MCC Chicago | Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago | Chicago Prison

Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago is an administrative-security federal prison located in Chicago, Illinois. It is also known as MCC Chicago and the prison in downtown Chicago. The facility houses male and female Chicago inmates.

MCC Chicago Contact Information

Facility Address & Contact Information

Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago
71 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60605

Phone: 312-322-0567
Fax: 312-347-4012
Email: [email protected]

BOP Website: Bureau of Prisons Page
Wikipedia: Wikipedia Page

Inmate Correspondence Address

MCC Chicago

Inmate Name and Registration Number
MCC Chicago
Metropolitan Correctional Center
71 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60605

How to Send Money

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

Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago Inmate Information

Inmate Gender

Male and Female Inmates

Prison Security Level

Administrative-Security Federal Prison

Facility Location

MCC Chicago is located in downtown Chicago at the intersections of Clark Street and Van Buren Street.

BOP Region

North Central Region

BOP Institution Code

CCC for MCC Chicago

Medical Care Level

Level 2. See our page on Medical Care Levels and Procedures for more information.

Mental Health Care Level

Level 2.

Judicial District

Northern District of Illinois

Population Number

MCC Chicago houses approximately 560 inmates.

MCC Chicago Prison Services Information

MCC Chicago | Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago

Background

Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago is an administrative-security federal prison located in downtown Chicago, Illinois, which houses both male and female inmates.

The 26-story high-rise primarily houses pre-trial and pre-sentence detainees. In recent years, MCC Chicago has been in the news due to women performing strip shows on the roof of an adjacent parking garage for inmate viewing.

Notable inmates include :

  • High-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel Alfredo Vasquez- Hernandez and Tomas Arevalo-Renteria (facing charges of drug trafficking)
  • Radio personality Kevin Trudeau (sentenced to 10 years for criminal contempt)
  • Thomas Zajac (serving 35 years for using a destructive device)
  • Former U.S. Representative Mel Reynolds (convicted of failure to file taxes)
  • Mumbai terror attack conspirator David Headley
  • Piper Kerman (incarcerated for drug trafficking and money laundering and the subject of the show “Orange Is the New Black”)

Media reports indicate two inmates escaped by rappelling down 17 stories, one guard has been convicted of violating security procedures, at least two guards have been charged with smuggling contraband into the institution, one inmate was hospitalized after being assaulted by two prisoners, and one case manager was held hostage by an inmate.

Inmate Housing

There are cells and dormitories for both male and female inmates.

Health Services

The Health Services Unit includes dental, medical, x-ray, and laboratory testing. Inmates receive a physical exam if they are in prison for at least 10 days. The exception to this rule concerns inmates who are being transferred to MCC Chicago from another BOP facility. Inmates with chronic medical conditions are assigned to a Primary Care Practitioner and a supervising physician. Inmates may retain non-metal, non-tinted prescription glasses in their possession at the time of arrival.

The Health Services Administrator approves contact lenses only when an MCC Chicago physician or one of their provider’s documents that prescription glasses will not address visual issues. Preventive health care services, emergency services, dental services, and medications are also provided.

Psychology Services

MCC Chicago provides initial evaluations, along with group therapy. Typical offerings include anger management. Emergency psychological care is also available.

Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP)

This facility does not house a Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). The Drug Education class, the Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program (NR-DAP), and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are available.

MCC Chicago Educational, Library, and Recreation Offerings

Education Services

MCC Chicago provides literacy, GED, and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs. The facility also offers a parenting program and Adult Continuing Education (ACE) classes. High school diplomas and post-secondary degrees are available through paid correspondence programs.

Advanced Occupational Education

MCC Chicago does not offer any advanced occupational education programs.

Vocational Training

MCC Chicago does not offer any vocational training programs.

Apprenticeship

There are no apprenticeship programs available at MCC Chicago.

Library Services

The TRULINCS Electronic Law Library gives inmates access to legal materials and the ability to prepare legal documents. A leisure library is also available, where inmates can check out fiction and nonfiction books, newspapers, and magazines.

UNICOR

MCC Chicago does not house a UNICOR facility.

Commissary

The commissary spending limit is $360.00 per month. Inmates can purchase hygiene items, food, drinks, electronics, and other items.

Recreation Services

Recreation equipment is available in each housing unit at MCC Chicago. There is an opportunity to maintain physical fitness with equipment and recreational activities. Various board games are also available in the housing units. Hobbycraft classes are held twice a week, and supplies are provided for all participants.

Visitation Information for MCC Chicago

On Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday, visiting hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. On federal holidays visiting hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. See our page on prisoner visitation rules for more information.

MCC Chicago | prison downtown Chicago

MCC Chicago in the News

In August 2018, former U.S. Representative Mel Reynolds reported to Metropolitan Correctional Center, a prison in downtown Chicago to begin serving his six-month sentence for failure to file his taxes.

In July 2018, David Headley, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison as one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai terror attacks, was attacked by two prisoners at MCC Chicago and hospitalized.

In March 2018, Rafael Lizak, a guard at MCC Chicago, was indicted for bribery and conspiracy to smuggle drugs, cell phones, and other contraband into the facility.

In June 2017, the New York Post reported that the rooftop of a parking garage across the street from MCC Chicago “is the unlikely stage for gyrating women who perform dances and other sex acts” for the prisoners.

In April 2017, Carleous Clay, who was being held at MCC Chicago on federal charges of kidnapping and attempted murder, attacked a female case manager and held her at knifepoint before he was subdued with pepper spray.

In 2017, Tommy Haire, a religious services worker at MCC Chicago, was sentenced to two years of probation for violating several security measures, including allowing prisoners to make calls on his cell phone, sending out prisoners’ letters, and letting prisoners surf the internet on his computer.

In 2013, Tony Henderson, a guard at MCC Chicago, was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of smuggling food and cigarettes into the facility for bribes of up to $10,000.

In 2012, prisoner Jose Banks and his cellmate made a rope out of bedsheets and dental floss and rappelled 17 stories down the side of the MCC Chicago building. In order to aid the escape attempt, the pair had first managed to remove their cell’s external window and the metal bar securing it. This resulted in the national policy of a weekly “bar tap,” where guards go into every cell and beat the window and metal housing with a mallet to ensure that it is still intact.

More Information About Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago

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 MCC prison in downtown Chicago, please buy a copy of the Directory of Federal Prisons: The Unofficial Guide to Bureau of Prisons Institutions by Christopher Zoukis.