USP Pollock | Louisiana Penitentiary | FCC Pollock

United States Penitentiary Pollock is a high-security federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana. It is also known as USP Pollock federal prison and FCC Pollock. The facility houses male inmates. USP Pollock Camp is located adjacent to the main institution. Male inmates are also housed at the camp.

USP Pollock Contact Information

Facility Address & Contact Information

United States Penitentiary Pollock
1000 Airbase Road
Pollock, LA 71467

Phone: 318-561-5300
Fax: 318-561-5391
Email: [email protected]

BOP Website: Bureau of Prisons Page
Wikipedia: Wikipedia Page

FCC Pollock Inmate Correspondence Address

USP Pollock

Inmate Name and Registration Number
USP Pollock
United States Penitentiary
P.O. Box 2099
Pollock, LA 71467

USP Pollock Camp

Inmate Name and Registration Number
USP Pollock Camp
Satellite Prison Camp
P.O. Box 2099
Pollock, LA 71467

How to Send Money

Funds cannot be sent directly to inmates. See our page on sending money to federal prisoners.

USP Pollack Inmate Information

Inmate Gender

Male Inmates

FCC Pollock Security Levels

Facility Location

FCC Pollock is located in central Louisiana between Highways 165 and 167, approximately 12 miles north of Alexandria.

BOP Region

South Central Region

BOP Institution Code

POL for USP Pollock, POX for Pollock Federal Correctional Complex

Medical Care Level

Level 1. See our page on Medical Care Levels and Procedures for more information.

Mental Health Care Level

Level 1.

Judicial District

Western District of Louisiana

Population Number

USP Pollock federal prison houses approximately 1,115 inmates. The camp houses around 140 inmates.

USP Pollock Prison Services Information

USP Pollock | United States Penitentiary Pollock

Background

United States Penitentiary Pollock is a high-security federal prison in Pollock, Louisiana, which houses male inmates. It opened in 2000 and is part of the Pollock Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Pollock). United States Penitentiary Pollock Camp houses male inmates and is adjacent to the main institution.

In 2018, Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and U.S. Representatives Ralph Abraham and Mike Johnson sent a letter to the Bureau’s Acting Director and Attorney General Jeff Sessions stating, in part, that “USP Pollock is one of the most dangerous facilities in the nation[.]”

Notable inmates include Richard Lee McNair (convicted of murder and robbery). McNair escaped in 2006 and was captured by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in New Brunswick, Canada, 18 months later.

Media reports indicate that inmates have killed two guards, an inmate stabbed two additional guards, five inmates have been murdered, one inmate has escaped, and one guard was indicted for attempting to smuggle drugs into the prison.

In 2018, Trendrr named USP Pollock federal prison one of the 11 most dangerous prisons in the United States. And in 2016, The Richest named the facility one of the most dangerous prisons in America.

FCC Pollack Inmate Housing

Inmates are housed in two-, three-, and four-person cells. There are 11 housing units. Inmates at the camp are housed in dormitories.

Health Services

Inmates are screened shortly after arriving at the institution. Health services include sick calls, routine medical and dental calls, emergency medical treatment, and medications. Routine care is provided through the submission of a sick call slip. Inmates must present their ID cards each time they report to Health Services. Emergency care is available 24 hours a day.

Psychology Services

Inmates meet with a psychologist for a routine intake screening within 14 days of arrival. Psychologists are available for individual psychotherapy on an as-needed basis. Crisis intervention is also available.

USP Pollock also offers the Challenge Program, a unit-based, residential treatment program stressing the acquisition and implementation of pro-social values and a non-criminal lifestyle. Also provided are the following:

  • Group Therapy
  • Individual Counseling
  • Personal Development Groups
  • Correctional Counseling
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Pre-Release Counseling

Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)

USP Pollock federal prison does not have a Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). The Drug Education Class and the Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP) are offered.

USP Pollock Educational, Library, and Recreation Offerings

Education Services

USP Pollock provides literacy, GED, and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs. Parenting and Adult Continuing Education (ACE) programs are also available. ACE courses include Conversational Spanish, Prison to Paycheck, National Geographic Classics, and United States and World History. High school diplomas and post-secondary degrees are available through paid correspondence programs.

Advanced Occupational Education

FCC Pollock offers advanced occupational education in Building Trades and Culinary Arts. Both facilities also provide Business Management, Custodial Maintenance, and Microcomputer Applications.

Vocational Training

United States Penitentiary Pollock offers no vocational training programs besides advanced occupational education programs.

Apprenticeship

USP Pollock does not offer any apprenticeship programs.

Library Services

The leisure and law libraries offer a variety of services. Fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, and newspapers are available for inmate use. An Interlibrary Loan Program is also available.

The law library offers legal material as mandated by federal law. The TRULINCS Electronic Law Library contains many legal research resources, including federal cases from every district court and circuit court. Inmates also have access to typewriters and a copy machine.

UNICOR

USP Pollock does not house a UNICOR facility.

Commissary

Maximum commissary spending is $360.00 per month. Commissary access time is based on housing unit assignment and occurs once weekly. Inmates must register their fingerprints with Commissary before shopping. All sales are conducted using fingerprint recognition. Commissary items are delivered to inmates in their housing units.

Recreation Services

Recreation at USP Pollock federal prison offers both indoor and outdoor activities:

  • Sports leagues
  • Wellness Programs
  • Music Programming
  • Ceramics
  • Leathercraft
  • Art Programs

Inside, inmates can also access an art room, leather room, basketball, stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, ellipticals, tables, ping pong, and a band room. Outside, inmates can access a small track, softball, basketball, bocce ball, horseshoes, handball, volleyball, and soccer.

Visitation Information for USP Pollock

Visitation is held between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, and Saturday. On federal holidays visitation is held between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. See our page on prisoner visitation rules for more information.

USP Pollock | USP Pollock Federal Prison

USP Pollock Prison Culture Information

Prison Politics at United States Penitentiary Pollock

There is a significant level of politics at the United States Penitentiary Louisiana Pollock Louisiana. One respondent said, “While the yard is very political, it is good politics. Mostly independent whites and Texas Hispanic groups.”

Level of Violence

Inmates report a significant level of violence.

Vulnerable Populations

Sex offenders, informants, and LGBT inmates cannot walk the yard. According to one inmate, “If you have a bad rap such as a sex crime or are a snitch or a check-in from another spot, don’t come here. Life will be hard, and you can’t stay.”

Good at USP Pollock Federal Prison

“The inmate population is straight from a political perspective.” “The officers are respectful.”

Bad at USP Pollock

“Unit teams sometimes refuse to help people get the right amount of halfway house placement.” “Not everyone gets to use the rec facility due to different housing units being assigned to specific rec yards, which have limited and different equipment from the other yards.”

Other Inmate Comments

“If you have straight paperwork and don’t mind political time, this isn’t a bad spot. But if your paperwork isn’t clean, this isn’t your place. You can’t stay and might even get beat off the yard.”

FCC Pollock in the News

USP Pollack Federal Prison

In July 2018, Charles White, already serving a life sentence at United States Penitentiary Pollock, was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison for the stabbing and murder of guards Eric Farmer and Remington Steedley.

In June 2018, Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and U.S. Representatives Ralph Abraham and Mike Johnson sent a letter to Bureau of Prisons Acting Director Hugh Hurwitz and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, which stated, in part, “USP Pollock is one of the most dangerous facilities in the nation, and there have been many acts of violence involving inmates, including against staff.”

In February 2018, Lee Adams, a prisoner at FCC Pollock, was sentenced to two additional years for involuntarily killing another prisoner when he struck the man, causing him to fall backward and fracture his skull on the concrete floor.

In January 2017, Remington Steedley, a guard at USP Pollock federal prison, and counselor Eric Farmer were killed by prisoners Charles Lee White and Marco Damon Duncan, who were both serving life sentences, after Steedley and Farmer inspected Duncan’s cell.

In May 2012, Brandon Ray Willis, a guard at Pollock Penitentiary, was sentenced to 71 months in prison after trying to conspire with an undercover agent to smuggle heroin and methamphetamines into the facility.

In November 2007, William Bullock and Donald Till, prisoners at USP Pollock, were killed in a prison fight.

In April 2007, two USP Pollock prisoners were stabbed to death.

In 2006, Richard McNair escaped from USP Pollock by hiding in a pile of mailbags but was caught 18 months later in New Brunswick, Canada.

Pollock Prison Camp

In September 2017, Raphael Torres escaped from the United States Penitentiary Pollock Camp and was recaptured in two hours.

In December 2016, Sadar Dakar Cade escaped from USP Pollock Camp.

In February 2013, Roland Castro escaped the USP Pollock minimum-security prison camp.

More Information About United States Penitentiary Pollock

For a comprehensive look at life in federal prison, pick up a copy of Christopher Zoukis’ Federal Prison Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons. For more detailed information about USP Pollock, please buy a copy of the Directory of Federal Prisons: The Unofficial Guide to Bureau of Prisons Institutions by Christopher Zoukis.