MDC Brooklyn Federal Prison: Visiting Hours, Address and Sending Money

Brooklyn at a glance

MDC Brooklyn is a federal detention center in Brooklyn, New York, for men and women. The BOP says its mission is the safe and secure confinement of federal detainees from the New York metropolitan area. It is a short-term facility for people before trial and not yet sentenced, though it also holds some sentenced people, including a work crew (the "cadre"). Pretrial and holdover inmates follow stricter visiting rules than the cadre.

How many people: 1,318 in the MDC (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 and women. On the first day of the 2025 audit, ages ran from 19 to 74. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, MDC Brooklyn (onsite March 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
Built for: 1,775 people. The average daily population in the 12 months before the audit was 1,346. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, MDC Brooklyn (onsite March 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
Average stay: 411 days, according to the audit. Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, MDC Brooklyn (onsite March 11 to 13, 2025) ↗
Counts: They must be standing at their bed for official counts at 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and at 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

The BOP's own page for MDC Brooklyn.

How far is it from you?

Driving directions (Google Maps) → Bus or train (Google Maps) →

Plan your drive around this: Processing starts 30 minutes before visiting hours. Visitors who arrive within one hour of the end of visiting hours are not processed. On weekdays and holidays, no one enters after 6:30 p.m. On weekends, no one enters after 2:00 p.m. Each unit visits on its own day, and the BOP's 2025 guide says the prison will not give that day and time to visitors, so your loved one must tell you.

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
Weekdays (2025 attorney guide and 2017 rules)	Each housing unit has one set day. Afternoon or evening sessions, which swap each month (see below).	12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., or 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Weekends (2017 rules only)	Some units visit on Saturday or Sunday (see "Which day" below). The 2025 guide lists only Monday to Friday.	8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Length of a visit	Pretrial and holdover inmates: one hour per visit, one hour per week. The visit starts when they reach the visiting room.	One hour

Processing starts 30 minutes before visiting hours. Visitors who arrive within one hour of the end of visiting hours are not processed. On weekdays and holidays, no one enters after 6:30 p.m. On weekends, no one enters after 2:00 p.m. Each unit visits on its own day, and the BOP's 2025 guide says the prison will not give that day and time to visitors, so your loved one must tell you.

The 2025 attorney guide lists social visiting Monday to Friday only. The 2017 visiting rules also list weekends for some units. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗

The BOP's own papers disagree. Brooklyn's visiting rules are from May 2, 2017, and the BOP's Attorney Guide is from November 2025. They disagree on two things. Weekends: the 2017 rules list weekend visiting from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for some units, but the 2025 guide lists only Monday to Friday. Common-law partners: the 2017 rules say common-law relationships are not counted as immediate family, while the 2025 guide says someone who lived with a pretrial inmate and has no legal spouse may be allowed to visit if the relationship is documented (for example a lease, children's birth certificates or a shared address on a driver's license). Call 718-840-4200 and ask your loved one before you travel.

The rules at the door: ID, points, what you can bring

How many visits: Pretrial and holdover inmates visit one hour per week at the time set for their housing unit, and only one social visit per day. The request form says they get at least four hours of visiting a month. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
How many people: No more than 4 social visitors at one time. Children 4 and under who stay on a lap the whole visit do not count. Visitors may visit only one inmate at a time unless the inmates are immediate family. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Which day: The 2017 rules list the days: East Building: female units visit on Sunday, Saturday and Wednesday afternoon; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are legal visits only. West Building: Monday, 6th floor; Tuesday, 7th floor; Wednesday, 8th floor; Thursday, 4th floor; Friday, 5th floor and male cadre (afternoon); male cadre also Saturday and Sunday. Units may have changed since 2017: ask them. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Afternoon or evening: An "odd/even" system swaps afternoon and evening each month, based on the fifth digit of their register number. In the even-numbered months (February, April, June, October, December), people with an even fifth digit visit in the afternoon and people with an odd digit in the evening. In the odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November) it is the reverse. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
ID: Anyone over 16 must prove who they are with a valid driver's license, school ID card, or state or federal picture ID. A missing expiration date does not make the ID invalid. Under 18 needs a parent or guardian's signature to be processed. Under 16 must come with a parent or guardian. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Screening: Everyone signs a Notification to Visitor form (BP-A0224) before each visit and walks through the metal detector. You may have to take off shoes, belts or glasses. A hand-held detector is used if it goes off. Staff stamp your hand. The 2025 guide also mentions an ION drug scanner and recommends medical papers for implants. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Lockers: Cell phones, pagers, newspapers, magazines, tissues, wallets, personal keys and watches are not allowed in. They go in a lobby locker before you pass the entrance. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
What you can carry: One small clear plastic container no bigger than 4 by 7 inches, up to $30 in $1 and $5 bills and coins, and for a baby: two diapers, one small receiving blanket and one bottle of formula. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Money: Visitors cannot pass money to them, and staff cannot take money for their account during a visit. Their loved one cannot use the vending machines; visitors buy from them. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
What not to wear: No coats or outerwear (overcoats, raincoats, parkas, puffy vests), though blazers, jackets and cardigans are fine. No open-toe shoes, sandals or wheeled shoes: shoes must be closed with at least a strap around the heel. No khaki, tan or beige, sweatpants, hooded shirts, swimwear, tube tops, midriff or low-cut tops, spandex, yoga pants, jeggings or see-through clothes. No hats, visors, scarves or sunglasses (religious headwear is allowed). No sleeveless tops unless covered by a sweater, cardigan or blazer with sleeves. Skirts, dresses and shorts must be no shorter than three inches above the knee. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Touching: One embrace and one brief kiss at the beginning and again at the end of a visit. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
When it gets crowded: Staff first ask for volunteers to leave. Then visitors who have been in the room longest are asked to leave. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗
Leaving the room: If a visitor leaves the visiting room, that visit is over for the day. A visitor who leaves cannot come back until the next visiting day. Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗

How to get on the visiting list

Within about five working days of arrival, they set up a visiting list with their Unit Team on the Request for Visitor Approval form. Only immediate family (mother, father, wife, husband, step-parents, brothers, sisters and children) may go on the list of a pretrial or holdover inmate. Anyone with a criminal record needs the Warden's written approval first.
If more background information is needed, the Visitor Information Form (BP-A0629) is filled out and returned to the Unit Team. Visitors also send a Release of Information form, which they mail back to the Unit Counselor. The counselor then runs an NCIC background check.
Immediate family with the same last name as them are normally added within three working days. If the last name is different, staff may ask for papers first. Pretrial and holdover inmates must show documented proof of the family relationship.
The counselor tells them who was approved. They tell you. Do not travel until you are approved.
The list holds no more than 8 visitors. After six months of clear conduct, two more can be added. It can be changed by a request to staff as often as every 90 days.
Sentenced work-crew (cadre) inmates may add up to 4 other relatives or friends after a good background check.

Fill out the visiting form for Brooklyn →

Click here to read the source: BRO-5267.09, Inmate Visiting, Institution Supplement (May 2, 2017) ↗

Driving directions (from the BOP)

Address: 80 29th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11232. Telephone 718-840-4200.
By subway: Take the "R" train to 25th Street.
By car: Take the 39th Street exit off the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) eastbound, or the 39th Street exit off the westbound BQE. The visiting rules say to use a navigation service for directions from other states.
By air: John F. Kennedy International Airport 718-244-4444; LaGuardia Airport 718-533-3400; Newark International Airport 973-533-3400 (numbers from the 2017 rules).

Street address for your GPS: 80 29th Street, Brooklyn, Ny 11232. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

The BOP beats to its own drum. The front desk has the final say. Keep a spare outfit in the car.

MDC Brooklyn

Rules dated May 2, 2017 (9 years old)

Official rules (PDF) No Spanish version posted

9 years old. Ask your loved one to check the copy posted in the unit before you drive.

Skirts and dresses	Skirts, dresses, shorts and slits no more than three inches above the knee.
Shorts	Not in the written rules.
Colors to avoid	No khaki, tan, or beige clothing.
Leggings, spandex	No lycra, spandex, yoga pants or jeggings. No tight-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 military clothing unless visitor has military identification.
Shoes	Shoes must be closed-toe with at least a heel strap; no wheeled shoes. No sandals.
Children	Not in the written rules.

All 22 rules, in the BOP's own words

Length and fit

Skirts, dresses, shorts and slits no more than three inches above the knee.Skirts or dresses or shorts must be no shorter than three inches above the knee.
No sleeveless tops/dresses unless covered by sleeved sweater or jacket all visit.No sleeveless clothing, to include tops, dresses, or blouses, unless covered by a sweater/cardigan, suit jacket or blazer,
No low-cut revealing clothing.or low cut (revealing) clothing.
No midriff-baring clothing.No swim wear, tube tops, midriffs, or low cut
No tube tops.No swim wear, tube tops, midriffs,
No see-through clothing or clothing that shows undergarments.Clothing must not be see-through or reveal any undergarments.
No tight-fitting clothing.No lycra or spandex or tight fitting clothing
No lycra, spandex, yoga pants or jeggings.No lycra or spandex or tight fitting clothing to include yoga pants and jeggings.
No shirts or pants with holes.No shirts or pants with holes.
No swimwear.No swim wear, tube tops, midriffs, or low cut (revealing) clothing.
No sweatpants.No sweatpants or hooded shirts.

Colors and uniforms

No khaki, tan, or beige clothing.No military without identification, khaki, tan, or beige clothing.
No military clothing unless visitor has military identification.No military without identification, khaki, tan, or beige clothing.

Bras, underwear and metal

All visitors must wear proper undergarments.All visitors are expected to wear proper undergarments.

Shoes

Shoes must be closed-toe with at least a heel strap; no wheeled shoes.No open toe shoes or sandals and no wheeled shoes.
No sandals.No open toe shoes or sandals

Hats, hoods and coats

No hats, visors, scarves (incl. neck/waist), sunglasses, or long hair picks.No hats, visors, scarves, sunglasses, or long hair picks.
Religious headwear (yarmulkes, turbans, kufis, shawls, wraps) allowed after screening.Headwear worn for religious purposes (yarmulkes, turbans, kufis, prayer shawls and any other religious clothing or wraps used to cover the face and/or hair) is authorized
No hooded shirts.No sweatpants or hooded shirts.
No overcoats, raincoats, parkas, winter coats or puffy vests; blazers/cardigans OK.Visitors are not permitted to wear overcoats, rain coats, parkas, winter coats, or puffy vests into the institution.

Everything else

No provocative, revealing or offensive clothing (profanity, nudity, disparaging remarks).Clothing cannot be provocative, revealing, or offensive (containing profanity, nudity, or disparaging remarks)

If they say no

Operations Lieutenant or Duty Officer decides on questionable attire.The Operations Lieutenant or Duty Officer will be contacted regarding any questionable inmate visitor attire,

Inmate mailing address

Use their committed name exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it. The name and number below are examples (JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES, 12345-678).

JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES
Reg. No. 12345-678
MDC Brooklyn
P.O. Box 329002
Brooklyn, Ny 11232

The handbook gives the mailing address as P.O. Box 329002. It also asks senders to put the housing unit on the envelope to speed up delivery. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

Use the P.O. Box only. Never mail to the street address (80 29th Street, Brooklyn, Ny 11232).

White only: Envelopes and paper must be white. Non-white envelopes or paper, glitter, stickers, lipstick, perfume, stains or oily substances are rejected. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Copies only: General mail may be photocopied, including greeting cards. They get the copy, not the original. Stamps may be removed from the envelope at any time. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Mail days: First-class mail is handed out Monday through Friday (except holidays) by the evening-watch officer in each unit. Weekend and holiday mail is usually not provided. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Packages: Every package needs approval first. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Books and magazines: Hardcover and softcover books, magazines and newspapers may come only from the publisher, a book club or a bookstore. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Their letters to you: Outgoing general mail is left unsealed in the unit mailbox, and staff may inspect and read it. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Legal mail: Opened in front of them if the sender is named and the envelope says "Special Mail - open only in the presence of the inmate." Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Money: Never put money in a letter. The handbook sends money through the BOP lockbox, Western Union or MoneyGram (see the Money tab). Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

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

Use their committed name exactly as the BOP Inmate Locator shows it. The name and number below are examples (JOHN ANTHONY SMITH-JONES, 12345-678).

Money never goes to Brooklyn. 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: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗ 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 ↗

A U.S. Postal Service money order, the red and blue design, with the 5 boxes you fill in marked and numbered — The Postal Service's own sample of the new red-and-blue money order, with our example filled in. The clerk prints the amount, date and serial number. Tap to enlarge. Click here to read the source: U.S. Postal Service, Money Orders (sample images) ↗

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

The older green U.S. Postal Service money order — The older green design is still in use until the Post Office runs out of it. The boxes are the same. Click here to read the source: U.S. Postal Service, Money Orders (sample images) ↗

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

The envelope. Nothing else inside: no letters, no photos.

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:

The MoneyGram blue ExpressPayment form, filled in by the BOP, with the 6 boxes you fill in marked 1 to 6 — The BOP's sample (2012). Fill in only the left "Pay a Bill" side. Tap to enlarge. Click here to read the source: the BOP's MoneyGram sample form ↗

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:

A Western Union Quick Collect payment form filled in for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with the 5 boxes you fill in marked 1 to 5 — A 2008 version of the form, posted by a family-help site. The form in your store may look different, but the box names are the same. Tap to enlarge.

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

Brooklyn's own papers give two different limits. The handbook (July 23, 2021) says $150.00, not counting stamps, and that the Warden can change it. The commissary list (file dated February 2021) says $160.00 per shop, with stamps, copy cards and over-the-counter medicine not counted. National BOP policy (PS 4500.13, May 7, 2026) sets $460 a month, plus $50 more in November and December. If they refuse to pay under the court-fine payment plan ("refuse" status), their limit is $25.00 a month. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗ Click here to read the source: Program Statement 4500.13, Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual (May 7, 2026) ↗

How shopping works at Brooklyn

Each housing unit shops once every two weeks. The schedule is on the TRULINCS bulletin board.
The shopping list goes in the general outgoing mailbox and is picked up by 7:00 a.m. on their shopping day. A list that misses the pick-up is not processed.
Orders are delivered on the units after lunch. They need their ID card with a clear picture to receive it, and check the order before the staff member leaves.
Sneakers can be bought once a year; sooner needs the Unit Manager's written approval.
All sales are final (from the commissary list).

The price list: Brooklyn'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: MDC Brooklyn Commissary List (file dated February 2021) ↗

Phone calls and email

Minutes: 300 minutes a month. Each call is limited to 15 minutes. The handbook says they ordinarily get 100 extra minutes in November and December. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Hours: Phones work 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. On weekdays, access is normally limited from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. until after the 4:00 p.m. count. They must not call during their work hours. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Paying: Phone credit comes out of their commissary account in whole-dollar amounts. Calls can be monitored and recorded. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

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 Brooklyn

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: They email the sick call box BRO/Inmatetosickcall for medical, or BRO/Inmatetodental for dental. Emails are triaged on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Staff screen the complaint and put an appointment on the call-out sheet. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
In segregation: People who cannot use the electronic sign-up send a written request or ask a Health Services clinician at the daily rounds. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
If they get sick suddenly: They tell their work supervisor or unit officer, who calls Health Services. Emergencies get priority. After regular hours, evening, weekend and holiday clinicians treat acute problems and run the pill lines. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
Co-pay: $2.00 for care they ask for, unless staff decide they are indigent. Someone who has not had a balance of $6.00 in their account for the past 30 days counts as indigent. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

Write a sick call request →

Programs

RDAP (drug program; can mean up to a year off for those eligible): MDC Brooklyn is not on the BOP's RDAP list. The handbook describes RDAP in general terms but does not say Brooklyn has a unit. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Education: The handbook lists English as a second language, adult continuing education, parenting and post-secondary programs, and GED classes in English or Spanish. Students who finish ESL, ACE, parenting or post-secondary programs get a certificate. GED graduates get a $25 bonus. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗
College: The First Step Act guide lists MDC Brooklyn as a site for post-secondary education, delivered by an approved college. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Mental health group: The First Step Act guide lists MDC Brooklyn as a site that may offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late-Life Depression. Click here to read the source: First Step Act Approved Programs Guide (May 2026) ↗
Law library: Law libraries are on the 3rd floor of the West Building and the 5th floor of the East Building. Legal research is on the Electronic Law Library. Discovery review computers are also available. Click here to read the source: MDC Brooklyn Admission and Orientation Handbook (updated July 23, 2021) ↗

The BOP's First Step Act guide lists MDC Brooklyn for post-secondary education and a late-life depression therapy group. Brooklyn 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 Brooklyn

October 2026A new correctional officer at MDC Brooklyn was arrested for taking bribes to smuggle contraband into the jail. (New York Daily News)
June 2026A former MDC Brooklyn guard was sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison for a car-chase shooting. (New York Daily News)
March 2026A Brooklyn MDC correctional officer was indicted for sexually abusing a detainee. (Gothamist)
January 2026A man in fake FBI gear was arrested over a plot to get an inmate released from the jail. (Cleveland.com)
December 2025A friend of a corrupt MDC Brooklyn guard was accused of collecting bribes to smuggle in marijuana and cigarettes. (New York Daily News)
September 2025An inmate had nine years added to a sentence for punching an officer and joining a gang attack at MDC Brooklyn. (Corrections1)
July 2025An MDC Brooklyn correctional officer admitted smuggling marijuana and cigarettes into the jail. (Corrections1)
March 202525 people were charged after assaults and a contraband crackdown at MDC Brooklyn. (CBS News)
November 2024The BOP and many law enforcement agencies ran a multi-agency operation at MDC Brooklyn from October 28 to November 1, 2024. They confiscated electronic devices, drugs and paraphernalia, and homemade weapons. (BOP press release)

Deaths announced by the BOP

July 21, 2026A 25-year-old man was found unresponsive at about 1:57 p.m. and pronounced dead at a hospital. The FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service were notified. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Death at MDC Brooklyn," July 22, 2026 ↗
February 5, 2021A 46-year-old man who was being held before trial died after testing positive for COVID-19 on January 25, 2021. The BOP said the man had long-term medical conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19. Click here to read the source: BOP press release, "Inmate Death at MDC Brooklyn," February 8, 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. News reports in 2025 and 2026 described other deaths at MDC Brooklyn that we did not find in a BOP press release.

Sexual abuse audit (PREA)

The last federal sexual-abuse (PREA) audit visited Brooklyn March 11 to 13, 2025. Result: 0 standards exceeded, 45 met, 0 not met. In the 12 months before the audit, Brooklyn recorded 28 sexual-abuse allegations (14 against staff, 14 against other inmates) and 14 sexual-harassment allegations (13 against staff, 1 against another inmate). Click here to read the source: PREA audit report, MDC Brooklyn (onsite March 11 to 13, 2025) ↗

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

News about Brooklyn

Rookie MDC Brooklyn guard arrested for taking bribes to smuggle contraband into jailNew York Daily News · Oct 15, 2026
MDC Brooklyn Smoke Incident: Emergency Buttons Failed, Inmates SayHoodline · Sep 28, 2026
Inmates stabbed, slashed during massive brawl at troubled MDC Brooklyn federal jailNew York Daily News · Sep 15, 2026
Nicolas Maduro shares first photos from Brooklyn prison since capture by USDenver Gazette · Aug 31, 2026
Feds open criminal probe after MDC Brooklyn inmate dies in solitary confinementNew York Daily News · Aug 6, 2026
Family demands answers after 25-year-old man dies in solitary confinement at MDC BrooklynNews12 | Brooklyn · Jul 27, 2026
Fraudster shared cell phone in MDC Brooklyn, posed in selfie with sex trafficker Oren Alexander: fedsNew York Daily News · Jul 1, 2026
‘Vigilante’ MDC Brooklyn guard gets nearly 17 years for wild car-chase shootingNew York Daily News · Jun 30, 2026
Lawsuit chronicles MDC Brooklyn prisoner's desperate pleas for care as cancer ravaged his bodyNew York Daily News · Jun 27, 2026
Over half of ICE detainees at Brooklyn federal prison have no criminal record, documents showBrooklyn Eagle · Apr 10, 2026
Video shows MDC Brooklyn inmates ‘fishing’ for contraband through windowNew York Daily News · Mar 29, 2026
Venezuela’s Maduro Breaks Silence From Brooklyn Prison After US ArrestThe Tico Times · Mar 29, 2026
New Yorkers speak out against federal prison in BrooklynFight Back! News · Mar 17, 2026
Luigi Mangione’s Cousin Peter Mangione Signs With Pro Soccer Team Near His Brooklyn PrisonUs Weekly · Jan 15, 2026
Was Al Sharpton arrested? Maduro at MDC Brooklyn; see inmates at MDCYahoo · Jan 12, 2026
MDC Brooklyn, the notorious prison housing Maduro and his wifeThe Straits Times · Jan 6, 2026
Maduro held at MDC Brooklyn, but is Al Sharpton in jail too?Bergen Record · Jan 6, 2026
Arkham Asylum: From Maduro to Diddy - Why MDC Brooklyn's inmate roster reads like a Batman galleryThe Times of India · Jan 6, 2026
Maduro housed in troubled Brooklyn prison, where Puff Diddy and Ghislaine Maxwell were also heldvijesti.me · Jan 5, 2026
Maduro having fingerprints and mugshot taken ahead of arrival to Brooklyn prisonNBC News · Jan 3, 2026
Federal inmate dies in custody after MDC Brooklyn accused of botching cancer diagnosisNew York Daily News · Dec 15, 2025
Corrupt MDC Brooklyn guard’s friend collected bribes to smuggle pot and cigs: fedsNew York Daily News · Dec 11, 2025
Ex-MDC Brooklyn jail guard guilty in wild car-chase shooting, faces 10 years minimumNew York Daily News · Oct 28, 2025
Ex-MDC Brooklyn CO who pursued, shot at car takes stand in own defenseCorrections1 · Oct 28, 2025
Diddy's Future Prison Won't Be as Bad as MDC Brooklyn, Consultant ClaimsTMZ · Oct 2, 2025
Inmate adds 9 years to sentence for punching CO, joining gang attack at MDC BrooklynCorrections1 · Sep 28, 2025
Howard Rubin, charged in 'sex dungeon' torture scheme, held at MDC Brooklyn with 'Diddy,’ Luigi MangioneNew York Daily News · Sep 27, 2025
Congress members trying to see ICE detainees at MDC Brooklyn jail barred from entryNew York Daily News · Aug 6, 2025
MDC Brooklyn corrections officer admits smuggling pot, cigarettes into jailCorrections1 · Jul 16, 2025
Inmate defends shank as self-defense, cites violence at MDC BrooklynCorrections1 · Jun 24, 2025

Stories from news outlets that name MDC Brooklyn, checked every day. Last updated Nov 3, 2026, 7:50 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 Brooklyn yet.

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