Four federal prisons operate in New York under the Federal Bureau of Prisons: MDC Brooklyn, MCC New York, FCI Otisville, and FCI Ray Brook. They are separate from New York’s state prison system and hold people charged with or convicted of federal offenses. Each handles a different piece of the federal population, and the practical questions families ask — where someone is, how to visit, how to send money, how to call — have the same answers across all four, with facility-specific wrinkles.
The Four Federal Facilities
MDC Brooklyn
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn is the primary federal detention facility in New York City. It is an administrative-security institution that holds male and female inmates of all security levels.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. MDC Brooklyn Most people held there are pretrial detainees with cases in the Eastern or Southern District of New York, along with sentenced inmates waiting to be transferred to a designated facility. With MCC Manhattan effectively shuttered, Brooklyn carries the bulk of federal detention in the city.
MCC New York
The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan is classified as an administrative-security detention center, but the facility is effectively closed. Its reported population is zero and visitation is suspended indefinitely, though it has not been formally decommissioned.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. MCC New York Anyone expecting to be held there should confirm status through counsel or the BOP.
FCI Otisville
FCI Otisville sits about 75 miles northwest of New York City. It is a medium-security institution for male inmates, with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp that uses dormitory-style housing and typically holds people serving shorter sentences or nearing release.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Otisville Otisville regularly appears in coverage of high-profile white-collar designations.
FCI Ray Brook
FCI Ray Brook is a medium-security facility for male inmates in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid, with an attached detention center.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Ray Brook The remote location means long travel for visitors coming from the city, which is worth weighing if a designation request is in play.
Security Levels and Why There’s No USP in New York
The BOP sorts facilities by physical design, staffing, and movement controls. New York’s four fall into three tiers.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities Administrative facilities (MDC Brooklyn, MCC New York) handle special missions like pretrial detention and hold inmates of all security levels under one roof. Medium-security institutions (Otisville, Ray Brook) use strengthened perimeters, cell-based housing, and more rigid daily schedules. The minimum-security camp attached to Otisville uses dormitory housing with limited or no perimeter fencing and focuses on work and reentry preparation.
No high-security United States Penitentiary exists in New York. USPs have walls or reinforced fences, the highest staffing ratios, and the tightest movement controls in the federal system. A New York defendant classified at high security will be designated to a USP in another state.
Locating a Federal Inmate
The BOP’s online inmate locator covers anyone held in federal custody from 1982 to the present.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. About the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator The quickest search uses an identification number: the BOP Register Number (formatted #####-###), FBI Number, DCDC Number, or INS Number. Any of these pulls an exact match.
Without a number, search by first and last name (both required), and optionally narrow by race, age, or sex. The name search needs exact spelling, so “Jon” won’t surface “John.”7Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Federal Inmate Records Results show the current facility and projected release date and update when custody status changes.
Getting Approved to Visit
Federal regulations encourage visits from family, friends, and community groups, with each warden setting the specific procedures within BOP rules.8eCFR. 28 CFR 540.51 – Procedures During intake, the inmate submits a list of people they want approved. For visitors who are not immediate family, the BOP may run a background check first. In that case, the inmate mails a release authorization to the proposed visitor, who signs and returns it to the facility. Staff may then send a questionnaire and the signed authorization to law enforcement agencies for review.
The facility notifies the inmate of each approval or denial, and the inmate passes the news along to the visitor with a copy of the visiting guidelines and directions. No separate letter goes to the visitor. Information flows through the inmate.
Visiting Day
Every visitor needs government-issued photo identification — a driver’s license, passport, or similar — to be admitted. You’ll sign a log and pass through screening that includes a metal detector. Cell phones and other personal items go into a locker before you enter the visiting room.
Dress codes are facility-specific and strict. Common prohibitions include sleeveless tops, transparent clothing, and anything resembling an inmate uniform. Check the specific facility’s visiting page on bop.gov before you travel. Being turned away for a clothing violation is more common than people expect.
Most facilities permit a handshake, hug, or brief kiss at the start and end of a visit, and staff can limit physical contact for security reasons.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate Conjugal visits are not allowed at any federal facility. Staff monitor the visiting room throughout, and the visit ends at the scheduled time or when an officer calls it.
Phones, Messaging, and Money
Phone Calls
Federal inmates pay $0.06 per minute for audio calls, a rate that took effect in January 2025 under FCC rules aimed at lowering communication costs in custody.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. FBOP Updates to Phone Call Policies and Time Credit System Video calls run $0.16 per minute. Facilities may impose their own conditions or limits for institutional security.
Electronic Messaging
The BOP uses TRULINCS for electronic messaging between inmates and approved outside contacts. The inmate pays for usage time from their commissary account. Outside contacts aren’t charged to send or receive messages, though optional premium features are available for a fee. Both the inmate and the outside contact have to register on the system.
Depositing Funds
Families send money to an inmate’s trust fund account through MoneyGram ExpressPayment. Transactions process seven days a week, including holidays, and funds sent between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern typically post in two to four hours.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using MoneyGram You can send cash in person at a MoneyGram location or pay with a credit card online, where transfers are capped at $300 per transaction. You’ll need the inmate’s eight-digit register number and committed name.
Earning Time Off a Federal Sentence
Good Conduct Time
An inmate serving more than a year can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit per year of the imposed sentence for exemplary compliance with institutional rules.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3624 – Release of a Prisoner The BOP also looks at progress toward a GED or high school diploma. The credit isn’t automatic, and the BOP can withhold some or all of it for disciplinary violations.
First Step Act Earned Time Credits
Under the First Step Act of 2018, inmates earn 10 days of credit for every 30 days of successful participation in approved recidivism-reduction programs or productive activities. Those classified as minimum or low risk who hold that classification over two consecutive assessments earn an additional 5 days per 30-day period, for a total of 15.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3632 – Development of Risk and Needs Assessment System Credits can be applied toward early transfer to home confinement, a residential reentry center, or supervised release.
Not everyone can apply the credits. Inmates subject to a final order of deportation are excluded, and those assessed at higher PATTERN risk levels may need warden approval to use theirs.14United States Sentencing Commission. First Step Act Earned Time Credits First Step Act credits are calculated separately from, and in addition to, good conduct time.
Residential Drug Abuse Program
RDAP is a nine-month intensive treatment program for inmates with a documented substance use disorder. Graduates convicted of nonviolent offenses may receive a sentence reduction of up to one year. Eligibility requires a verifiable substance use disorder (usually documented in the presentence report), at least 24 months remaining on the sentence, the ability to participate in English, and willingness to complete all three program phases, including a community-based component at a halfway house. FCI Otisville and FCI Ray Brook are among the facilities where RDAP may be available, but slots are limited and waitlists are common.
Filing a Grievance
Complaints about conditions or treatment go through the BOP’s administrative remedy process, which must be exhausted before an inmate can file in federal court. The sequence starts with an informal attempt to resolve the issue with staff. If that fails, the inmate files a BP-9 with the warden.15Federal Bureau of Prisons. Administrative Remedy Program A BP-10 appeal to the Regional Director is due within 20 calendar days of the warden’s response, and a final BP-11 to the General Counsel at Central Office is due within 30 calendar days of the Regional Director’s response.16eCFR. 28 CFR 542.15 – Appeals Extensions exist for valid reasons, but they aren’t something to count on. Mark each deadline the moment the prior response arrives.