FCI Bastrop (minimum-security camp)

MALE

Gender

MINIMUM

Security Level

~175

Population (Nov. 2025)

RDAP

FCI Bastrop Camp is a minimum-security federal satellite prison camp for male offenders. You'll find it in Camp Swift, Bastrop County, Texas, roughly 30 miles southeast of Austin and 8 miles north of Bastrop itself. The Federal Bureau of Prisons runs it as part of the South Central Region, and it sits right next to the low-security Federal Correctional Institution Bastrop, which opened in 1979. The land itself has history. Back in World War II, Camp Swift operated here as an Army training base. At its peak, it held up to 90,000 troops and roughly 10,000 German prisoners of war.

Notes from Alumni

Charles Jones did a 72-month stretch for wire fraud. In August 2015, he documented his first day at the camp: "I was then sent to 'The Fish Bowl' which is a small room with four bunk beds where the newbies go until receiving a bunk assignment... There are two wings in the camp, each designed to house about 48 inmates, for a total of 96. Current population is about 175 and has been over 200 in recent months. Overcrowding has been typical for most camps." What struck him most was how welcoming everyone was. "Obviously the new guy because of my temporary attire, inmates on this first night went out of their way to be welcoming. Someone loaned me a radio so I could listen to the TVs which are otherwise mute." Etika LLC

Jones also reflected on the monotony. "In many respects the environment here resembles the movie 'Groundhog Day' where the character played by Bill Murray relives the same day over and over and over again... My prison job is in the Maintenance area that's responsible for landscaping. Some consider this merely lawn mowing, tree trimming and weed whacking, but we refer to it as campus beautification. On a good month, I'll make $19." He was candid about limitations: "We don't have weights at this camp." White Collar Advice

Education here was a mixed bag, in his view. "I've signed up for a few education classes while here, but they were all 'Ghost Classes'. Those are classes that are scheduled by the corrections officer in charge of education knowing that they will never meet." But he found spiritual life there. "On Thursdays at noon, I typically attend a meditation service lead by a Buddhist volunteer from Austin... While I'm a Christian, I've found these Buddhist services to be the most Christian worship experiences at the camp." White Collar Advice

A different perspective came from an author who organized running races at FCI Bastrop in the late 1980s. "FCI Bastrop is not your Sing-Sing and your Attica in New York, your Alcatraz, your San Quentin and your Folsom in California... FCI Bastrop, which opened in 1979, is by contrast a country club. A man can serve his sentence there in some degree of civilization. The fact remains, however, it is a prison. If you run, they bring out the dogs and rifles."

Keep in mind that these stories are personal. Your experience could be completely different.

Notable Alumni

Name	Sentence	Offense	Dates
Notable Alumni needed

History

FCI Bastrop opened in 1979 on what used to be part of Camp Swift. That military base was constructed in 1942 and covered 56,000 acres. During the war, it served as a massive training center, housing 90,000 troops and about 10,000 German prisoners of war at its peak. Once the war ended, the federal government returned most of the land to its previous owners. Still, they kept roughly 11,500 acres for the military reservation and a smaller plot for the prison.

The prison was built as the Bureau of Prisons expanded in the 1970s. The federal inmate population was exploding, jumping from approximately 24,000 in 1970 to over 50,000 by the end of the decade. Drug control laws and increased prosecutions drove much of this growth.

The satellite camp houses lower-risk inmates nearing release or serving shorter sentences. Here's what makes it different from the main FCI: there's no perimeter fence. Instead, the system relies on inmate honesty and accountability measures.

In September 2011, disaster nearly struck. The Bastrop County Complex Fire hit, becoming the most destructive wildfire in Texas history. It burned 32,000 acres across the region, destroyed over 1,600 homes, and killed two people. The flames came within miles of the prison facility.

Housing & Facilities

The camp uses dormitory-style housing. According to resident accounts, it breaks down this way: two wings, each designed to house approximately 48 people, totaling 96 beds. Reality doesn't always match design capacity. The camp typically houses 175 to 200 residents, which means overcrowding is standard.

New arrivals spend time in "The Fish Bowl." It's a small room with four bunk beds where you wait for a permanent bunk.

What's available here:

• Television rooms (TVs are muted, but you can use a personal radio to listen)
• Ice machine and filtered water faucets
• Recreation yard
• Gym and hobby craft shop
• No weight pile (the main FCI has one, but not the camp)

Daily Life

Schedule & Counts

Every day follows the same rhythm:

• 6:00 AM - Morning wake-up
• 6:30 AM - Sick call and medical appointments
• 11:00 AM - Lunch (the main meal)
• 4:00 PM - Afternoon count and dinner
• 8:30 PM - Education Building closes
• 10:00 PM - Evening count and lights out

Staff count residents multiple times throughout the day to make sure everyone's there.

Work Assignments

If you're healthy enough, you've got to work or take classes.

Options for work include:

• Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance - What the camp calls "campus beautification": lawn mowing, tree trimming, weed removal. Pay runs about $19 a month if it's a good month, though you don't get paid on days when weather stops outdoor work.
• Kitchen and food service
• Facility maintenance
• Law library clerk - You help other residents with legal research

There's a UNICOR factory right next door at the main FCI that retrofits vehicles for government agencies, but camp residents don't typically work there.

Programs & Education

Educational Programs

• General Education Diploma (GED)
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Adult Continuing Education (ACE) classes
• Parenting programs
• Special learning needs courses

Problem is, some scheduled classes are "Ghost Classes." They're on the schedule but never actually happen. If you're motivated, you can do self-study through the Education Building.

Vocational Training

You can earn certifications through apprenticeship programs:

• Heating and A/C Installer Servicer
• Stationary Engineer
• Welding

The main FCI offers more advanced options like Building Trades, Culinary Arts, Horticulture, and Oil and Gas Field Technicians, but camp residents can't access those.

Substance Abuse Programs

The Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) runs at both facilities. This 500-hour program houses 96 participants separately from the general population.

You've also got:

• Drug Abuse Education Course
• Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

Religious & Wellness Programs

Different faith traditions have services available. Buddhist meditation happens on Thursdays, led by a volunteer from Austin. Being close to Austin means you get more community religious volunteers.

Psychology Services

Psychologists are on staff and provide counseling and mental health services. They've got offices both in the main institution and at the camp. Services include:

• Individual and group therapy
• Substance abuse counseling
• Criminal thinking intervention
• Cognitive skills groups
• Anger management
• Psychiatric services (if referred)

Medical Care

FCI Bastrop Camp is classified as Medical Care Level 2, which means it's for folks who are generally healthy but might have stable chronic conditions that need regular monitoring.

Medical services available:

• Sick call (Monday through Friday at 6:30 AM)
• Dental sick call
• Physical examinations
• Emergency medical and dental care (24 hours, no charge)
• Diagnosis and treatment of chronic infectious diseases
• Prescription medications (insulin and pill lines during meals)
• Over-the-counter medications (you can buy these at commissary)

Each non-emergency health care visit costs $2.00, charged to your commissary account.

One resident was blunt: "The medical department here is dangerously understaffed. Don't get sick here."

Communication

Telephone

You can make phone calls, but only outgoing calls are allowed to approved people. All calls get monitored and recorded. Attorney calls are an exception. Global Tel Link (GTL) ConnectNetwork is the phone carrier.

Email

You can send and receive email through TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System) terminals in the Education Department. It costs per minute.

Video Visits

Video visitation is available. Families need to schedule in advance through the BOP's vendor.

Mail

You can write to family, friends, and approved contacts. All mail gets inspected coming and going. Legal mail is different: staff only open it in front of you.

Where to send mail (Camp):

Resident Name, Register Number

FCI Bastrop

Federal Correctional Institution

Satellite Camp

P.O. Box 629

Bastrop, TX 78602

Critical: Don't send money to this address. All funds go through the Federal Bureau of Prisons processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Commissary

You can buy items at commissary using your account balance. Family can send money through Western Union, MoneyGram, or the National Lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa.

Available items include food, beverages, clothing, hygiene products, over-the-counter medications, and electronics.

Escapes & Security Incidents

No fence means security incidents happen. Here's what went down:

November 20, 2009 - Leandro Luna (52) and Adan Chavez (53) walked out during the evening. They stole a Bureau of Prisons vehicle and headed toward Mexico. Authorities waited two days before telling the public. Six days later, Mexican authorities caught both men in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, across from Del Rio, Texas. The stolen vehicle turned up in an East Austin parking lot. Both received additional two-year sentences for the escape.

December 14, 2014 - Jimmy Morrisett (55) was a former oil company CEO serving nine years for running a $7 million Ponzi scheme that hit over 200 investors. He walked away around 10:15 PM. Authorities tracked him to a vacant home in Burnet, Texas, where he'd lived before prison. He claimed to have a weapon and refused to come out. After a four-hour standoff, authorities pumped gas into the attic where he was hiding. He surrendered. No weapon was ever found.

Staff Misconduct

2015 - Eric Renaldo Telles worked as a pharmacy technician at FCI Bastrop. He pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme involving two residents: Shanon E. Frank (27) and Mattheu Ellis Jones (25). Frank and Jones bribed Telles to sneak contraband in between June 2014 and February 2015. The stuff included Casio G-Shock watches, creatine, nutritional supplements, and muscle shirts. Telles raked in approximately $2,000 in bribes. He got 12 months and one day in federal prison. Frank and Jones each got 18 months.

Location & Visitation

Location

The camp sits adjacent to the low-security FCI Bastrop in Camp Swift, a census-designated place in Bastrop County, Texas. It's on land that used to be part of the World War II Army training base.

Address:

FCI Bastrop Satellite Camp

1341 Highway 95 North

Bastrop, TX 78602

Phone: 512-321-3903
Email: BAS/[email protected]

Visitation

Visiting hours at the camp are tighter than at the main FCI. If you're approved, you can visit:

• Saturdays: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Sundays: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Federal Holidays: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

(The main FCI allows Friday visits. The camp doesn't.)

How the point system works:

You get points at the start of each month:

• Residents at the Federal Prison Camp receive 9 points monthly
• Each visit costs 1 point
• Once you've used your points, visiting stops until the first day of the next month
• Points don't roll over to the next month

What you need to know:

• Visitors must be on the approved list
• Submit a visitation form (available on the BOP website) to the resident's counselor for approval
• Bring valid government-issued photo ID
• You can bring: a valid ID, a small clear plastic bag, and up to $20 in quarters for vending
• Cell phones and personal items are prohibited
• Get there by 2:15 PM for processing
• Keep clothing appropriate; nothing provocative or revealing

For the full rules, check the official BOP page for FCI Bastrop.

See Also

• FCI Bastrop - The low-security federal correctional institution right next door
• Federal Prison Camps - Overview of minimum-security facilities
• BOP South Central Region
• Camp Swift - The WWII military base the prison sits on
• FCI Fort Worth - Another Texas federal prison
• FCI Three Rivers - Federal prison in south Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does FCI Bastrop allow conjugal visits?

No. The Federal Bureau of Prisons doesn't permit conjugal visits at any facility, regardless of security level. That applies to minimum-security camps, low-security FCIs, medium-security facilities, and high-security USPs. Only four state prison systems (California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington) allow conjugal visits for their prisoners. Federal inmates don't get access to conjugal or extended family visits anywhere in the BOP system.

Q: What types of visitation are allowed at FCI Bastrop?

FCI Bastrop allows contact visits during designated hours, typically on weekends and holidays. You get brief embraces at the start and end of visits, but prolonged physical contact isn't allowed. All visits happen in supervised rooms. Visitors must be pre-approved through a background check and must follow dress code. For complete details, check the Visiting Policies and Procedures page.