each prison, so this does not mean no one has died there.
Sexual abuse audit (PREA)
The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Montgomery March 17 to 19, 2026. Result: 2 standards exceeded, 43 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Montgomery recorded no sexual-abuse allegations and no sexual-harassment allegations. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, FPC Montgomery (onsite March 17 to 19, 2026) ↗
An allegation is a report, not a finding. The audit counts reports made, not what investigators concluded.
News about Montgomery
No news stories found yet. We check every day. Last checked Nov 4, 2026, 10:30 am ET.
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 Montgomery yet.
Know something about Montgomery that families should know? Tell Scooter. Our team checks every report before it goes up, and we never publish names.