FPC Pensacola (minimum-security)
Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola (FPC Pensacola) is a minimum-security federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Escambia County, Florida. It sits on Saufley Field, an outlying airfield of Naval Air Station Pensacola.[1] The Federal Bureau of Prisons, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the camp. The Navy owns the land and buildings and leases them to the Bureau. Inmates have long supplied labor for the Pensacola Naval Complex.[2]
The camp opened in 1988. As of April 2024 it held 434 inmates.[2] The Bureau has announced plans to close the facility and move its inmates and staff to other prisons. Verify current status with the Bureau before planning a visit or transfer.
Overview
FPC Pensacola is a work camp. There is no fortified perimeter. Inmates live in open dormitory housing rather than cells. The staff-to-inmate ratio is low. Days run on a schedule of work assignments and programs.[1]
The camp was built around inmate labor. When it opened in 1988, the Bureau struck a deal with the Navy: lease excess land and buildings at Saufley Field, and in return supply prisoners to work the surrounding naval complex.[3] Saufley Field lies west of the city, about 50 miles east of Mobile, Alabama, off Interstate 10.[3]
The camp offers the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) along with non-residential drug treatment and education tracks. Inmates can also enroll in literacy classes, GED preparation, English-as-a-second-language instruction, and vocational apprenticeships.[1][3]
History
The Bureau of Prisons opened FPC Pensacola in 1988.[3] The arrangement gave the federal government a low-cost camp on Navy land and gave the Navy a steady source of inmate labor for groundskeeping, maintenance, and other base work.[2]
The buildings aged badly. By the 2020s much of the camp was in significant disrepair. In December 2024 the Bureau confirmed that FPC Pensacola would close. Roughly 500 inmates and about 100 staff were to be relocated to other facilities. The Navy planned to demolish the structures after the closure and fold the site back into Naval Air Station Pensacola.[2] Closure was still underway in 2026.
Notable Inmates
- Todd Chrisley, star of the reality show Chrisley Knows Best, was serving a 12-year sentence for bank fraud and tax evasion. He reported to FPC Pensacola in January 2023. President Donald Trump granted him a full pardon on May 27, 2025.[2][4]
- Tim Donaghy, a former NBA referee, pleaded guilty in 2007 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to passing illegal betting information. He served 11 months and was released in 2009.[2][4]
- Chris Collins, a U.S. Representative from New York, was convicted of insider trading. Trump pardoned him in December 2020.[2]
- Billy Walters, a professional sports gambler, was convicted of insider trading. Trump commuted his sentence in January 2021.[2]
- Rick Singer, the central figure in the 2019 college admissions scandal, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering charges and received a sentence of three and a half years.[2]
- Mark Whitacre, the former Archer Daniels Midland executive who became an FBI informant in the company's price-fixing case, served his embezzlement sentence here and was released in 2007.[2]
Location and Visitation
FPC Pensacola is at 110 Raby Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32509. The camp occupies Saufley Field, an outlying airfield of Naval Air Station Pensacola.[1]
Visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with Friday evening hours from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m.[3] Visitors need advance approval from the camp. Anyone 16 or older must bring a valid government photo ID. The Bureau bans conjugal visits at all of its facilities, FPC Pensacola included.
Because the camp is closing, hours and access can change without notice. Confirm current rules on the official Bureau page before traveling: FPC Pensacola.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "FPC Pensacola". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 "Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "FPC Pensacola". Elizabeth Franklin-Best P.C.. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "What happened to the Florida prison Todd Chrisley was in?".Yahoo News.Retrieved 2026-06-03.