Visiting Hours and Rules at FCI Butner Medium 2: What You Need to Know

The BOP publishes general visiting guidance, but each institution sets its own hours and local rules. Most BOP facilities hold visiting on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays - some offer weekday hours too. Always verify the current schedule by checking the official visiting regulations on the facility's BOP webpage before you go. And confirm where your loved one is housed before traveling. If they've been transferred, the schedule you planned around may no longer apply.

• ✓ Check FCI Butner Medium 2’s BOP webpage for the current visiting schedule and visiting regulations
• ✓ Confirm your loved one’s current housing location before you travel (transfers can change everything)
• ✓ If anything is unclear, call the institution to confirm hours before you leave

By law, inmates are entitled to at least four hours of visiting time per month. Most facilities offer more than that, but this minimum matters - it sets a baseline expectation. Even when schedules feel tight, that four-hour floor should be available over the course of a month.

You can't just show up and be added at the door. To visit, you must be on the inmate's approved visiting list and cleared by the BOP. The BOP allows a range of visitor categories: relatives like grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, and cousins. Beyond family, inmates can have up to 10 friends or associates on their list. Other approved categories include members of religious groups (including clergy), civic group members, employers (former or prospective), sponsors, parole advisors, attorneys, and certain foreign officials.

• ✓ If you’re visiting as a friend/associate (not family or another approved category), confirm you’re counted within the “up to 10” limit
• ✓ Don’t travel until you’ve confirmed you’re on the inmate’s approved visiting list and cleared by the BOP
• ✓ If you’re not approved yet, your loved one will need to follow the institution’s process to add you to their visiting list

Visits are meant to stay calm and orderly, so physical contact is limited. Handshakes, hugs, and kisses "in good taste" are typically allowed at the beginning and end of the visit - but not during. Staff may restrict contact for security reasons, including preventing contraband and keeping the visiting area under control.

Practical Checklist

• ✓ Verify your loved one’s current location and confirm the posted visiting hours on the facility’s BOP webpage
• ✓ Make sure you’re on the inmate’s approved visiting list and cleared by the BOP before you travel
• ✓ If you have any doubts about the schedule, call the institution to confirm
• ✓ Bring a valid government-issued photo ID
• ✓ Be prepared to be searched as part of entry onto Bureau grounds

1. Arrive with enough time to check in - Schedules can be tight, and visits may be limited if the visiting room is crowded.
2. Present your photo ID at entry - You’ll need identification to be processed.
3. Consent to required screening/searches - By entering or attempting to enter Bureau grounds, you consent to searches under Bureau policy and 28 C.F.R. Part 511.
4. Follow staff instructions in the visiting area - If you refuse a search, you can be prohibited from entering, and staff may limit visit length or the number of visitors at once to manage overcrowding.