FPC Lompoc (minimum-security camp)
Federal Prison Camp, Lompoc (FPC Lompoc) is a minimum-security federal prison camp for male inmates in Lompoc, California. It sits in Santa Barbara County, about 175 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The camp is part of the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex, a cluster of federal prisons next to Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Federal Bureau of Prisons runs it.[1]
The camp holds low-risk inmates. Many are serving time for nonviolent offenses, including white-collar crimes. Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli was held at the Lompoc camp in 2021 after his conviction in the college admissions scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues.[2]
Overview
A federal prison camp is the lowest security level in the Bureau of Prisons system. There are no fences at most camps. Inmates live in open dormitories rather than cells. Movement inside the camp is relatively unrestricted. The Bureau places inmates here when their criminal history, sentence length, and risk score qualify them for minimum custody.[1]
FPC Lompoc operates as a satellite camp. It is attached to the larger institution at the complex and shares some support functions with it. Camp inmates often work jobs that keep the wider complex and nearby federal installations running. Reported headcounts for the camp have ranged from roughly 190 to about 324 in recent years.[3]
The camp runs the Residential Drug Abuse Program. Inmates who finish RDAP may qualify for a sentence reduction of up to one year. The camp also offers literacy classes, GED preparation, and adult continuing education courses.[1]
The site has a long military history. The land was part of Camp Cooke, an Army training base opened in 1941. The Army ran a disciplinary barracks there. The Bureau of Prisons took over the property in the 1950s and built out the federal complex that stands today.[4]
The Lompoc Complex
FPC Lompoc does not stand alone. It is one piece of the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex, which has multiple institutions on a single large property.[1]
The complex has gone through a major change in recent years. The site once held the United States Penitentiary, Lompoc, a medium-security prison that opened in 1959 and housed medium-custody inmates for about two decades. The Bureau converted that institution to lower security. It now operates as FCI Lompoc II, a low-security facility.[5] A second low-security institution, FCI Lompoc I, also operates at the complex.[4]
The minimum-security camp is the lowest custody level on the property. It sits adjacent to FCI Lompoc II. Camp inmates are kept separate from the low-security population and are not housed inside the main institution.[6]
Notable Inmates
The Lompoc complex has held several well-known federal inmates over the decades. Some served at the minimum-security camp. Others were held at the penitentiary or low-security institutions on the same property.
- Mossimo Giannulli is a fashion designer and the husband of actress Lori Loughlin. He pleaded guilty in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions case and received a five-month sentence. He reported to Lompoc in November 2020. After an extended COVID-19 quarantine at the penitentiary, he was moved to the minimum-security camp on January 13, 2021, and finished his term there.[2][7]
- H.R. Haldeman was White House Chief of Staff under President Richard Nixon. He served roughly 18 months at Lompoc for his role in the Watergate conspiracy.[8]
- Reed Slatkin co-founded the internet provider EarthLink. He was convicted of running a large Ponzi scheme and pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. He served time at Lompoc.[8]
- Ivan Boesky was a Wall Street arbitrageur convicted in the 1980s insider trading scandal. Reporting on the Lompoc complex lists him among its former inmates.[9]
Location and Visitation
FPC Lompoc is at 3901 Klein Blvd, Lompoc, CA 93436. The camp is in Santa Barbara County on California's central coast. Vandenberg Space Force Base is next door. The drive from Los Angeles is about 175 miles.[1]
The Bureau of Prisons publishes current visiting days, hours, and rules on the institution's official page. Visitors must be on an inmate's approved list before they can visit. Dress codes, identification rules, and item restrictions apply. Schedules change, so visitors should confirm the current policy before traveling.[1]
For full and current visiting information, check the institution's official BOP page: Official BOP Page.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "FCI Lompoc II". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Mossimo Giannulli loses bid to finish prison term at home".Associated Press.2021-01-26.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "FCI Lompoc II Low-Security Prison". Prison Professors. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Federal Correctional Complex, Lompoc". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "Lompoc's Federal Penitentiary Switching to Housing Low-Security Inmates".Noozhawk.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "Lompoc Federal Prison Camp: What to Expect". White Collar Advice. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "Mossimo Giannulli Released From Prison Early, Finishing Sentence Under Home Confinement".Variety.2021-04-03.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "United States Penitentiary, Lompoc: History and Facilities". Prison Locator. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
- ↑ "Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc II". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-06-03.