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The trip to federal prison - from court to your new bed (Flying Con-Air) [Archive] - Prison Talk

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Prison Talk > U.S. REGIONAL FORUMS > FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM > Federal Prison Self Surrendering Information > The trip to federal prison - from court to your new bed (Flying Con-Air)

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David

02-29-2004, 04:16 PM

This post is in response to Prisongirl's question in this thread:
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=450167#post450167

This post is about what you can expect if you are taken into custody after sentencing in the U.S. Federal System. It assumes that you are not self-surrendering and covers where you will be staying, how you will get there and the designation process while in custody. This isn’t a guarantee that it is how your “trip” will occur, but it is what happens to most people.

From court you will be taken back into a "hold-over" or "trial cell" in the federal building. How long you will have to wait there depends on what time your court appearence is set for but I don't recall ever hearing of anyone spending the night in one of these.

At the end of the day, once everyone that is there has finished with court, the Marshal's will chain you all up for transport. What this means is you will be shackled at your ankles with leg-cuffs that will let you sort-of walk, but never run. You will have leather (usually) or a chain belt around your waist that your handcuffs will hook though, making it so that your hands don't get far from your waist. Personally, I like this MUCH more than being handcuffed from behind. I don't like being handcuffed at all but the point is that you will be somewhat comfortable. The U.S. Marshal's never just cuff you in front and leave your legs free. They have a serious protocol that they stick to.

Once everyone is chained up, they will lead you down to a van or bus. If it is only one or two of you then you may ride in a car. That depends on the number of people and how much business the feds are doing in your district.

Where will you go? It depends on if there is a (FDC) Federal Detention Center in your city. This may also be called a (MDC) Metropolitan Detention Center or something else similarly federal in name. However, in many federal districts, they don't do enough "business" to have a dedicated federal detention center so they contract space with local county jails. In most cases, the accommodations in these SUCK. I spent a little over 2 months in a federal contract facility in Montgomery Co., Texas and it was not a good situation. We were treated worse than the regular country prisoners. No trusty jobs were available to fed prisoners.. Visits were 15 minutes through a Plexiglas window, etc. In compare to federal detention centers, the treatment was crap! Fortunately for us, the new Houston FDC was opened and I believe I was the 14th prisoner to walk in there. It was heaven compared to the Montgomery County dungeon.

So, you could end up in a FDC/MDC after sentencing if they have one in your area or you could end up in a county jail that is contacted for prisoners. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure this out if you want to know. Call the federal courthouse where you were sentenced and ask them were federal prisoners are housed, and if they have a federal detention center or a contract facility with the county.

So, you end up at one place or another. Plan on being there from a day to a month.. Probably closer to 2 weeks max. while they purchase your tickets. :)

Unless something has changed that I am not aware of, you will be going to Oklahoma City for 2 weeks to a month following your stay at whichever detention center. Unless you are fairly close to Ok. City, you can plan on flying Con-Air. I'll consider you are not close to Oklahoma City and tell you about Con-Air.

Con-Air is not just a movie; it is a true federal transport. Of course, they don't fly old military cargo carriers, but they are almost as bad, or at least they feel like it!

When you get transported via "Con-Air", you know you are in some serious crap. Before it is the standard jail and transport BS. When you pull up on this plane you know you are dealing with the U.S. "justice" system and how serious they are about it.

There is a ring of guards surrounding the airplane with assault shotguns and automatic rifles. You will never see one of these people smile. They are serious as hell and I suspect very ready to shoot at a seconds notice and with little provocation. I have never heard of a Con-Air takeover by anyone but they act as if they are guarding the President of the U.S. himself. Actually, when you see the president get on his plane, he and the plane do not look like they are completely surrounded by storm-troopers. Con-Air does and being the prisoner and seeing all of this was the first true sign of the feds for me and how serious they are about security and not losing a prisoner. It doesn't matter if you are going to be with them for 4 months or 50 years, they treat everyone the same. Not necessarily bad but just very serious.

Before you get on the plane they shake you down good. They make you shake out your hair, open your mouth, etc. Everything short of a cavity check, though some people may get that, though it isn’t the norm, nor is it done on the airport tarmac.

One at a time you walk up the rear of the planes stairs, into the tail of the airplane.

Before I go any further, I should mention that there are a number of different planes that the U.S. Marshal’s Service uses. The one that I rode on was an OLD Boeing 727 that had paisley designs from what I would guess is the 1960’s inside. These planes are not the nice shining new and well maintained jets you see at the airport. I have seen three of them and they were either white or grey with a thin red or blue stripe down the plane. You would probably think they were a cargo or mail plane if you saw one. Inside and out you will see duct or metal tape. Maintenance, especially aesthetic is not that good. They also have single and twin engine planes, and a few LearJets. I’ve heard that most all of these have been seized. I may try to do a report on “Con-Air” sometime in the future but for this article, I think I have covered it enough. Bottom line; don’t think you are going to get a Business-First ticket.. There are none.

The female prisoners are generally kept way forward in the plane and away from the men. Everyone is usually in a foul mood from being on a plane all day long, cuffed and shackled. It’s not a fun ride and to be honest, though I love to fly, I was a big nervous about being locked down in a plane such as this..

Depending on where you are being picked up from and what time, you may only be on the plane for an hour or so or you may be on it 12 or more hours. Either way, you are ready to get off when you land in Oklahoma City! You won’t be making another road trip because the feds have a terminal there at the airport for the transit center! Oklahoma City is the home of Con-Air so why not keep it simple for them.

The transit center is basically a large Federal Detention Center where they keep most people while figuring out where they are going to place you. I personally have never been there but from all the people I did time with, along with someone close to me, the time you will stay there is from 1 to 4 weeks while they get your paperwork finished and find you an open bed, hopefully at the institution closest to your family.

I’m not for sure, but I don’t think you can purchase commissary there. Con-Air does not take anything of yours, so commissary would be a pain anyways. You are allowed to make phone calls, write and receive letters, etc. There are TV’s to watch and recreation areas, if you want to call them that.. Mostly exercise bikes. You can smoke too.

Once you get your designation, you are back on a reverse trip. You probably will fly Con-Air back out unless the prison you are going to stay at is close to Oklahoma City. They will take you to the closest point to the prison that they can land and then the Marshals will drive you the rest of the way.

When you get to the prison, you may have to wait in Segregation a few days if a bed isn’t immediately open. You will go through R&D (Receiving and Discharge) and get a minor physical. They will take blood. You then will get screened, usually by your unit team, if they are not too lazy to show up. (Mine didn’t.. only one person) They will ask about co-defendants if you have them, gang affiliations, etc.. etc.. Then, after they run you through the intake process, they will send you to a unit. They will assign you a room and you get to meet your new cellie or cellies, depending on how you are going to be housed.

Fed-X

prisonkids

03-01-2004, 04:14 PM

Woa, Flashbacks...

Very accurate David. I was on seven seporate con air flights, including the Southern route (through AZ) and Nothern Route (through ID). Could not believe the security. At one time on the way to the Pueblo airport (Colorado), one of my leg iron links got caught and wedged in a crack, getting on the buss. Several gaurds tried to pull it loose, but they finally determined they would need to remove one leg iron to free it. I was imediately surrounded by four gaurds each with Mossberg shotguns pointed directly at me. He had the inmates clear an area around me, and told me he was now going to take one leg iron off, and that if I made any sudden moves, they would shoot me.:eek:

Talk about security. I could not believe the airports. Idaho was probably the scariest looking. Most places had shotguns, they had M16's. I did want to add, that if anyone knows of someone waiting for transport, tell them that before they get on the plane, USE THE BATHROOM (while in holding), and don't drink too much of the liquids on the plane, because using the restroom on the plane is no fun. They do not remove your cuffs (or black box, if you get one) for any reason. Your cuffs are secured to the front of your bellychain. You must eat that way, and use the restroom that way as well. When you use the restroom, they do not close the door, but will help you pull your clothes down/up, if they are nice. It is a very degrading experience. It happened my first flight, and all the others, I drank no fluids , and ate very little, until I got where I was going.

Anyway, that was a very thurough interpertation of what I experienced as well. Good job David.

Robert-

offpaper

03-04-2004, 09:07 PM

One of my trips on Conair was from Larado TX to Milam MI to McDill AFB to Miami FL to Atlanta GA. It was a long day to be chained up.

David

03-04-2004, 09:46 PM

Thanks Robert.
I forgot to mention the bathroom and "meal" accomodations while in flight. Your right on the money, you DON'T want to use the restroom. I unfortunately decided I needed to check it out (I did have to go) and it is hard to 'leak' with your head mashed up on the bulkhead all shackled up.. I'll never forget that..

Eating isn't much fun either.. They give you those little.. what are they called..? the crackers with fillings.. and the juice does go right to your blatter and fast.

Robert or Off-Paper, if you have anything else to add to this or about the feds, please do so.. I know I left out a lot of details and would be glad for you all or any other ex-feds to fill them in.

Thanks,
David

offpaper

03-07-2004, 09:15 AM

David,

On one trip, I was about the only non La Eme on the flight. These were some hard dudes and the BOP had decided to scatter them far and wide, so it was about a twelve hour flight with many, many, stops.

The 'stewardesses', US Marshalls who all looked like they just heard about Jody at their house, passed out boxed lunches. Inside the white cardboard box was two baloney sandwiches, a pack of peanutbutter crackers, and an apple. This was haute cuisine compare to what I was fed at the county jail. Within minutes we were quietly swapping food (no talking permitted, but the Marshalls were cool and let us help the blackboxed men, sitting on the aisles, with their food) and I was learning the Spanish words for sandwich, peanutbutter crackers, and apples.

Another point, if you know US geography, you may be able to tell where the plane is going and where you have landed. The Boeing 727 averages about 400 MPH. Over the midwest, where there are many 1 mile squares (sections) you can fine tune your groundspeed by picking a point on the wing and count how many sections pass that point in ten or fifteen seconds - one thousand one, one thousand two, etc.and then do the math. If you can see airports on the ground, keep in mind small ones have runways about a mile long and big airports have runways about two miles long - remember, these are rough numbers, but better than nothing) You can guess the general direction by the sun. Get time checks by looking at the Marshall's watches when they walk by - and they are always walking by. You will have plenty of time to do this as you won't be distracted by the 'stewardesses' offering constant coffee,beverage, or snack service and you won't be reading boring articles in the Conair inflight magazine.

Seriously, there is something very scary about being chained hand, foot, and waist, and being on an airplane. If something happens, it would be very easy to be very dead. And except for your family and real friends, nobody will give a damn.

Lastly, I wonder where they get the pilots for these airplanes? The phrase 'check ride' must be foreign to them. The approaches and landings they shot would not get most of them a job in the cockpit of any legitimate airline.

remiella

03-07-2004, 09:59 AM

I Flew Con-Air twice. From the Midwest to the East Coast and back. The most memorable moment was when they got us out of the bus and ready to load us up in the plane. It was in the middle of the winter, we wore short sleeve, orange shirts. They had us stand outside for 25 minutes while checking our mouths and back of our ears. I remember being cold to the bone. And surrounded by armed guards who looked for ready to shot. It made me want to shiver even more.

remiella

03-07-2004, 10:09 AM

And the actual arrival in OK FTC. Yikes. There is an endless corridor that prisoners go through, feels like a descent into the belly of the beast. It's a slow walk (belly chained and leg irons) single file and you come to a halt after 15 minutes of a descent. A platform sits at the entrance of the prison. Each prisoner gets up on the platform and has the restrains removed. The sound of the chains, metal and keys is enough to chill your blood. Then processing. Naked, body cavities searched, PPD shots, medical history (as if they don't know it already) and more holding cells. Eventually, we were led into the unit. It's a triangular set up. Seg is to the right, the rest just cells. It's gray, cement, cold, sterile and no natural light comes in there. There is nothing to do. The books that are available are cheap thrill romance, true crime and suspense dime a dozen type of books. The only thing that can keep one sane is exercise. I spend in total 2 and a half months in OK. Half of that time in lock down. It comes close to madness.Peace.

cjjack

03-07-2004, 01:40 PM

If you are female on the flight, don't drink anything! Going to bathroom is difficult, yes, but you also have to walk through the area where the men sit. I felt like I was running the gauntlet!! Or a piece of meat about to be devoured! It was very uncomfortable!!

MoReNoLuVzNoTtY

06-08-2004, 04:12 PM

Damn...talk about FLASHBACKS...you all really know what your talking about! :D

october54

06-23-2004, 11:38 PM

do all federal prisoners men and women have to go to ok. i need to know my niece and nephew are being sentanced soon.

justvicki

06-24-2004, 01:03 AM

Some federal inmates are allowed to self surrender. Otherwise, I do believe everyone goes through Oklahoma.

Zero

07-15-2004, 11:57 AM

I've been designated FTC-OKC, self surrender 8/11/04. I am from OKC so I'm home. I understand there is a minimum camp next to the transfer center(not sure if I'll be there or moved somewhere else)...But, I haven't been able to find anything on this camp...other than there's a camp. HELP!!!

livvy

07-28-2004, 01:25 PM

😕
My dad is in county jail awaiting sentencing in FL, he was told that he could be held in the county jail until designated or he would go to a federal holding in Tallahassee until designation.. this is the first I've heard of Conair and going through OK. Was the information my dad given wrong? I want to tell him if he may have to fly out to another state before coming back to Florida for his 'final spot'...

cjjack

07-28-2004, 01:27 PM

If he is in Florida already chances are he will be transported by van to his designation.

Gypsy Woman

10-16-2004, 05:37 PM

My friend lives in Vermont, will they be flown to OK. Is there a place back near Vermont to be sent to after OK?

latinajs

11-21-2004, 01:51 PM

Hey Fed Ex I'm new to all this and my husband is the the Miami FDC now for 3 months and sentencing is on 12/28. We live in Leesburg VA, now when they start to transfer him up north will what you say below also apply to him? He has heard horror stories about being put in the "hole" for a couple of days while in transfer?
I'm freaked out about the whole thing and want to know more. When will he be able to tell me where he is going? or when wil he be ableto call home after everything?

This post is in response to Prisongirl's question in this thread:
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=450167#post450167

This post is about what you can expect if you are taken into custody after sentencing in the U.S. Federal System. It assumes that you are not self-surrendering and covers where you will be staying, how you will get there and the designation process while in custody. This isnt a guarantee that it is how your trip will occur, but it is what happens to most people.

From court you will be taken back into a "hold-over" or "trial cell" in the federal building. How long you will have to wait there depends on what time your trial is but I don't recall ever hearing of anyone spending the night in one of these.

So, you could end up in a FDC/MDC after sentencing if they have one in your area or you could end up in a county jail that is contacted for prisoners. It shouldnt be too hard to figure this out if you want to know. Call the federal courthouse where you were sentenced and ask them were federal prisoners are housed, and if they have a federal detention center or a contract facility with the county.

So, you end up at one place or another. Plan on being there from a day to a month.. Probably closer to 2 weeks max. while they purchase your tickets. :)

Con-Air is not just a movie; it is a true federal transport. Of course, they don't fly old military cargo carriers, but they are almost as bad, or at least they feel like it!

One at a time you walk up the rear of the planes stairs, into the tail of the airplane.

Before I go any further, I should mention that there are a number of different planes that the U.S. Marshals Service uses. The one that I rode on was an OLD Boeing 727 that had paisley designs from what I would guess is the 1960s inside. These planes are not the nice shining new and well maintained jets you see at the airport. I have seen three of them and they were either white or grey with a thin red or blue stripe down the plane. You would probably think they were a cargo or mail plane if you saw one. Inside and out you will see duct or metal tape. Maintenance, especially aesthetic is not that good. They also have single and twin engine planes, and a few LearJets. Ive heard that most all of these have been seized. I may try to do a report on Con-Air sometime in the future but for this article, I think I have covered it enough. Bottom line; dont think you are going to get a Business-First ticket.. There are none.

The female prisoners are generally kept way forward in the plane and away from the men. Everyone is usually in a foul mood from being on a plane all day long, cuffed and shackled. Its not a fun ride and to be honest, though I love to fly, I was a big nervous about being locked down in a plane such as this..

Depending on where you are being picked up from and what time, you may only be on the plane for an hour or so or you may be on it 12 or more hours. Either way, you are ready to get off when you land in Oklahoma City! You wont be making another road trip because the feds have a terminal there at the airport for the transit center! Oklahoma City is the home of Con-Air so why not keep it simple for them.

Im not for sure, but I dont think you can purchase commissary there. Con-Air does not take anything of yours, so commissary would be a pain anyways. You are allowed to make phone calls, write and receive letters, etc. There are TVs to watch and recreation areas, if you want to call them that.. Mostly exercise bikes. You can smoke too.

When you get to the prison, you may have to wait in Segregation a few days if a bed isnt immediately open. You will go through R&D (Receiving and Discharge) and get a minor physical. They will take blood. You then will get screened, usually by your unit team, if they are not too lazy to show up. (Mine didnt.. only one person) They will ask about co-defendants if you have them, gang affiliations, etc.. etc.. Then, after they run you through the intake process, they will send you to a unit. They will assign you a room and you get to meet your new cellie or cellies, depending on how you are going to be housed.

Fed-X

GottheTshirt

01-31-2005, 01:46 AM

My short answer to Robert and David's run-down of Con-Air is, well, well-done!
To elaborate on a couple of points:
First, none of the planes are seized. This is one of those urban legends. They are all contract/charter planes supplied by the lowest bidder, and flown by pilots that blow the lowest numbers on the Breathalyzer. The facility is operated by the BOP, but your transport is done via the U.S. Marshalls. They have a multitude of planes in their inventory (I was transported one-way from Kentucky to OKC-FTC once in a Sabre, often confused with a Lear). I have been in several of their aircraft, and they DO NOT inspire confidence.

Second, upon arrival, the plane taxis to the gate, and spills its contents (you) onto the jetway (just like a real airport) and you walk down the ramp into the prison. You'll be herded into a couple of the larger holding cells (one toilet, thank you very much) and given some forms and a golf pencil with which to fill them out. The rest of the processing is as the others described.

Third, FYI, look out your window as you taxi toward the facility. If you see another plane similar to the one you are in, get ready to wait an extra hour or so. If you get there before the other plane, figure about four hours to make it to a cell.

Fourth, you are going to one of three places. To population, SHU, or to suicide watch because you told them something stupid. To begin with suicide watch, I participated in the "Companion Watch" program at the FTC (I was cadre there, for those who don't know me) and I can tell you, it ain't nothin' nice. If they think you're going to whack yourself, you will NOT be shipped until the powers that be decide you've become stable. Further, you will be sitting buck-nekkid in the coldest cell down in medical with no sheets, eating food with your fingers. Yes, that means beans and cole-slaw, too. If you don't know if you're going to SHU, look down. If you are one of the few wearing a black box, odds are, you're going to SHU. If you've ever had an escape on your record, and it's recent, you're going to SHU. If you said something retarded to one of the Marshall's, it's an even money bet. If you've been designated there, you're going to SHU, and will be there four to ten days. Longer, perhaps, if you arrive during some holiday. Most will be going to population. Trust me, this is where you want to be. It's the Sleepy Hollow of all prison destinations. It is boring beyond belief for a first-timer, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again, boring is good. Would you rather be in an exciting prison? It's still fairly new, clean for the most part, and hey, they have cable. There are at least four TV's in each POD dedicated to a different station. They are all two-man cells with a (get this, for you guys coming from county) a real (not stainless) toilet! Yes! And a real sink that when you turn on the water, it stays on! Alas, you can't adjust the temperature in the shower, but this isn't a perfect world.

Fifth, I left there not too long ago, and you could still smoke. They had already posted a memo that smoking would be banned after the first of the year, even for cadre. You cannot buy commissary there unless you are cadre. You can sign up to be a dorm orderly, and if you make it by being there long enough, they have a limited store list that you may purchase from. Mostly cookies and popcorn.
Sixth, you are quite safe there. There are cards and some board games, but you can just get a book and go back to your cell and shut the door. You will probably have a roomie, but he's going to be asleep or doing the same thing you are. If you have a problem with your new cellie, find someone else to room with, and ask the guard to move you. At the FTC it's pretty simple, because all they have to do is switch your ID card from one cell to another. Most of the guards there are O.K., and I never heard of a guard refusing a cell swap unless they were full. They DO NOT want any conflicts. The guards there are laid-back, and you'll probably see at least one asleep during his/her shift.

Last, when the FTC first opened, it had the best food in the BOP, and quite a bit of it. That has changed. For those of you coming from a county jail, it will probably seem gourmet, but it has gone downhill pretty fast. It is slightly better for cadre, but not much. The upside is they still serve you two trays at lunch and dinner. A hot tray and a cold tray. Saturday and Sunday is sort of a continental breakfast, then brunch--eggs, fried potatoes, maybe biscuits and gravy Saturday, pancakes or waffles Sunday.

One final message to my fellow Okies...If you are from Oklahoma, have the judge request El Reno. It will do more good than no request at all. Point being, you do not want to do your time as cadre in the FTC. There is no yard, no real rec, no education, no free arts/crafts, etc. Wherever you can get to is going to be better. As a holdover, it ain't too bad. Hope this helps someone out there.
Kevin

MsVicki

01-31-2005, 05:04 AM

What about when you are released in another state (other then you live in)? Do they fly you back the same way? Or do you just get released there and find your own way home?

walkingtourist

01-31-2005, 01:49 PM

What about when you are released in another state (other then you live in)? Do they fly you back the same way? Or do you just get released there and find your own way home?
No, they'll give you a bus ticket.

cjjack

01-31-2005, 01:54 PM

Kevin, thanks for the info!!

One question- do you rememebr the inmate "telephone?"

susieq413

02-26-2005, 06:25 PM

A friend of mine was recently in Tampa, and then sent to Tallahassee until they can get him into Coleman.
Someone please help me. My boyfriend is about to be sentenced on March 18th. Federal - Charge: growing over 100, but not more than 200 marijuana plants. His points are at 17, but he has some kind of safety valve. Does anyone have any idea of what kind of sentence he can expect. Half-way house, boot camp, or house arrest - are these an option. I know that with Federal, there is no probation. Is it strictly federal prison time though, or do any of the options above apply??????

coping

03-22-2005, 08:42 PM

I have a question here, If an inmate is in OKlahoma Transit Center, by Con Air, when will they show up on the BOP? You said they can call home, how, when? collect? I thought their phone list had to be approved, or is that later when they get to their final destination? My son may be there tonight, don't know. I know the Marshalls took him to Memphis today, I am assuming he went Con Air to Oklahoma, but have no idea. I know he had money on the books at the county jail he was at when he left today, I assume the Marshalls have it, and it will follow him. From what I have read here, if he is in general population, it is not that bad. Right?

ajap

03-22-2005, 09:03 PM

Ya know? I think all of this varies; from the type of plane, where you're going and so on. The place I was on had the bathroom in the front so women did NOT have to walk through the men, but MANY of the "female" were not happy about this. They wanted to walk through the guys.....

tomsfriend

03-23-2005, 11:30 AM

My friend was in 2 different county contract jails within CA and ended up in CA federal prison without ever having to be flown anywhere. His only times in MDC were court days. Those were bad enough, especially the day the officers decided to stop for a couple of hours at Starbucks on the drive back leaving him in the back of the cruiser.

After reading these stories I am going to say many prayers of gratitude ... and of hope that he stays where he is till this is over.

jamalsister

03-23-2005, 02:27 PM

My brother was sentenced in North Carolina, will he have to go to Ok before he is sent to his designated prison?

MsVicki

03-23-2005, 06:40 PM

tomsfriend........Yes, I'm hoping my honee stays put til his time is up too. Otherwise he might meet the ConAir jet too! (Plus worse conditions.)

Bob Willy

04-23-2005, 04:54 PM

my girl old Lady is due to enter the Fed. system for a year and a day. Whats the day about?

ElJay

05-31-2005, 10:02 PM

my girl old Lady is due to enter the Fed. system for a year and a day. Whats the day about?

Bob Willy:

The extra day is a favor the judge did her. If you get one year or less, you get no "good time". The day actually saves about a month and a half (13 days, actually) of confinement (you get 15% good time from the Feds but they interpret the law as being against the time actually spent, so you don't get the full 15% off your sentence. Multiply months sentenced by .871111).

ElJay

Houston5304

07-11-2005, 01:34 AM

Fed-X, the chain of events you stated were very in line with what Luis, my fiance went through, except for the ending. FTC Seagoville, detention, FTC Oklahoma, Transfer, and then to CI Big Springs Texas (we had thought it was going to be FCI but turned out to be CI).

Instead of segregation and questioning of gang affliliations, medical etc, then put him into a dorm right away. Due to tattoos from his long ago past affliliation with a street gang in LA, he was attacked and beaten by 5 other inmates. I am assuming these inmates were members of one of the Texas prison gangs I've researched on the web that are rivals with California gangs but I don't know for sure.

Why didn't the BOP, knowing about his tattoos and past life, choose a more appropriate facility that didn't have this type of inmate population that would put my guy in danger. Luis has no desire to associate with any type of gang including any in CA. But due to tattoos its not easy for him to go unnoticed.

His letter was brief, stated he would explain more to me when I visited which it sounds like its going to be more restrictive and less frequent. My god the guy is serving a sentence for illegal reentry, has no past violence and yet now it appears he has been placed in a SHU (Cedar Hill SHU III, Big Springs TX) not because he did anything wrong but because he is a security risk. How unfair is that!

He wants me to contact Public Defender and even the Judge to see if we can somehow get a transfer to another facility approved that he can be part of the general population without being in danger. His last sentence said he is afraid for his life if he stays there.

What can I do, who should I talk to? I don't want to get the warden or the facility management upset and possibly make it more difficult on Luis? But will contacting them directly before I contact court be effective?

Your advise would be so appreciated. I have placed two different threads on this issue and while people seem to view it no one has replied. They either don't know anything about this situation or they are leery to get involved maybe.

Thanks Fed X.

Lois in Dallas😕 😕

This post is in response to Prisongirl's question in this thread:
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=450167#post450167

This post is about what you can expect if you are taken into custody after sentencing in the U.S. Federal System. It assumes that you are not self-surrendering and covers where you will be staying, how you will get there and the designation process while in custody. This isnt a guarantee that it is how your trip will occur, but it is what happens to most people.

So, you end up at one place or another. Plan on being there from a day to a month.. Probably closer to 2 weeks max. while they purchase your tickets. :)

Con-Air is not just a movie; it is a true federal transport. Of course, they don't fly old military cargo carriers, but they are almost as bad, or at least they feel like it!

One at a time you walk up the rear of the planes stairs, into the tail of the airplane.

Depending on where you are being picked up from and what time, you may only be on the plane for an hour or so or you may be on it 12 or more hours. Either way, you are ready to get off when you land in Oklahoma City! You wont be making another road trip because the feds have a terminal there at the airport for the transit center! Oklahoma City is the home of Con-Air so why not keep it simple for them.

Fed-X

Houston5304

07-11-2005, 01:54 AM

Your excellent info is much appreciated. 2 questions:

1. What is a cadre?

2. When you were saying that one area was the best option to be housed in, what were you referring to? SHU or general population?

My fiancee just arrived in Big Springs to the CI not the FCI however. He was attacked and beaten by 5 other inmates because he had a tattoo identifying him from CA. Looks like he is now housed in SHU. Stated he'd be in there for about 18 months? Is he better off in this area? If he doesn't get store, then how can he buy phone minutes so we can talk? Where can I get more info on Big Springs CI, Cedar Hill SHU III? Very limited info on the BOP website compared to the FCI"s?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Lois in Dallas

Homiegirl

07-12-2005, 10:15 AM

Ok my loved one just flew con air a few days ago from CA to OTC. He told me about all the millions of armed guards standing around the plane, and how crazy it was. He said it was a regular airplane...not like the one Nicholas Cage rode in Con-Air. He wasnt chained to the ground or anything but he was shacled around the ankles and had the waist chains on. He said they fed him a turkey sandiwch, crackers and a bottled water. More the airlines give you when we r paying for a ticket to travel, Overall he didnt complain much at all. He even said how nice OTC is, how good the food is and clean it is and overjoyed he can smoke. 93cents for a pack of smokes...crazy!!! Mind u he came from a county jail tht the feds have a contract with, he was in the hole and it was hell...much like David described. OTC is liek the Hilton!!!!!!

GottheTshirt

10-19-2005, 05:16 AM

Lois in Dallas,

Please forgive me. I often don't read the previous postings (regarding what I've said). Cadre is a term for minimum-security inmates or trustees that make the food and make sure the toilets get flushed. They are "stationed" there. My opinion on the whole thing is simple. If it is a max security institution, they should have max inmates doing the cooking.

The Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City is a Maximum Security Institution. There should be NO minimum or medium inmates assigned there to work. After all, it is max. Now, if there were benefits, that might make a person want to volunteer to go there. I don't care. If the institution is max, then the only people allowed to work there (and be Cadre there) should be max inmates.

Oh, and general population is the best place to be housed in. You could get a roomie in SHU that could really suck.

Kevin

tbirdpoo

10-23-2005, 06:22 PM

my husband is in memphis (wtdf) they tell him they will fly himto oklahoma then to atlanta to a facility there and then to where he goes. he has been told that atlanta is a really bad place to be. does anyone have any experience with this? i would really appreciate anything anyone knows thanks so much!!!

KPDonnelly

03-10-2006, 03:33 PM

I was in federal prison from 1990 to 1995. Then they took you to FCI El Reno when you landed and put you in a seriously decrepit cell block from the 1800's. This FTC sounds nice. I get sentenced next week so I guess I can look forward to a pleasant stay in Oklahoma this time.

Oh yeah, when I went to El Reno, I was actually just supposed to fly from Rochester, MN to Yankton, SD but they couldn't land in Yankton because of weather. They also couldn't land in a lot of other places that day. So they had about twice as many people returning to El Reno as they usually did. Talk about packed in like sardines! They had three holding cells in El Reno, all of which were literally standing room only. When they began to empty them, they didn't take a few out of each to give us some room to breathe, they completely emptied the first cell. Then the second cell. Then the third. Of Course I was in the third. It was a good four hours before they began to empty our cell. Then when we got to the cell block, it was several hours before I was finally assigned to a cot. So about the time I got in my cot, they were letting people out of their cells for breakfast.

pbcsl

10-08-2006, 11:16 PM

how does it work if you do self-surrender? Is there a web site to go and get information on federal prisons, any information from crimes commited while in prison, to how is it decided to where you go?

1Citizen

05-24-2007, 11:52 PM

I've had the experience of two con-air flights and never had to go to OK, although most I knew did have that 2-week layover. Isn't OK basically a place to wait to catch another con-air route? So it may depend on the distance to one's designated facility.

If a van or car will get you there, you probably won't have to go con-air.

Where you go depends on your security level and institution population numbers. These can be found at the BOP website.

Cobra418

06-18-2007, 01:56 PM

Are all people who are not allowed SS, transferred through otc? You mentioned otc as a max security place, are all security levels held in the same general population, or are they segregated?

marcus30

12-22-2007, 08:15 PM

I remember my travels with Con-Air, and Fed -X hit it perfectly in his description. The US Marshals mean business and will shoot first and think about it later. I was lucky enough to stay in Oklahoma City for 2 weeks, that walk off the plane was LONG. A single file line that never ended, finally being uncuffed and put in a holding cell.

Good idea to let people know what you go through if you do the BOP headache Fed-X

fancyone

01-06-2008, 04:54 AM

This ConAir drama makes me sicker than I already was! My son has been in jail for almost a month....(denied self surrendor)...waiting for the Feds to take him to a camp near St Louis, we hope.

Does this Oklahoma deal involve people being sent to camps???? <<

We( my son and I ) are struggling to survive the hideous jail house experience. My son has been cold and hungry and taunted by cretin ,low life guards that I wouldnt allow to mow my yard ! Where are you BOP?? Where are you ,those in command of good sense and decency ?? My kid is sitting in a 3X5 for a long, sad month.

Now, we have to endure this crazy flying around with guns and belly chains for a kid with a 24 months sentence? I dont know how to best prepare him for this sort of travelling. Or waiting in another cell somewhere in an Oklahoma prison. Please, Help us?

As Ive said.....we understand "crime and punishment". We do not understand even mild torture. I now understand repeat offenders. If a person isnt damaged enuf , the BOP makes sure they destroy all hope, dignity, and sanity in a persons soul. I now also understand people who are considered "flight risks". If I had known.........if I had known........

Once again.......does anyone know if they will fly my kid around and jail him up even longer ? When does this Camp ever start?????

I sent a bright, loving boy into all this. I pray that I get back a sane and kind son. He sold some dope to a bartender friend. He might as well have robbed 10 banks and knocked off a few dozen people for the way he is treated. I dont get it and Im so damned mad !

Sorry for being ugly ......and hateful. When he hurts, I hurt. Im venting but I d really appreciate any info from anyone who has survived prsion. God bless you ,is all I can say!!

waiting75

01-06-2008, 02:10 PM

The more I read on this site the sicker it makes me!! The BOP is such a mess!! What they get away with is discusting and we have no say and no control over any of this. I no longer feel that we live in a free country.

sancrete

03-22-2008, 08:19 PM

Funny-- I am a pilot, have worked ConAir charter flights. That is, my employer (a small part 131 operator) chartered Piper Navajos. I was not flightcrew in that department so I refuelled the planes. Max of six passengers, I think, two of which are guards. Those were on-plane, the ground unit was much larger.

Now I likely will be a passenger...

GottheTshirt

03-22-2008, 10:01 PM

That is bizarre...I'm wondering if you knew because of your pilot status the BOP restricts where you can be held? Like no Air Force Base camps?

Did you see anything you remembered? Or were you chartered outside of Oklahoma?

Good luck... .

faddy555

03-22-2008, 10:12 PM

my guy told me about being out on the tarmac at Harrisburg International Airport like it's a freakin' Bruce Willis movie

every one shackled after busrides from hell that included a breakdown in 90+degree heat.

flat tire, any one of them could have fixed it but they sat there for hours...

sancrete

03-22-2008, 11:34 PM

That is bizarre...I'm wondering if you knew because of your pilot status the BOP restricts where you can be held? Like no Air Force Base camps?

Did you see anything you remembered? Or were you chartered outside of Oklahoma?

Good luck... .

Thanks for the positive vibes. For the record, I meant "Part 121 operator" in my post.

Do not have any such details. This operator is based at North Las Vegas airport so the hops were short. Reasonable considering the aircraft. Departure times were very early in the morning, just after dawn usually, and security was as described but on a smaller scale. Never saw any indication of "attitude" in the passengers... most appeared too tired to do anything.

Had I been there longer I would have flown those routes. The guys who did were studious about "flying the airplane." No interactions with inmates, that is given, and only official conversation with the escorts.

One point: Non-aviators get airsick on those small planes. The shackles almost guaranteed a very uncomfortable, post-puke flight for all involved. That is, aim was seriously impacted.

I may just have more personal experience soon. Not sure how I will react if I know or have worked with the pilots.

toy_girl

03-23-2008, 12:03 AM

I remember going to federal court from the county jail in Ohio. It was a pain, but pretty simple. Well, when I got arrested and I had the Sheriff's, Secret Service and US Marshalls all in my front yard and room that was like the scariest thing for me, but when they took me to jail they didn't handcuff me and I sat in the front see with the Sheriff dude. Then when the Secret Service came to get me from the county jail I guess I was one of the first people to have my county, state charges all dropped and federal to take over so it took awhile but I was 7 months pregnant at that time and when the Agents were doing a pat search on me before we headed out to federal court 20 miles away they said to me, "Now we're going to handcuff you in the front and we never do this for anyone, so you're not going to do anything stupid are you?" So, ya, they never handcuff anyone in the front with just cuffs, but I got lucky and they handcuffed me in the front with no belly chain or on my ankles. So, it was alright. Then like a mile away from leaving the jail we got pulled over by a cop and the secret agent i was with was so upset cussing and being rude to that officer and ya, it was great. They were really cool with me. They were relaxed with me until like we almost hit the courtroom in the federal building and then they were strict and when i was released on bond they was way cool with me. lol... Ya, it was very interesting. My first time every being in trouble ever and it was with the Secret Service/Marshalls and wow! What an experience.. lol... Well, just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in on about the handcuffs in the front from Fed-X's first comment posted. I don't know how do the quotes, but thought I'd share my experience.. Some of it anyway.. lol...

QBAN C

03-24-2008, 12:45 AM

Do The Men Say Anything To The Women As They Go To The Bathroom?? Any Contact???
How Do The Women Go To The Bathroom Male Or Female Guard???

GottheTshirt

03-24-2008, 02:18 AM

The men are "instructed" not to say anything to the females... . I spoke to one I knew, and it was like I was hitting on her. You don't want to go to the bathroom, period.

Club_Fed030

11-03-2008, 09:20 PM

oh u so have it right about conaire and being a women,,, not to menion hat umm u are shackled the whole time so dont try to even think about eaing hat morning cuz aside from the men if you have to pee or anything your basically either hoping the guard is swee hahah right or u have long hands...and walking past men with black boxes on hackeling and such how gross

Club_Fed030

11-03-2008, 09:23 PM

he guard doesnt care who or what u have done male or female....the crew is actually for the most part civil....lunch is crackers an aple and water maybe a granola and well they were eating rather well passing gummy bears and such ,...not for us the guards do not allow any convo between the men and women however I alked with 2 gentle men that were siting right behind us..I was on one of he biggest flights ever in history for he number of women taken on conaire...it was way different then first class lol

only1love

11-19-2008, 06:45 PM

I would like to know what the typical timeframe is from the day of sentencing ( while in custody at a county facility ) until the person reaches the facility? The judge specifically ordered Terminal Island. Does that mean he will certainly go there?
I heard somewhere that everyone travels on Wednesday! Is that true?
Will he still have to go via Oklahoma to Terminal Island?

Sorry for all the questions. 😕

UmmTalhah

12-08-2008, 11:45 AM

So just out of curiosity, do all inmates process in Oklahoma City? My husband is due to be transported to processing any day now. ( He thinks today because the nurse in the holding jail gave him shots on Friday and said they were leaving today. Not sure how accurate though). He is currently in N.C. Will he go to OK regardless and then be moved back closer after he is processed?

pink05

12-08-2008, 04:39 PM

Not all get to be processed through OK. My friend never got sent over to OK when he first got processed into the system. He went to MDC Brooklyn instead then went to his final destination which is Allenwood.

Club_Fed030

12-08-2008, 05:04 PM

Most do go through OK yes however if they are full or if the inmate is on a return route it maybe easier to take them to their destination instead of through OK>.. also each case is different it is difficult to say yes or no on who and why each person is transported how they are it depends on the Air marshalls and what their flights are like versus bus as many private holding institutions are opting also to start bussing inmates to a destination prison..and no just because ur judge sentenced him to that prison doesnt mean he wil go there...they will try but it factors on if he has any segs./.. and the crime and their openings at that prison

MsVicki

12-08-2008, 07:08 PM

The judge only puts down his recommendation for a certain prison. Or even a 1st and 2nd choice. But the FBOP does whatever is convient for them. Our judge had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice and he has never been in any of those facilities. They even had openings in them. Go figure.

joetnymedic

12-08-2008, 07:46 PM

i went from one court to another in our state then up to wyatt detention a private place the feds contract. what a friggin hole that was. dorms weren't all that bad but the food was beyond bad and like a tablespoon of each. chicken was like a pigeon they shot outside and brought you a leg. rec was in a little concrete room. you were patted down when you left,arrived where you were going and the same on the way back. On the way there we were crammed and i mean crammed into a van with leg shackles and belly chains and everyone had a black box no matter who you were. I stayed in that hole for 2 weeks then had the bus come take us to devens. the bus was like a tour bus so at least it was semi comfortable, steel cage seperating you from the guards, sackled black box the works. got to devens in no time as the guy was practically flying on the road, which was fine by me. got to devens got processed and i was lucky I actually went straight to a unit. devens wasn't all that great, but far from bad. while i was up there they started taking in alot of SO's and were starting up some kind of a program for them up there. most of the guys i dealt with up there were pretty cool tho. i only wound up in shu once and wound up back on my old unit. same thing for my 2 hospital stays. one for 10 days one for 16 days and all the gaurds that were at the hospital with me were really cool. they had my charges and sentence and all that and were like as long as you're cool we're cool. at first they had me shackled to the bed and cuffed but then let me out of the cuffs and only kept one leg shackled to the bed so that was pretty decent of them. they let me watch whatever i wanted on the tv and when it was time to hit the hay, they cut the lights off except a small light by them and turned the tv down. All in all they were pretty civil. there were only 2 co's my whole time there that had issues towards everyone but other than them the rest of the co's were either cool or at least professional. however no matter how cool they were, i am not looking at going back by any means.

cocolok

07-23-2011, 07:45 PM

I spent 2 1/2 months in Del Valle, Texas, (Travis County Jail), a few days in Bastrop county jail, a week in Oklahoma City FTC, a week in USP Atlanta Georgia, and then back to county jail in Chattanooga, TN. Out of all of these places, Ok FTC had the best people, and the cleanest nicest accommodations. Its not a five star hotel, but its definitely bearable. Atlanta USP was a nightmare.. and the county jails are also pretty awful. Everyone's description of the place was very accurate.

daytonagirl

08-05-2011, 05:28 PM

I was wondering if, they still send people to OC since this was created in 08....thanks

DexterThedog

08-06-2011, 02:15 AM

Yes, OK is still very active.

MiniMoose

08-06-2011, 08:49 AM

My LO visited OKC exactly a month ago.

Yes, OK is still very active.

Grace316

09-20-2011, 07:04 PM

When my loved was designated and left Florida, he showed up on the BOP as in transit. He made a stop over in OK, just over night if I remember right, but I did not hear from him until he arrived at his destination. That is only our experience. Seems like there are no two stories the same. Hope you have heard from him and if not, soon.

dcrc50

08-15-2012, 02:58 PM

What happens for people that have no flying restrictions?

fbopnomore

08-15-2012, 04:53 PM

They fly con air if that is what the Marshals decide. The only possible way to avoid that would be to get a medical diagnosis that says no flying. The downside to that is the con air transport would be replaced by the diesel therapy bus trip which, as bad as con air is, would be far worse, and much longer.

dcrc50

08-17-2012, 09:47 AM

What is diesel therapy?

fbopnomore

08-17-2012, 01:24 PM

Punishment that is not called punishment. You ride in a prison bus, handcuffed , usually "black boxed" and with terribly uncomfortable leg irons, until the bus stops for the day. You are then locked up in whatever prison/jail they have a contract with until the next morning, when you are again chained and put back on the bus. Repeat that for as long as it takes you to finally arrive where they are taking you. It was nasty enough that I still refuse to ever ride another bus.

I knew one guy who went from Anchorage Alaska to Arizona, 400 miles each day. The long trips are usually reserved for problem inmates, but any prison bus trip is awful.

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