USP Tucson (minimum-security camp)
USP Tucson is a minimum-security satellite camp for men in Tucson, Arizona, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It held about 112 people as of November 2025. It does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program. The institution's main number is 520-574-7100.
USP Tucson Satellite Prison Camp is a minimum-security United States federal prison camp for male inmates located in Tucson, Arizona. It is a satellite facility of United States Penitentiary Tucson and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The camp is part of the Tucson Federal Correctional Complex.
Overview
The USP Tucson Satellite Prison Camp is a minimum-security facility housing approximately 112 male inmates as of October 2025. As a satellite camp, it provides labor support for day-to-day operations of the main federal prison complex.
The minimum-security camp provides lower-risk housing for select inmates, such as nonviolent offenders approaching release eligibility. Features include dormitory-style housing units, perimeter fencing without razor wire, and reduced staff-to-inmate ratios compared to the main USP facility.
To qualify for the satellite camp, inmates must not have committed a violent crime and typically must be approaching their release date.
Drug Treatment Programs
The USP Tucson Camp does not offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). However, other substance abuse services are available:
- Drug Education Classes
- Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP)
Health Services
Health services at the camp include:
- Sick call
- Dental call
- Physical examinations
- Chronic care management
- Medical and dental emergencies
- Medication distribution
- HIV testing
- Eyeglasses
Emergency medical care is available 24 hours a day.
Work Programs
Inmates in the satellite camp provide labor support for the overall prison complex operations, including grounds maintenance, food service, and facility upkeep.
Location
Mailing address: USP Tucson Camp, P.O. Box 24549, Tucson, AZ 85734
Physical location: 9300 S Wilmot Rd, Tucson, AZ
Contact
To speak with a case manager or counselor, call 520-663-5000.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does USP Tucson allow conjugal visits?
No. USP Tucson 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 USP Tucson?
USP Tucson 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.
See also
- Federal Prison Security Levels
- Commissary Operations and Inmate Accounts
- Index of Federal Prison Facilities
- USP Tucson (high-security)
- Bureau of Prisons Classification Methods
Daily life and programs
Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the USP Tucson satellite prison camp is a minimum-security federal prison camp for adult men. It is located within the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Tucson in Arizona, sitting adjacent to the high-security United States Penitentiary, Tucson. USP Tucson and its attached camp formally opened in early 2007, and the main penitentiary was subsequently dedicated on February 5, 2007. The camp houses roughly 100 to 112 male inmates, which is a small population relative to the roughly 1,200 to 1,300 men incarcerated in the main penitentiary. This satellite facility exists in large part to supply inmate labor that supports the day-to-day operation of the wider complex.
Because it is minimum security, the camp is reserved for lower-risk, nonviolent inmates, many of whom are within a few years of release. Rather than occupying the one- and two-person cells used in the high-security institution, camp inmates reside in open dormitory-style housing. The facility also operates without a razor-wire perimeter and maintains a lower staff-to-inmate ratio than the USP. Men assigned to the camp handle grounds maintenance, food service, and general facility upkeep for the complex. In addition, they perform landscaping and maintenance jobs that pay in the range of 12 to 40 cents an hour.
Programming at the camp centers on education, vocational training, and health care rather than industrial work. Notably, the facility does not host a UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries) factory. Inmates who lack a high school diploma or GED are required to attend educational classes, and English-as-a-Second-Language instruction is offered. The camp provides access to leisure and law libraries, while occupational and continuing-education offerings have included Basic and Advanced Baking, Business Management, and ServSafe food-handler certification. Furthermore, routine medical, dental, and mental-health services are provided alongside Drug Education classes and a Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program. The Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), which can reduce some sentences, is not offered at USP Tucson or its camp. As a result, inmates seeking RDAP generally must request a referral or transfer through the Psychology department.
Notable inmates
| Name | Sentence | Offense | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randy "Duke" Cunningham[1] | 8 years and 4 months (100 months); served most of it at the Tucson minimum-security camp and was released June 4, 2013 | Bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion committed while a U.S. Representative from California; he admitted taking more than $2 million in bribes from defense contractors | c. 2006 to 2013 |
References
- ↑ "Randy "Duke" Cunningham". '. Retrieved 2026-07-07.