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 located in Camp Swift, Bastrop County, Texas, approximately 30 miles southeast of Austin and 8 miles north of the city of Bastrop. Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as part of the South Central Region, the camp is adjacent to the low-security Federal Correctional Institution Bastrop, which opened in 1979. The facility is built on land that was once part of Camp Swift, a World War II Army training base that housed up to 90,000 troops and 10,000 German prisoners of war.

Notes from Alumni

• Charles Jones, who served a 72-month sentence for wire fraud, documented his first day at Bastrop Satellite Camp in August 2015: "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." He described the environment: "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
• About daily life, Jones wrote: "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 noted the lack of exercise equipment: "We don't have weights at this camp." White Collar Advice
• Regarding education, Jones observed: "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." He also attended religious services: "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
• One author who organized running races at FCI Bastrop in the late 1980s observed: "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."

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

Notable Alumni

Name	Sentence	Offense	Dates
Notable Alumni needed

History

FCI Bastrop opened in 1979 on land that was part of the former Camp Swift military installation. Camp Swift was a massive World War II Army training base built in 1942 on 56,000 acres, which at its peak housed 90,000 troops and approximately 10,000 German prisoners of war. After the war, most of the land was returned to previous owners, but the federal government retained approximately 11,500 acres for the military reservation and a smaller parcel for the prison.

The facility was constructed as part of the Bureau of Prisons' expansion during the 1970s to address surging federal inmate populations, which grew from approximately 24,000 in 1970 to over 50,000 by the decade's end, largely due to increased prosecutions under drug control laws.

The adjacent minimum-security satellite camp provides housing for lower-risk offenders who are nearing the end of their sentences or are serving shorter terms. Unlike the main FCI, the camp has no perimeter fence, relying instead on inmate compliance and accountability measures.

In September 2011, the Bastrop County Complex Fire—the most destructive wildfire in Texas history—burned 32,000 acres in the region, destroying over 1,600 homes and killing two people. The fire burned within miles of the prison facility.

Housing & Facilities

FCI Bastrop Camp houses residents in dormitory-style housing. According to one resident's account, the camp consists of two wings, each designed to house approximately 48 people, for a total design capacity of 96. However, the camp regularly houses 175–200 residents, making overcrowding typical.

New arrivals are initially housed in "The Fish Bowl," a small room with four bunk beds where they wait until receiving a permanent bunk assignment.

Amenities include:

• Television rooms (TVs are muted; residents use personal radios to listen)
• Ice machine and filtered water faucets
• Recreation yard
• Gym and hobby craft shop
• No weight pile (unlike the main FCI)

Daily Life

Schedule & Counts

The camp operates on a structured daily schedule:

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

Counts are conducted multiple times daily to verify all residents are present.

Work Assignments

All medically-cleared residents must maintain a work assignment or participate in educational courses.

Camp work assignments include:

• Landscaping/Grounds Maintenance — "Campus beautification" work including lawn mowing, tree trimming, and weed removal. Pay is approximately $19/month on a good month, though workers may not be paid on days when weather prevents outdoor work.
• Kitchen and food service
• Facility maintenance
• Law library clerk — Assisting other residents with legal research

The adjacent FCI houses a UNICOR factory that retrofits vehicles for other government agencies, though camp residents typically do not 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

One resident noted that some scheduled classes are "Ghost Classes" that appear on the schedule but never actually meet. Self-study options are available through the Education Building for motivated residents.

Vocational Training

The camp offers apprenticeship programs including:

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

The main FCI offers additional advanced occupational training in Building Trades, Culinary Arts, Horticulture, and Oil and Gas Field Technicians, though these are not available to camp residents.

Substance Abuse Programs

The Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) is available at both FCI Bastrop and the camp. The 500-hour program houses 96 participants in a separate unit from the general population.

Additional substance abuse programs include:

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

Religious & Wellness Programs

Religious services are available for various faith traditions. Buddhist meditation services, led by a volunteer from Austin, are held on Thursdays. The camp's location near Austin provides access to community religious volunteers.

Psychology Services

Residents have access to psychologists who provide counseling and mental health services. Each psychologist maintains an office inside the institution and at the camp. Services include:

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

Medical Care

FCI Bastrop Camp is designated as a Medical Care Level 2 facility, meaning it serves residents who are generally healthy but may have stable chronic conditions requiring regular monitoring.

Medical services include:

• Sick call (Monday–Friday at 6:30 AM)
• Dental sick call
• Physical examinations
• Emergency medical and dental care (24 hours, no fee)
• Diagnosis and treatment of chronic infectious diseases
• Prescription medications (insulin and pill lines conducted during meals)
• Over-the-counter medications (available in commissary)

A $2.00 fee is charged to the resident's commissary account for each non-emergency health care visit.

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

Communication

Telephone

Residents have access to telephone services. Only outgoing calls are permitted to approved contacts. Calls are monitored and recorded, with exceptions for attorney-client communications. The phone carrier is Global Tel Link (GTL) ConnectNetwork.

Email

Electronic messaging is available through the TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System) terminals in the Education Department. Residents can send and receive emails for a per-minute fee.

Video Visits

Video visitation services are available. Families should schedule video visits in advance through the BOP's approved vendor.

Mail

General correspondence is permitted with family, friends, and approved contacts. All incoming and outgoing mail is subject to inspection. Legal mail is opened only in the recipient's presence.

Mailing Address (Camp):

Resident Name, Register Number

FCI Bastrop

Federal Correctional Institution

Satellite Camp

P.O. Box 629

Bastrop, TX 78602

Important: Do NOT send money to this address. All funds must be sent to the Federal Bureau of Prisons processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Commissary

Residents may purchase items at the institution commissary using funds in their accounts. Family members 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

The camp's lack of a perimeter fence has contributed to several escape incidents:

• November 20, 2009 — Leandro Luna (52) and Adan Chavez (53) walked away from the camp during an evening period, stole a Bureau of Prisons vehicle, and fled toward Mexico. Authorities did not notify the public for two days. Six days after their escape, Mexican authorities apprehended both men in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, across from Del Rio, Texas. The stolen vehicle was recovered in an East Austin parking lot. Both men later received additional two-year sentences for the escape.

• December 14, 2014 — Jimmy Morrisett (55), a former oil company CEO serving a nine-year sentence for operating a $7 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 200 investors, walked away from the camp around 10:15 PM. He was tracked to a vacant home in Burnet, Texas, where he had lived before his incarceration. After a four-hour standoff during which he claimed to have a weapon and refused to surrender, authorities introduced gas into the attic where he was hiding, and he surrendered. No weapon was found.

Staff Misconduct

• 2015 — Eric Renaldo Telles, a pharmacy technician at FCI Bastrop, pleaded guilty along with two residents (Shanon E. Frank, 27, and Mattheu Ellis Jones, 25) to a bribery scheme. Frank and Jones bribed Telles to smuggle contraband into the prison between June 2014 and February 2015, including Casio G-Shock watches, creatine, nutritional supplements, and muscle shirts. Telles collected approximately $2,000 in bribes. Telles was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison; Frank and Jones each received 18 months.

Location & Visitation

Location

FCI Bastrop Camp is located adjacent to the low-security FCI Bastrop in the Camp Swift census-designated place in Bastrop County, Texas, on land that was once 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

Camp visitation hours are more limited than the main FCI. Approved visitors may visit:

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

(The main FCI also permits Friday visitation; the camp does not.)

Visitation Points System:

Visits are managed through a point system:

• Residents at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) receive 9 points at the beginning of each month
• Each visit costs 1 point
• Once points are used, visiting privileges are suspended until the first day of the next month
• Points do not roll over

Requirements:

• All visitors must be on the approved visitation list
• Visitors must complete a visitation form (available on the BOP website) and mail it to the resident's counselor for approval
• Valid government-issued photo identification required
• Visitors may bring: a valid ID, a small clear plastic bag, and up to $20 in quarters for vending machines
• Cell phones and other personal items are prohibited
• Visitors should arrive by 2:15 PM for processing
• Dress code: Clothing should not be provocative or revealing

For complete visiting regulations, see the official BOP page for FCI Bastrop.

See Also

• FCI Bastrop — The adjacent low-security federal correctional institution
• Federal Prison Camps — Overview of minimum-security facilities
• BOP South Central Region
• Camp Swift — The WWII military base on which the prison is built
• 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. FCI Bastrop 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 Bastrop?

FCI Bastrop 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.