FCI Aliceville (minimum-security camp)

FEMALE

Gender

MINIMUM

Security Level

145

Population (Nov. 2025)

No RDAP

The FCI Aliceville Camp is a minimum-security federal satellite prison camp for women, adjacent to the low-security Federal Correctional Institution, Aliceville in Pickens County, Alabama. Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), it houses approximately 145-250 incarcerated women depending on current population levels. The camp opened in 2013 alongside the main low-security facility and was the first federal women's prison established in Alabama.

The facility is classified as Medical Care Level 2, meaning it can accommodate those with stable chronic conditions requiring periodic clinical evaluation. The camp does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), though non-residential drug education classes are available.

Notes from Alumni

• An incarcerated woman at FCI Aliceville published "Lockdowns Occur Far Too Often in This Federal Prison" via the Prison Journalism Project in October 2025, describing daily life: "At Aliceville, if the people in the commissary lobby are not quiet enough, everyone is sent back to their unit. If the doors of the rooms in the units are not kept open, the entire unit is locked down."
• Alice Marie Johnson, who served five years at FCI Aliceville before her 2018 clemency, returned to speak at the facility in October 2023: "Of all the places that I've been, I've never been to a place like Aliceville, Alabama... It's a community of love."
• A former resident interviewed by Reason magazine in 2020 described medical care concerns: "They would just brush you off and tell you to go buy Tylenol at the commissary. It was awful really."
• During a 60 Minutes segment in January 2024, incarcerated women at Aliceville were asked what the BOP Director needed to know. One responded simply: "Fix it." Another added: "We need more education, more, like, opportunity to grow and rehabilitate. Cause we don't have that here."
• Reviews collected by Zoukis Consulting Group include: "It is very easy and relaxing being here" alongside "Nothing is good about this prison" and "Very bad medical care."

Please remember that experiences are unique and may not reflect today's experience.

Notable Alumni

Name	Sentence	Offense	Dates
Alice Marie Johnson	Life (commuted)	Drug Conspiracy	~2013 - June 2018

History

FCI Aliceville and its satellite camp were constructed beginning in 2008 on a 650-acre plot of land along Alabama State Route 14 in unincorporated Pickens County. The facility became operational in 2013, making it one of the newest federal prisons in the system. It was designated as the first federal women's prison in Alabama.

Local officials in the town of Aliceville (population approximately 2,500) supported the project, hoping it would provide jobs and boost local businesses in a region with unemployment near 11 percent. The prison was expected to employ between 320 and 350 people at full capacity, though 40 percent of positions were filled by existing federal prison employees transferring from other facilities.

The construction cost approximately $185 million and was managed by Caddell and W.G. Yates & Sons of Montgomery, Alabama, and Philadelphia, Mississippi. FCI Aliceville became the second LEED-certified federal prison, meaning it operates with energy efficiency standards using less water and electricity than traditional facilities.

Early transfers to FCI Aliceville included women from FCI Danbury in Connecticut, which was being converted back to an all-male facility. Pickens County, previously losing population, became the fastest-growing county in Alabama in 2014 due to the prison's establishment.

In February 2016, a tornado struck the facility and tore off a dormitory roof.

In April 2024, following the closure of FCI Dublin in California due to widespread sexual abuse scandals, hundreds of incarcerated women were transferred to FCI Aliceville and other federal women's facilities.

Housing & Facilities

Camp residents are housed in dormitory-style open housing with two-person bunk beds, as well as four- and eight-person cubicles. Storage space consists of an individual locker; padlocks may be purchased from the commissary. Personal property is limited to items that fit within the designated storage space. Unlike the adjacent low-security FCI, the camp does not have cells or locked doors. This open dormitory arrangement is standard for minimum-security federal facilities and allows for more freedom of movement within the housing unit during authorized hours.

Each housing area provides access to:

• Computers for TRULINCS email
• Computers designated for video visits
• Hot water dispensers
• Ice machines
• Shared television areas

Daily Life

Schedule & Counts

Daily life at the camp follows a structured routine centered around formal counts, meals, work assignments, and programming. Residents are awakened early for morning count, typically around 6:00 a.m., when correctional officers verify that all people are accounted for.

A first-hand account published by the Prison Journalism Project in October 2025 describes the lockdown culture at Aliceville: "On a compound with almost 1,300 women, we hear this command often because of perpetual staff shortages... When lockdown was called, the women scrambled, some of them literally running to get hot water or ice or a shower before the doors were locked."

Work Assignments

All minimum-security residents are required to work. Common job assignments at the camp include:

• Food service (kitchen)
• Laundry
• Custodial/orderly
• Landscaping and groundskeeping
• Facility maintenance
• Warehouse operations

Pay ranges from $0.12 to $1.15 per hour for most institutional jobs. UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries) work opportunities, where available, typically offer higher wages.

Programs & Education

Educational Programs

FCI Aliceville Camp offers several educational opportunities:

• Literacy Program: Foundational skills in reading, math, and written expression
• GED Preparation: High school equivalency testing preparation
• English as a Second Language (ESL): Required for those with limited English proficiency
• Adult Continuing Education: Various classes for personal development
• Parenting Classes: Programs focused on maintaining family connections
• College Correspondence Programs: Available through paid external programs

A Release Preparation Program teaches practical skills including job searching, resume writing, budgeting, and home purchasing.

In 2023, the facility received a $6.5 million "Pathways to Hope" grant through West AlabamaWorks!, the Alabama Department of Commerce, and Ingram State Technical College for workforce training.

Vocational Training

The facility offers vocational programs in:

• Carpentry (NCCER accredited)
• Cosmetology
• Electrical (NCCER accredited)
• MS Office training

Apprenticeship programs are available in carpentry, electrician, HVAC, and plumbing trades.

Religious Programs

The Life Connections Program is an intensive 18-month faith-based residential program. In October 2023, the program held its first graduation ceremony, with Alice Marie Johnson delivering the keynote address.

Psychology Services

Psychology Services conducts orientation for new arrivals within the first month. Programs include:

• Drug treatment groups
• Trauma treatment
• STAGES program (for serious mental illness and personality disorders)
• Brief individual counseling
• Assert Yourself for Females
• Women's Relationships

Open house sessions are held Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.

Medical Care

As a Medical Care Level 2 facility, the camp provides:

• Medical sick call (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 8:00 a.m.)
• Dental sick call
• Chronic care management
• Pharmacy services and prescription medications
• Eye examinations (once every two years)
• Physical health examinations
• HIV and tuberculosis testing

Health Services is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pill and insulin lines are conducted at 6:00 a.m.

Medical Care Concerns

Medical care at FCI Aliceville has been the subject of significant scrutiny. A 2020 investigation by Reason magazine identified three deaths from alleged medical neglect between 2018 and 2019, documenting extended delays in diagnostic imaging, specialist appointments, and basic treatment.

In July 2019, a federal judge granted compassionate release to Angela Beck after finding she had suffered "grossly inadequate" delays in breast cancer treatment, writing that the neglect "likely reached the level of a constitutional violation."

Communication

Telephone

Calls are placed through the TRULINCS system to pre-approved numbers. Phone time is limited and calls are monitored (except attorney calls).

Email

The TRULINCS electronic messaging system allows email through CorrLinks. Messages are subject to monitoring.

Video Visits

Video visitation is available through designated computers and must be scheduled in advance.

Mail

Camp mailing address:

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI ALICEVILLE
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
SATELLITE CAMP
P.O. BOX 487
ALICEVILLE, AL 35442

All mail is opened and inspected. Residents may receive up to 25 photographs per day. Books and magazines must be sent directly from the publisher or an authorized retailer.

Commissary

The commissary operates on a scheduled basis with a monthly spending limit. Available items include food, hygiene products, over-the-counter medications, stationery, and clothing items. The current commissary list is available on the BOP website.

Staff Misconduct

FCI Aliceville has experienced multiple staff misconduct incidents:

• 2020: Eric Todd Ellis sentenced to 18 months for sexual contact with an incarcerated woman
• 2019: Robert Smith sentenced to 24 months for sexual abuse of two incarcerated women
• 2018: Jesse Bailey charged with sexual contact with a prisoner and lying to federal investigators; sentenced to 18 months
• 2017: Eric C. Walker arrested for smuggling contraband for cash bribes

Three officers have been convicted of sexual abuse since 2020. A 2022 Senate investigation found that BOP staff had sexually abused incarcerated women in at least two-thirds of federal women's facilities over the prior decade.

Location & Visitation

Location

Physical location: ALICEVILLE, AL 35442

Mailing address: 11070 HIGHWAY 14, ALICEVILLE, AL 35442

Phone: 205-373-5000 | Fax: 205-373-5020 | Email: [email protected]

The prison sits on a 650-acre plot along Alabama State Route 14, approximately 2.5 miles north of the town of Aliceville. It is roughly 55 miles west of Tuscaloosa, AL, and 35 miles southeast of Columbus, MS.

Visitation

Visiting Hours: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Federal Holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Requirements:

• Visitors must be on the pre-approved visitor list
• Government-issued photo ID required (age 16+)
• Up to four adult visitors at a time (children do not count toward limit)
• Up to $30 in coins (in clear plastic bag) for vending machines
• Modest attire required; dress code strictly enforced

Visitors should arrive before 2:00 p.m. for processing. Call ahead to confirm the schedule: 205-373-5000

For full visiting rules and scheduling, always check the institution's official page on the Bureau of Prisons website: Official BOP Page.

There are many specific rules and procedures to be aware of when you're considering visiting the institution. Read more on our Visitation Guide.

See Also

• FCI Aliceville (low-security)
• Women's Federal Prisons
• Minimum Security Federal Prison Camps

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does FCI Aliceville allow conjugal visits?

No. FCI Aliceville does not allow conjugal visits. The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not permit conjugal visits at any facility regardless of security level. This includes all minimum-security federal prison 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 state prisoners. Federal inmates have no access to conjugal or extended family visits anywhere in the BOP system.

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

FCI Aliceville allows contact visits during designated visiting hours, typically on weekends and holidays. Contact visits permit brief embraces at the start and end of visits, but prolonged physical contact is not allowed. All visits occur in supervised visiting rooms. Visitors must be pre-approved through a background check process and must follow dress code requirements. For full details, see the Visiting Policies and Procedures page.