FCI Edgefield (medium-security)
FCI Edgefield is a medium-security federal correctional institution for men in Edgefield, South Carolina, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It held about 1,254 people as of November 2025. It does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program. The institution's main number is 803-637-1500.[1][2]
Location
Physical location: EDGEFIELD, SC 29824
Mailing address: 501 GARY HILL ROAD, EDGEFIELD, SC 29824
Visitation
There are many specific rules and procedures to be aware of when you're considering visiting the institution. Read more on our Visitation Guide.
For full, current visiting rules and scheduling, always check the institution's official page on the Bureau of Prisons website: Official BOP Page.
Daily life and programs
The Federal Correctional Institution, Edgefield (FCI Edgefield) is a medium-security U.S. federal prison for men in Edgefield County, South Carolina, roughly 25 miles north of Augusta, Georgia. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, part of the Department of Justice, and opened in 1998. The complex pairs the medium-security main institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. Recent figures put the main institution at about 1,240 men and the camp at about 500, for a combined population near 1,700. The main institution is organized into six housing units, where inmates are held in two- and three-person cells; camp residents live in open dormitories divided into two-person pods.
Employment and vocational programming serve as the foundation of daily life for the incarcerated population. The primary institution contains a UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries) operation dedicated to producing clothing and textiles, an industrial factory that the camp does not possess. Compensation for standard institutional jobs ranges from roughly $0.12 to $0.40 an hour, whereas UNICOR positions pay about $0.23 to $1.15 an hour. In addition to assigned mandatory labor, Edgefield provides adult continuing education, GED preparation, and ACE courses instructed by inmates. The location also offers advanced occupational training in subjects such as automotive service, ServSafe food safety, and Culinary Arts, while the camp specifically adds a forklift operator certification. To further assist transition efforts, a Greater Aiken SCORE chapter has delivered its 'Simple Steps for Starting Your Business' curriculum to inmates nearing release.
Public descriptions of Edgefield diverge regarding its drug programming. Both the institution and the camp run the Drug Education Program and the Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program. However, several prison-consulting guides report that the medium FCI does not currently operate the intensive Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), noting that residential drug treatment is instead associated with the camp. Individuals relying on RDAP for a sentence-reduction plan should confirm their current placement with the BOP. Recreational options at the main institution include basketball, handball and racquetball courts, a jogging track, cardio machines and weight machines, table tennis, and hobbycraft such as leatherwork and painting; free weights were removed under a mid-1990s BOP policy. Inmates maintain contact with the outside world through TRULINCS email, a monthly phone allotment of about 300 minutes, and approved in-person visiting, while a routine medical visit incurs a $2 co-pay.
Similar to many BOP mediums, the public record of Edgefield includes documented staff-corruption cases. In 2002, a correctional officer pleaded guilty after taking more than $9,000 in bribes to smuggle marijuana to inmates, resulting in a three-year sentence. In May 2010, federal prosecutors in Columbia announced the indictment of two former Edgefield officers, Gregory Conyers and Antonio Heath, for accepting bribes from an inmate to bring in contraband; both later pleaded guilty. Over the years, the institution has also held a striking roster of high-profile prisoners. This population has ranged from Jamaican Shower Posse leader Christopher Coke and Cali Cartel co-founder Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela to Somali pirate Abduwali Muse and would-be Federal Reserve bomber Quazi Nafis, several of whom have since been transferred to other facilities.
First-hand accounts
First-person accounts and reporting about life at this facility. Experiences are individual and may not reflect current conditions.
- Back to Edgefield Prison with Ex Prisoner and Jewel Thief Larry Lawton - FCI Edgefield | 164 - YouTube (Larry Lawton, former FCI Edgefield inmate). Larry Lawton, a former organized-crime figure and jewel thief who served time at the medium FCI Edgefield, returns to the prison on camera and recounts his incarceration and daily life there. First-person account tied to the main institution (medium), not the camp.
Notable inmates
| Name | Sentence | Offense | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Coke | 23 years (release scheduled 2029) | Drug kingpin and leader of Jamaica's Shower Posse; pleaded guilty in 2011 to trafficking cocaine into the US | Held at the medium FCI Edgefield; since transferred to FCI Fort Dix |
| Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela | 30 years (release scheduled 2028) | Co-founder of Colombia's Cali Cartel; pleaded guilty in 2006 to drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy | Formerly at FCI Edgefield; since transferred to FCI Loretto |
| Abduwali Muse | 33 years (release scheduled 2038) | Somali pirate leader; pleaded guilty in 2010 to hijacking the MV Maersk Alabama and taking its captain hostage in 2009 | Formerly at FCI Edgefield; transferred back to FCI Terre Haute |
| Quazi Nafis | 30 years (release scheduled 2038) | Attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction; 2012 plot to detonate what he believed was a bomb outside the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City (pleaded guilty 2013) | Held at FCI Edgefield |
| Clayton Roueche | 30 years (release scheduled 2027) | Leader of the Canada-based United Nations gang; pleaded guilty in 2009 to drug trafficking and money laundering | Held at FCI Edgefield |
| Sami Osmakac | 40 years (release scheduled 2046) | Convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in Tampa, Florida, in 2012 | Held at FCI Edgefield |
| Thomas Noe | 18-year state sentence | Republican fundraiser; pleaded guilty in 2006 to money laundering for illegally funneling contributions to the 2004 Bush campaign (Ohio 'Coingate' scandal) | Formerly at FCI Edgefield; transferred to an Ohio state prison in 2008 |
| Larry Lawton | Released August 24, 2007 | Ex-jewel thief and organized-crime figure; now an anti-crime speaker and youth mentor | Held at FCI Edgefield (transferred in from FCI Jesup) |
References
- ↑ Federal Bureau of Prisons, "FCI Edgefield," institution page. https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/edg/ (accessed 2026-08-05)
- ↑ Federal Bureau of Prisons, "Population Statistics." https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/population_statistics.jsp (accessed 2026-08-05)