FCI Forrest City Federal Prison: A Guide for Defendants and Families

• FCI Forrest City Medium — a medium-security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp for male inmates.
• FCI Forrest City Low — a low-security federal correctional institution for male inmates, also on the complex grounds.

Security designation is set by the BOP based on offense, criminal history, sentence length, and other factors. Nonviolent white-collar defendants with shorter sentences are commonly designated to Low or to the satellite camp.

FCC Forrest City is located at 1400 Dale Bumpers Road, Forrest City, AR 72335, off Interstate 40 roughly 45 miles west of Memphis and about 90 miles east of Little Rock. Memphis International Airport (MEM) is the closest major airport for out-of-state visitors.

• Visitors must be pre-approved. The inmate submits a visitor list; each adult visitor completes and returns a BOP visitor form for a background check.
• Visiting days are typically Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. Hours and days can differ between the Low, the Medium, and the camp — confirm on the BOP institution page before traveling.
• Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Dress code is strictly enforced: no revealing, camouflage, or gang-affiliated clothing; no metal in undergarments.
• You cannot bring in phones, cameras, tobacco, food from outside, or gifts. A small amount of cash or coins is permitted for vending machines in the visiting room.
• Children may visit with an approved adult and proof of relationship (birth certificate or court order).

• Mail: General correspondence goes to the facility address with the inmate's full name and register number. The BOP processes most incoming general mail through a national scanning contractor before it reaches the inmate.
• Phone: Inmates place outgoing calls through the BOP TRULINCS system to numbers on their approved list. Calls are recorded and monitored.
• Email: TRULINCS also supports monitored electronic messages with approved contacts through CorrLinks.
• Money: Deposits to an inmate's commissary account are sent to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa, not directly to Forrest City.

Designation to Forrest City happens after sentencing. The judge can recommend a facility, but the BOP has final authority. Under the First Step Act, most inmates are placed within 500 driving miles of their release residence when possible, which is one reason many defendants sentenced in the Eastern District of Arkansas end up at Forrest City.

To get an educational estimate of the guideline range that could apply in your case, use the Eastern Arkansas Sentencing Calculator. It is not legal advice — talk to a federal criminal defense attorney about your specific situation.

• BOP — FCI Forrest City Low
• BOP — FCI Forrest City Medium
• BOP — Information for families and friends of inmates