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Welcome to Prisonpedia. Prisonpedia is a free, volunteer-supported reference for people affected by the federal criminal justice system. Our goal is to provide accurate, accessible information about every stage of the federal criminal justice process. Whether you're preparing for sentencing, entering custody, supporting a loved one, or rebuilding after release, this project exists to help you find clarity, dignity, and direction.

We welcome your contributions to our knowledge-base. If you see anything that could be improved, feel free to click "Edit" on any page and submit your suggestion. If you have any questions, you can always e-mail the team at [email protected].

Page Directory

Understanding the Criminal Justice Process

• Cooperation Mechanisms: Proffers and Substantial Assistance
• Criminal Investigations and Target Letters
• Deferred Prosecution Agreements
• Differences Between Federal and State Prosecution
• Diversion Programs in Criminal Justice
• Federal Sentencing Guidelines and Offense Enhancements
• Grand Jury Proceedings and Indictments
• Overview of the U.S. Criminal Justice Process
• Plea Agreements and Trial Procedures
• Selection and Role of Defense Counsel

Pre-Sentencing

• Character Reference Letters in Sentencing
• Financial Planning Prior to Incarceration
• Judicial Evaluation in Sentencing Decisions
• Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Requirements
• Medical Records and Medication Documentation
• Offense Levels and Sentencing Enhancements
• Overview of the Pre-Sentencing Phase
• Personal Narratives in Sentencing Proceedings
• Prison Consultants
• Restitution, Fines, and Forfeiture
• Self-Surrender Procedures
• Sentencing Hearings: Procedures and Considerations
• Sentencing Memoranda
• Structure and Interpretation of Plea Agreements
• The Presentence Investigation Process
• The Presentence Report (PSR)

Prison Designations and Facilities

• Bureau of Prisons Classification Methods
• Items Permitted at Intake
• Judicial Recommendations and Bureau of Prisons Policy
• Overview of Federal Prison Designation
• Overview of Federal Prison Medical Intake
• Security Levels in Federal Prisons

Facilities

• Index of Federal Prison Facilities (112 facility pages)

High-Profile Federal Offenders

• Greg Anderson
• Sam Bankman-Fried
• Steve Bannon
• Jordan Belfort
• Rod Blagojevich
• Craig Carton
• Brent Cassity
• Michael Cohen
• Sean Combs
• Dinesh D'Souza
• Jared Fogle
• Jeff Grant
• Rajat Gupta
• Lauryn Hill
• Elizabeth Holmes
• Fat Joe
• Alice Marie Johnson
• Lil Kim
• Larry Levine
• Bernie Madoff
• Paul Manafort
• Sam Mangel
• Ghislaine Maxwell
• Billy McFarland
• Michael Milken
• Trevor Milton
• Peter Navarro
• Walt Pavlo
• Craig Rothfeld
• Ja Rule
• Jen Shah
• Jeff Skilling
• Wesley Snipes
• Allen Stanford
• Martha Stewart
• Mark Varacchi
• Michael Vick
• Carlos Watson
• Changpeng Zhao

Life Inside

• Overview of Life Inside Federal Prisons

Daily Life and Institutional Culture

• Best Books to Read While Incarcerated
• Commissary Operations and Inmate Accounts
• Daily Schedules, Counts, and Movement
• Popular Prison Terminology
• Postal Mail Regulations
• Telecommunication Systems: Phones, Email, and Tablets
• UNICOR: Federal Prison Industries
• Visiting Policies and Procedures
• Work Assignments and Pay Structures

Programs and Sentence Credits

• Earned Time Credits Under the First Step Act
• Federal Good Time Credit Policies
• First Step Act: Overview and Implementation
• General Educational Development (GED) Programs
• Postsecondary Education Opportunities
• Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)
• Second Chance Act Overview

Rights Protections and Safety

• Access to Medical Care and Chronic Care Clinics
• Administrative Remedy Process (BP-8 to BP-11)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in Federal Prisons
• Disciplinary Procedures and Infractions
• Legal Mail Policies
• Overview of Incarcerated Persons' Rights
• Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Protections
• Religious Accommodations in Federal Facilities
• Special Housing Units (SHU)

Reentry and Community Reintegration

• Access to Banking After Incarceration
• Early Termination of Supervised Release
• Employment and Second-Chance Hiring
• Expungement
• Home Confinement and Monitoring Programs
• Housing Access for Returning Citizens
• International Travel with a Criminal Record
• Obtaining Identification After Incarceration
• Overview of Reentry Processes
• Residential Reentry Centers (Halfway Houses)
• Supervised Release
• Workforce Development and Training Programs

Post-Conviction Legal Processes

• Compassionate Release Policies
• Direct Appeal Procedures
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Section 2241
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Section 2255
• Judicial Recommendations After Sentencing
• Overview of Post-Conviction Remedies
• Presidential Clemency and Pardons
• Recalculation of Earned and Good Time Credits
• Retroactive Sentencing Amendments
• Sentence Reduction Mechanisms

Media

• Locked In with Ian Bick
• Nightmare Success