Federal Prison Primer

In 2015, I was charged and ultimately sent to prison for the Orwellian charge of “Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act” for freeing thousands of mink from fur farms. I served a two year sentence in federal prison. I wrote this for others facing repression so that they may prepare for prison life.

Other than the time I’ve spent in the SHU (Solitary), being transported was the most stressful part of my experience while incarcerated. I was held at six different federal prisons / holdover facilities over the twenty-one months I was incarcerated. That’s a bit of an anomaly; if you’re a “short-termer,” you should spend the majority of your time at one facility, with a short stint in transit at holdover facilities.

For folks designated to a federal prison on the East Coast, you’ll be bussed or shackled and flown ConAir to USP Atlanta’s holdover facility before transport to your designated facility. For folks designated to the West Coast, you’ll pass through Oklahoma City Federal Transfer Center, or Pahrump, NV — a privatized Corrections Corporation of America facility that functions as another Western Region Processing Center for federal prisoners.

In my experience, these holdover facilities freak out when a political prisoner arrives. I was held in max custody at Pahrump, and at FTC Oklahoma City I was thrown in solitary for the duration of my time. If this happens to you, it’s important to keep in mind that this is only temporary; once you get to your designated prison, you’ll have more “freedom,” access…