MCFP Springfield
| Location | 1900 W. Sunshine Street, Springfield, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Classification | Administrative (medical referral center) |
| Capacity | approximately 1,070 (historical) |
| Population | approximately 870–1,099 (2026 snapshots vary) |
| Opened | 1933 |
| Managed by | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
The Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield (MCFP Springfield) is the Federal Bureau of Prisons' flagship medical referral center in Springfield, Missouri — the system's hospital. Opened in 1933 on 620 donated acres, it treats male prisoners with cancer, AIDS, dementia, and psychiatric illness; roughly a third of its population is psychiatric patients and a quarter geriatric. It also houses the BOP's forensic unit, where defendants are evaluated and restored to competency for trial.
Springfield is where infamous federal prisoners go to die: John Gotti, Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante, Vito Genovese, the Birdman of Alcatraz (Robert Stroud), and, in November 2025, Planned Parenthood gunman Robert Dear Jr.
Facility
Address: 1900 W. Sunshine Street, Springfield, MO 65807 (mail: PO Box 4000, 65801). Phone: (417) 862-7041. Male offenders only; administrative security with a satellite camp and FSL; opened 1933 as the 'United States Hospital for Defective Delinquents.' Prisoner-run farming ended in 1966; riots punctuated the 1940s–50s.
The Forensic Unit
The BOP's forensic psychology operation runs here (with FMC Butner): competency evaluations and competency restoration for federal defendants found incompetent to stand trial. Robert Dear Jr. — the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooter — spent years here under that status until his death in late November 2025.
Notable Deaths and Patients
Beyond Gotti, Gigante, Genovese, and Stroud: mob bosses Tony Corallo and Fat Tony Salerno died here; so did Frank Salemme (2022), Gary Sampson (2021), Kendall Myers (2026), and Juan Matta-Ballesteros (2025). Treated and released over the decades: Larry Flynt, Joseph Bonanno, John Demjanjuk (before extradition), and the Blind Sheikh. James Alex Fields Jr. (Charlottesville) is a current resident; Marvin Gabrion's death sentence was commuted here to life in December 2024.
In the News
- Planned Parenthood gunman dies in federal prison — Robert Dear Jr. dies at MCFP Springfield. Colorado Springs Gazette (November 30, 2025). [1]
- Inmate death announcement — Jason Avery Mattson — in-custody death. Federal Bureau of Prisons (July 18, 2025). [2]
- BOP staffing crisis report — system-wide staffing pressure context. Congressional Research Service (2026). [3]
Community Discussions
First-person threads from Reddit (r/prison and similar communities) — useful for what the official sources don't say:
- r/OnTheBlock — FPC Yankton or MCFP Springfield? — staff comparing the two
- r/SexOffenderSupport — serving a sentence at MCFP Springfield — patient-inmate perspective
- r/springfieldMO — booming sounds from MCFP — locals on the firing range
Notable Detainees and Residents
- John Gotti (died 2002) — Gambino boss, neck cancer
- Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante (died 2005) — Genovese boss
- Robert Stroud (died 1963) — the Birdman of Alcatraz
- Robert Dear Jr. (died 2025) — Planned Parenthood gunman; incompetent to stand trial
- James Alex Fields Jr. — Charlottesville attacker; current resident
See Also
References
- ↑ "Planned Parenthood gunman dies in federal prison". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Inmate death announcement — Jason Avery Mattson". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved November 10, 2026.
- ↑ "BOP staffing crisis report". Congressional Research Service. Retrieved November 10, 2026.