FCI Manchester, KY Inmate Roster

FCI Manchester is an all-male medium-security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. It’s located in Manchester, Kentucky.

The prison is located approximately 75 miles south of Lexington in Clay County, off Fox Hollow Road.

Currently, the prison houses 988 inmates, all-male, with 70 in the adjacent minimum-security camp. It is part of the Mid-Atlantic BOP region, which reaches from the coast of Virginia to Tennessee.

The prison briefly had its time in the spotlight when an inmate had an article published in the business magazine Inc. Jeff Smith, an inmate at the time of the article’s writing, wrote extensively about his experiences at the prison.

Smith said the prison was much more nuanced and complex than the hotbed of violence and drugs depicted in TV prisons. He claimed that the men interned there were street-smart, ambitious people- some of them witty as the CEOs he had dined with prior to his conviction. The article attracted some attention to the prison.

Its most notable inmate was rapper BG Cash Money, whose albums on Spotify currently attract millions of listeners.

The prison is owned and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

Visitation Rules

Inmates at FCI Manchester can receive visitors. All visitors must be approved before visitation and all visitations must be approved. The approval process begins when the inmate is processed at the facility. The inmate has to fill out a form and copies of that form are mailed to the potential visitors. Once they’re filled out and mailed back the background check can be completed.

Approved visitors include immediate and extended family members and up to ten friends and associates. Attorneys also must be placed on the approved visitor list. If an inmate is new to the Manchester, KY federal prison, family members verified in the Pre-Sentencing report can be allowed to visit.

When a visitor is coming in for a visit they must be ready to be searched and not bring in any personal belongings. Any visitors must also be dressed and behave appropriately, this includes limiting physical contact to the beginning and the end of the visitation. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult and cannot be left alone for any reason.

FCI Manchester is open for visitors on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all Federal Holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visitors and inmates are in charge of scheduling visits and getting them approved. Visitors are also responsible for finding and paying for transportation to and from the facility.

Visitation Under COVID

Starting on October 10, 2020, special visitation restrictions for COVID started. As of now, all visitation at Manchester, KY Federal Prison has been suspended until further notice.

Inmate Roster

Anyone can look up an inmate that has been in federal custody from 1982 to the present day, including FCI Manchester. You can look up an inmate by a registration number or their name. Searches can become more specific with other search options, such as age, sex, and race.

Before visiting an inmate, it’s advised that you look up an inmate. Inmates can be transferred to a new facility for several reasons. These moves can happen with little to no notice in some cases.

Prison Camp

FCI Manchester has an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. This camp holds nonviolent inmates. Inmates need to have less than ten years left on their release date to be eligible and many inmates are placed in a prison camp close to their release date. Inmates must also have no major discipline violations to be placed there.

The camp attached to the Manchester, KY Federal Prison has many similarities, but the inmates in the camp have more freedom than inmates in the prison. Inmates at the camp can purchase more items at the commissary and they have more freedom of movement.

Inmates placed in the camp work to support FCI Manchester and off-site work programs. They can fit the labor needs of different worksites and provide support in many ways.

Correspondence Methods

Inmates are encouraged to communicate with friends and family outside of prison. Through this FCI Manchester hopes that inmates can keep their community ties strong and leave the facility ready to engage with the community.

Mail Correspondence

To send a letter to an inmate at FCI Manchester, use the following form

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 4000
MANCHESTER, KY 40962

General correspondence sent to the Manchester, KY Federal Prison is opened and inspected before going to the inmate. The staff looks for contraband and other items that can compromise the security of the facility. Special correspondence can only be opened in front of the inmate but is still inspected before the inmate can receive it.

To mail a letter to a staff member at FCI Manchester, use the following form

STAFF NAME
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 3000
MANCHESTER, KY 40962

When shipping freight and non-USPS parcels, use the following form

STAFF NAME
FCI MANCHESTER
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
ATTN: WAREHOUSE
805 FOX HOLLOW ROAD
MANCHESTER, KY 40962

Packages

At the Manchester, KY Federal Prison, inmates cannot receive packages without approval. This approval comes from the inmate’s unit team or another authorized staff member. When an inmate is approved to receive a package they can only receive clothes for release and medical items. Inmates can order magazines and books directly from a publisher.

TRULINCS and Email Correspondence

Email has been a way to communicate for a long time. FCI Manchester gives inmates an option for inmates to use the TRULINCS email system to send messages to friends and family. This system is a closed system and inmates cannot access other parts of the internet.

To use the TRULINCS email system both the inmate and their contacts have to be approved. Upon their approval, they agree that their messages will be monitored and screened for safety. Messages exchanged can only be text of up to 13,000 words or roughly two pages. No pictures can be shared on TRULINCS.

Inmates can be restricted from sending emails due to behavior or not committing to their responsibilities. TRULINCS is paid for by commissary purchases made by the inmates.

Phone Correspondence

Inmates are free to make monitored phone calls with their friends and family. Unmonitored phone calls with attorneys can be approved in some cases. Phone calls cannot be made on a third-party system to ensure that calls can be appropriately monitored.

Phone calls are typically paid for by the inmate, though at times the person receiving the call may also pay. Phone calls may be restricted in other ways to ensure that inmates follow the rules in place at FCI Manchester.

Commissary Purchases

The commissary is a store where inmates can purchase items for their personal use. Inmates can buy food, hygiene, and basic medical items. Money for commissary purchases can be obtained through money deposits from family and friends or by a paid job assignment.

The current monthly spending limit at FCI Manchester is $360.

Sending Money

Money cannot be mailed to an inmate in the Manchester, KY Federal Prison. Inmates are not allowed to have any cash on them at any time while incarcerated. Money can be sent to an inmate’s account through a money order or deposit through MoneyGram or Western Union.

To send a money order to an inmate’s account you have to send it to the central processing location in Iowa through USPS. Processing times depend on how long the mail takes to travel. When sending the money order, make sure that you have the inmate’s name and number correct and you have the right amount of postage.

To deposit money through MoneyGram or Western Union you will need the inmate’s name and registration number. If the deposit is sent before 9:00 p.m. it will typically be deposited to the inmate’s account within two to four hours. Deposits are processed every day.

Job Assignments

All inmates at FCI Manchester will receive a job assignment unless they cannot work for medical reasons. Many job assignments have payment through an Inmate Performance Pay system. Unit staff approves of all jobs and job changes and posts changes on the Daily Change Sheet when necessary.

Some inmates are eligible for apprenticeship programs in plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. Inmates who qualify spend half of their day on the job and the other half in training. The training and vocational department can help those interested in participating.

Inmate Financial Responsibility Program

Inmates are responsible for managing and paying fees that they may incur while at FCI Manchester. These fines may be court-ordered fees or restitution payments. Staff may assist inmates in developing a plan to make these payments but they cannot pay the fines.

If an inmate fails to meet the financial obligation they cannot work for the UNICOR program and their spending limits at the commissary are reduced to $25 a month. They will also not receive payment above the maintenance pay level. Any special requests they may have will also be denied.

Education Services

Inmates can take advantage of all of the education services offered at the Manchester, KY Federal Prison. Inmates who do not have a high school diploma or GED are required to take prep classes to obtain a GED. Inmates who speak English as a second language are required to take a placement test and classes to achieve fluency.

Once inmates have completed these programs or if they already had a high school diploma, they can take several classes to build their education. Inmates can earn an Associate’s Degree, in either science or Art or an industry certificate.

Inmates may also choose to take vocational studies or apprenticeships. Besides learning new skills, these inmates will get hands-on experience that will help them on their potential new career path. These programs are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. To participate in these programs an inmate must have a GED or high school diploma.

Inmates can also continue their studies through inmate correspondence courses. These courses are paper and pencil only and supplies must be paid for by the inmate, though inmates can fill out a form if they lack funds to cover payments.

For inmates who are not interested in formal learning, they can still take advantage of the library services at the Manchester, KY Federal Prison. Inmates can read fiction or nonfiction across several subjects and genres. The legal library also has resources for inmates seeking legal documents.

Parenting classes are also offered to inmates who want to build a stronger relationship with their children, even while at FCI Manchester. This program is designed to help parents build relationships with their children that will last when the parent is out of prison. This program has a visitation component.

Leisure and Recreation Services

FCI Manchester has many programs designed to help inmates pass the time at the institution and learn new skills. These skills can be used to develop career skills or for recreational purposes only.

Craft Programs

Inmates can develop art skills through painting and sketching. They can also work in leatherwork or woodworking. When learning these skills, inmates are not expected to use them to supplement an income. Engaging in these programs is a privilege that can be taken away.

Leisure Games

Inmates can play recreational games that can encourage cooperation and healthy competition. Inmates can play sports or tabletop games with other inmates. FCI Manchester offers intramural sports for inmates to compete in. They can also play music or watch movies if inmates are not interested in athletics.

Psychological Services

All inmates when they enter FCI Manchester must undergo psychological screening and testing. This screening helps the facility determine the best course of action for the inmate and what services they should be using.

Inmates can also request access to services as they need to. They can request a visit by filling out a form or by visiting the department during their operational hours. Psychology services staff members also make rounds during the day and inmates can speak to them during this time as well.

Drug Abuse Treatment

FCI Manchester has several services designed to help inmates who are struggling with drugs and realize the consequences of their choices. Many inmates may struggle with addiction and these programs vary in their offerings to provide help to all inmates, no matter what their needs are.

The Drug Abuse Education Course helps inmates review the consequences of their choice to have drugs in their life. It’s not a treatment course, though the goal is to have inmates realize how eliminating drugs can help them. Inmates can take this course and realize that they need further assistance from a treatment program and request that help.

The Manchester, KY Federal Prison also has residential and non-residential drug treatment programs. These programs help inmates with a diagnosed drug addiction problem and provide solutions to overcome it. Inmates going through this program may have individual or group sessions to find the tools best suited for them. The tools they learn here will also help them after they’re released from the facility.

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