What Information the BOP Collects When You Visit (And Why)
When you visit a federal prison, the Bureau of Prisons uses electronic systems to verify your identity, link your visit to a specific incarcerated person, and maintain entry and exit logs for safety and accountability.
Two BOP systems handle visitation records: ACES and WebV. These systems manage access control and visiting functions by logging everyone who enters and exits a BOP facility, including staff, contractors, approved volunteers, and visitors like you.
WebV links your visitor record directly to an inmate record. That's how it pulls up inmate details during the visiting process. The inmate information shown can include name, register number, assigned housing unit, and work detail.
WebV stores identifying details used to manage approvals and match you to the correct record. This can include your approved name, relationship to the inmate, date of birth, sex, race, ethnicity, legal residence, and phone number.
WebV may also store government identification numbers you provide. Examples include driver's license or state ID numbers, passport numbers, and alien registration numbers.
Because WebV connects to inmate records, it displays inmate data pulled from BOP systems (not just visitor details). This includes the inmate's name, register number, housing unit, and work detail.
Quick takeaway: BOP visiting systems store both your identifying details (including certain ID numbers) and the inmate details linked to your visit (like housing unit and register number).
A background check is part of the process when you're recorded into ACES/Web Visiting. At minimum, an NCIC check is run to validate the information you provide.
- ✓ Bring a legal ID every time you visit. A legal ID is required to gain access to the institution.
- ✓ Expect staff to compare your ID details to what is already in the system.
- ✓ If your record includes an ID number, it may be a driver’s license or state ID number, passport number, or alien registration number.
One published retention rule applies to a separate BOP system called CTS (used for correspondence tracking, not visits). CTS records are scheduled under NARA GRS-23 and must be destroyed or deleted when 2 years old, or 2 years after the latest entry, whichever applies.
Note: This retention detail is for CTS correspondence-tracking records. It does not, by itself, describe how long WebV or ACES visit logs are kept.
Bring the same legal ID you used to get approved, every single visit. WebV may store your ID numbers (driver's license, state ID, passport, or alien registration number), so mismatches can slow things down at the front desk.
Expect screening at the gate, not just a quick sign-in. ACES/Web Visiting logs and tracks everyone entering and exiting BOP facilities. A background check is performed for people in the system, with at least an NCIC check to validate your information.
- Confirm your visitor details match your ID: Your WebV record can include identifying information like your name, date of birth, and legal residence.
- Show up ready for verification: Some BOP systems have documented retention rules (for example, CTS correspondence-tracking records), and the entry process can involve matching what you present to what is on file.
- Ask the facility if you have privacy or record questions: If you are concerned about what is stored or how long records are kept, contact the institution and ask what applies to your situation.
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