This blog is recommended for those who are interested in the federal self surrendering process. Patti is in a few support groups where she and I are helping people through this arduous process. These details relate to Lewisburg, but keep in mind most federal prison camps operate the same, so the process is likely very similar at other camps.
Contact List – Bring a contact listing with phone numbers, home addresses and email addresses (optional.) You will be the one reaching out to your contacts. This is very important.
Clothes – Wear throw away clothes. (If you wear clothes you want to keep, they can be sent to someone for no charge, but that will likely get them depressed.) In the past, Lewisburg (and likely other prison camps) would allow you to wear in gray sweats, black or white sneakers (without an air sole) and simple watches; however, currently Lewisburg is not allowing anyone to bring in any of these items.
Medications – Be sure to bring in an original prescription for any medications. They will try to best match up your medication to their BOP formulary. I don’t think you are allowed to bring in any actual medications. Luckily, I don’t take any! Patti edit-if you do take meds check them against the BOP formulary and have your doctor change them to the BOP approved med before surrender so the transition goes more smoothly)
Glasses – If you have prescription glasses, bring in two pairs. If you need replacement prescription glasses while you are here it typically takes at least four months for the eye doctor to see you and for the glasses to arrive. Reading glasses can be purchased from the commissary for $5. (Unfortunately, I need these in lower lighting!) You can bring in reading glasses (just say they are prescription glasses) but keep in mind the limit is still two pairs of glasses total.
Jewelry – You can wear a wedding band without diamonds or stones valued at less than $100. If it has stones, they will send it back to one of your contacts. You can also wear in a religious necklace or item.
Books/Magazines/Newspapers/Photos – You can bring in soft cover books and photos. Typically the limit is 6 books and 20 photos at once. I also recommend you put together lists and possibly order books, newspapers, magazines and/or photos before you arrive. Use the following address: Inmate Name, Inmate #, FPC Lewisburg, PO Box 1000, Lewisburg, PA 17837. BOPMags.com has an OK selection of magazines for a great deal – 6 annual subscriptions for about $40. Of course Amazon is a good source for books, but also Better World Books and Thrift Books have used books for as little as $15 delivered for three books. We also like to order photo cards and calendars from Shutterfly. Lots of other services work including Free Prints and Pelipost.
Phone # Parking – I was recently made aware there are services to park your # so you don’t lose it. So if you are going to be at a camp for a while and want to keep your number and don’t need to have someone monitoring your phone, this service will save you money.
Visitation – Unlike other federal prisons, Lewisburg does not automatically approve immediate family members for visits. All visitors over 18 are required to submit the form below and undergo a background check. Anyone under 18 can likely visit without being on the list per BOP policy, but I still recommend you submit the form for children. They typically take 10-14 days to be delivered and approved from the time you mail them, but it is not uncommon for them to get lost and simply not get approved. Your counselor will contact you every time new visitors are approved and provide you with an updated listing. If you want visitors ASAP, I recommend you mail in the forms a few days before you arrive. Download form BP-A0629.https://www.bop.gov/policy/forms/BP_A0629.pdf
For ‘Institution’ list – Federal Prison Camp – Lewisburg, PA. For the ‘Return to Address’ use: Correctional Counselor Even OR Odd (chose one based upon the 5th digit of your inmate ID,) FPC Lewisburg, 2400 Robert Miller Dr, Lewisburg, PA 17837-1000
Money – Consider either bringing in at least $300 cash or send in money electronically the morning you arrive. You will need money for TRULINCS (used for email or to purchase movies and music for your tablet.) Email costs 5 cents a minute on your end for reading/writing. It is free on your contacts end, except we recommend the mobile application for $6 per year. (Patti edit-It is called CorrLinks for those on the outside. It is recommended your friends and family sign up for the account as soon as or before you surrender. That way once you can get in and request them the account is active and they just need to plug in the authorization code. You must be over 18) Movies cost $3.55 or $4.70 each. Music costs a little less than $1 per song. Listening to the TV’s and local FM radio is free. You will also need money to purchase commissary items (clothes, sneakers, a tablet, snacks and personal items.) The monthly limit for commissary is $360 and renews monthly on your revalidation date(This date is figured out by multiplying your fifth number by 3 and adding 1. So if your number is a 1 your commissary and phone minutes replenish on the 4th, a 2 the 7th, a 3 the 10th and so on) TRULINCS purchases do not count towards this limit. It is common for a new arrival to max out this limit for the first month or two. Up to $300 can be sent at a time via Western Union. All Walmart’s offer Western Union and you can also just go online. There is a fee of about $10 for $300. ($9.95 for $150-300 and $8.95 for up to $150)Keep in mind whoever sends money will need your federal inmate number( And if you do it in person at Walmart it is considered a bill pay and not sending someone money)
Commissary – Shopping occurs once a week. At Lewisburg starting October 1st for three months, inmates with an even number as their 5th digit of their inmate number shop on Tuesdays and odd numbers shop on Wednesdays. If you plan on arriving on a shopping day and want the possibility to shop that day, I recommend you arrive around 10 am and be sure to send money via Western Union, since it posts within minutes. Attached to this blog is the current commissary listing. Please note it is common for items to be out of stock. Currently almost all of the items are out of stock, but we’re told stock is starting to come back in. This makes it challenging for new arrivals when they need items like sneakers. Luckily, many inmates have been kind enough to provide new arrivals with used sneakers or loaned sneakers.
Lunch – Eat lunch before your arrival( Patti suggests a hearty meal- there are lots of fast food places right off of Route 15 right in Lewisburg-there is also a Walmart where you can send money via Western Union. I sent $300 cash right after Jim surrendered) Weekday lunch is served at 10:30 and ends around 11. It typically takes 1-2 hours to be processed.
Arrival time – Be sure to report before 2pm or the Marshals will be notified. I recommend reporting at noon, which is good timing to get processed and for a smooth experience. Keep in mind the CO’s who process you typically end their shift around 2pm. If you happen to report late on a Friday, over the weekend or on a holiday, you will be placed in the special housing unit (SHU) until the next weekday. This is not fun!
Directions – When driving to Lewisburg camp do not follow Google Maps, because they will take you in the back entrance, which can be confusing. Be sure to go past the hospital on Rt 15 south and make a right at the light after the car dealership onto (William Penn Rd?) At the end of the road is the medium security prison with a wall around it. Make a right and then another right at the sign for Camp. Then go into the visitor entrance on the left.
Strip Search – Upon arrival you will be strip searched and given one set of camp clothes and canvas shoes. You will also be fingerprinted, your picture will be taken and then you will be given an ID.
Medical Screening – You will meet with a physician assistant (PA) for an initial medical screening and a TB screen, which requires a reading two days later. There is no quarantine for TB.
Counselor Meeting – You will meet with your counselor who will go over paperwork, ask you to sign some forms, provide a little information about visitation and other things and then they will assign you a bunk and ask you to wait on a bench.
Clothes and Bedding – After waiting on the bench for a while, a commissary CO and inmate who works in commissary will give you boots, clothes, a jacket, sheets, blankets, towels and a personal hygiene bag. Once you get these items someone will typically show you to your cube, where you typically need to find a mattress with the assistance of another inmate or CO.
Computer and Phone codes and Email – I recommend you return to your counselor or case manager before 2pm and nicely ask if they can provide you with your personal access code (PAC) and pin. You can ask another inmate for assistance with this. These are needed to sign into a computer. Once you have this info, go to the computers, try logging in and add your contacts, then complete both surveys within a day or two. After you add each contact, an email is sent to them to register an account. The surveys are required to start earning monthly First Step Act (FSA) credits. Then go to ‘Account Transactions’ on the PC to confirm your commissary account balance and revalidation date. Once there is money in there, click ‘Manage TRULINCS’ and purchase units so you can use email. Please note: often it takes one day for your computer access to start working.
Phones – Typically start working after a day or two. To setup your account dial 111# then after the tone enter your PAC. It will prompt you to state your name, which is used for approval of every call, and also prompt you to say ‘United States of America’ which is used for voice recognition before each call. Calls last for up to 15 minutes and you need to wait 30 minutes between calls. Calls are free and you get 540 minutes each month, renewing on your revalidation date. There is no option to purchase extra minutes, so use them wisely. Dial 118#, PAC, then option 5 to check your balance and be sure to use all your minutes before your revalidation date. Keep in mind your first 540 minutes will likely expire in less than a month( So as an example Jim surrendered on November 1st. His fifth digit is a 2 so his revalidation date is the 7th. So he had 540 minutes to use from November 1-November 6th. He couldn’t use the phone until November 3rd so he made lots of calls to everybody those first few days. The minutes don’t carry over if you don’t use them all)
Make Friends – I recommend you walk around and introduce yourself and ask questions to neighbors or inmates in camp areas you are interested in. Inmates are typically very welcoming, since they were once in your position. They will often give you some items or help answer questions and don’t expect anything in return. Simply Pay it Forward after you get acquainted. Plan to be back in your cube for 4pm count. Count is typically cleared around 4:30 after that they call ‘Food Service Workers’ over the loudspeakers. Dinner typically takes place around 5pm.
Job – Every inmate needs to be assigned a job. During orientation (A&O) which is done about once a month on a Wednesday, they will ask you to get back to them by the following Monday with your requested job. I recommend you start asking other inmates about jobs ASAP. Once you find a job you like that happens to have an opening, get a paper form called a Request to Staff (Cop-out,) complete it and then ask your friend to have their manager sign off on it. If they hand it back to your friend, bring it to A&O or give it to your counselor after A&O. If you don’t request a job, they typically assign you an AM dishwashing job that starts at 6am or snow removal (if arriving during the fall or winter.) Most camp jobs start paying $5 to $40 per month and often don’t get much higher over time.
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