What You Can't Bring to FCI Terminal Island — Arrival Checklist and BP‑A0224 Guide
Most
Before you make the trip to FCI Terminal Island, make sure you’ve been placed on the inmate’s approved visiting list and cleared by the Bureau of Prisons. If you’re not approved, you can show up perfectly dressed with nothing in your pockets and still be denied a visit. Keep your government-issued photo ID ready, and if you have any confirmation of your approval status, keep it handy so you’re not scrambling at check-in.
BP‑A0224 is the Bureau’s visitor form that lays out the ground rules for coming onto Bureau property. The big takeaway is simple: by entering (or even attempting to enter) Bureau grounds or facilities, you’re consenting to be searched under Bureau policy and federal regulations (28 C.F.R. Part 511). In practice, that means you should expect screening and follow staff instructions - because the visit depends on it.
Note: If you refuse to submit to a search, you can be denied entry.
Prohibited Objects
- ✓ Weapons (including firearms) and ammunition
- ✓ Explosives
- ✓ Drugs (including narcotics and marijuana)
- ✓ Intoxicants and alcoholic beverages
- ✓ Tobacco products
- ✓ Cameras of any type
- ✓ Recording equipment
- ✓ Telephones (any type)
- ✓ Radios and pagers
- ✓ Electronic devices (and similar prohibited objects)
- ✓ Metal cutting tools
- ✓ Currency
- ✓ Food items
- ✓ Any prohibited items carried by children in your party under 16 (BP‑A0224 asks you to declare items in your possession and in theirs)
These restrictions aren’t random - BP‑A0224 ties prohibited activities and objects to the Bureau’s responsibility to keep the facility safe, secure, and orderly, and to protect the public. The simplest way to avoid a bad surprise is to treat your visit like an airport trip: bring the minimum, and leave anything questionable at home.
If you need medication with you that day, plan ahead. BP‑A0224 requires you to list all medications you’re carrying on the form, and it also states that those medications must be left at the entry area. The form’s checklist includes prescription drugs, and the point is to make sure nothing unapproved goes past the entrance.
- List every medication you have with you on BP‑A0224 - the form requires all types of medication carried to be written in.
- Be ready to leave your medication at the entry area - BP‑A0224 states medications must be left there.
- Don’t try to “just keep it in your bag” - if you bring it, it needs to be declared and left at entry.
Warning: BP‑A0224 states that making a false statement can trigger penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 - up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years in prison, or both.
Printable Checklist
- ✓ Confirm you’re on the inmate’s approved visiting list and cleared by the BOP before you go
- ✓ Bring your valid photo ID
- ✓ Expect to be searched when entering or attempting to enter Bureau grounds, and don’t refuse the search
- ✓ Leave prohibited objects at home (especially weapons, explosives, drugs, cameras, telephones, radios/pagers, and other electronic devices)
- ✓ If you’re carrying any medication, list it on BP‑A0224 and be prepared to leave it at the entry area
One detail people miss: BP‑A0224 doesn’t just ask about what’s in your pockets or bag. It also asks whether any of the listed items are in the possession of children under 16 who are with you, so do a quick check of jackets, backpacks, and small items before you head in.
Find an Inmate at FCI TERMINAL ISLAND
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
