FCI McDowell (medium-security)

FCI McDowell. Public domain photograph, via Wikimedia Commons.

FCI McDowell is a medium-security federal correctional institution for men in Welch, West Virginia, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It held about 1,507 people as of November 2025. It does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program. The institution's main number is 304-436-7300.

MALE

Gender

MEDIUM

Security Level

1507

Population (Nov. 2025)

No RDAP

Location

Physical location: WELCH, WV 24801

Mailing address: 101 FEDERAL DRIVE, WELCH, WV 24801

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, McDowell (FCI McDowell) is a medium-security federal prison for male offenders in southwestern West Virginia, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons under its Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. It sits on a reclaimed tract in a rural, detached part of McDowell County roughly four miles north of the city of Welch, at approximately 37.47 degrees north, 81.55 degrees west. Adjacent to the main institution is a small satellite prison camp that holds minimum-security male inmates, who are generally those with less than ten years remaining on their sentences and no history of violence or escape. Reported capacity is on the order of 1,600 to 1,660 beds, with the camp accounting for a small fraction; recent population figures cited by secondary guides run near 1,400 to 1,500 in total, of which only a few dozen are housed in the camp.

The prison resulted from decades of Appalachian economic development politics. Officials had sought federal prison funding for the depressed coal region since the late 1990s, and West Virginia's congressional delegation, including Representative Nick Rahall and Senator Robert Byrd, repeatedly advanced the project. Rather than mining the site, county economic development authorities in McDowell and neighboring Wyoming County acquired the land from corporate landowners. They prepared the property and transferred it to the federal government, treating the land preparation itself as economic development for a coalfield community that had lost much of its mining base. Construction concluded in 2010 at an approximate cost of 223 million dollars, and the institution began receiving inmates in 2011. However, the promised windfall of local jobs drew early criticism. West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported on the hiring shortfall in 2010, detailing that of the first 87 employees hired, only 12 came from McDowell County and 5 from bordering Wyoming County.

Daily life adheres to the regimented pattern of a medium-security BOP institution, characterized by controlled inmate movement, scheduled counts, meals, work call-outs, programming, and recreation periods. Unless they are enrolled full time in education or vocational training, medically able inmates are required to work, with all assignments being performed inside the secure perimeter. Standard institutional jobs pay roughly 0.12 to 0.40 dollars per hour, whereas sought-after Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR) positions pay about 0.23 to 1.15 dollars per hour. FCI McDowell notably does not host the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), so inmates seeking that credit-bearing program must transfer elsewhere. The institution does, however, offer academic programming such as GED preparation and English-as-a-second-language instruction, alongside vocational training in fields including carpentry, masonry, and residential wiring. It additionally features apprenticeships in trades such as cook, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and teacher's aide.

Inmates are provided with indoor and outdoor facilities for recreation, which include a softball field, a walking and jogging track, weight and cardio machines, and basketball, handball and racquetball courts. The institution additionally maintains a law library for legal research and a leisure library for general reading. Communication with the outside is handled through the BOP's standard channels. Permitted methods comprise TRULINCS electronic messaging, postal mail, both in-person and video visitation, and monitored telephone calls capped at roughly 300 minutes per month in 15-minute increments. The adjacent minimum-security camp operates under looser supervision consistent with its lower custody level. As with much of the federal system, the facility drew scrutiny during the COVID-19 period. In early 2021, at least one family member publicly alleged harsh isolation conditions. However, this account is an unverified secondhand complaint rather than an established finding, and it is noted here only for completeness.

Notable inmates

Name	Sentence	Offense	Dates
Zachary Adam Chesser	25 years (sentenced February 24, 2011)	Attempting to provide material support to the al-Qaeda-linked Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab, soliciting others to commit violent jihad, and communicating threats against the creators of the TV show South Park (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) over a depiction of Muhammad	Incarcerated at the main medium-security institution; scheduled release around 2032
Tony F. Mack	58 months (released September 7, 2018)	Federal extortion, bribery, and mail and wire fraud tied to a scheme to accept about 119,000 dollars in bribes while serving as mayor of Trenton, New Jersey	Held at the main medium-security institution until his 2018 release
Denicio Elrayno Francisco	30 years	Racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and a firearms charge as a member of the East Side Bloods gang in Arizona (a 2012 AK-47 shooting on the Salt River reservation); DOJ describes him as a gang member, though some secondary sources call him a leader	Incarcerated at the main medium-security institution; scheduled release around 2031