Who else may be housed at FCI Williamsburg: sentences, pretrial defendants, DC offenders, and contract placements

Most people at FCI Williamsburg are serving federal sentences - that's the core mission of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). If someone you know is there, chances are they've been sentenced in federal court and are serving their term.

But not everyone at FCI Williamsburg has been sentenced yet. The facility also holds pretrial defendants and pre-sentence inmates on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) - people whose cases are still pending or who are waiting for sentencing.

You may also encounter District of Columbia cases. The BOP has custody of D.C. felony offenders serving terms of imprisonment, so someone at FCI Williamsburg could be serving a D.C. sentence rather than a federal one.

Then there are contract placements. BOP facilities sometimes house state inmates and military inmates under contractual arrangements. This means someone can be physically located at a federal institution even though their case is tied to a state system or the military justice system.

The takeaway for families: "federal prison" doesn't mean only sentenced federal cases. At FCI Williamsburg, the population can include people serving federal terms, pretrial or pre-sentence holds for the USMS, D.C. felony offenders, and people housed under state or military contracts. That mix affects the questions you should ask - like whether your loved one is awaiting court, still moving through intake after sentencing, or serving a term administered differently than a standard federal sentence.

• ✓ Ask your loved one (or their attorney) whether they are sentenced, pretrial, or pre-sentence - it helps you understand what might happen next.
• ✓ If the person is a USMS hold (pretrial or pre-sentence), confirm who is handling transportation and court dates.
• ✓ Clarify whether the case is federal, D.C., state, or military so you know which system’s paperwork and contacts to rely on.
• ✓ Confirm the person’s current location before you make travel plans, especially right after arrest, sentencing, or a transfer.
• ✓ When you call or write, include identifying details (full name and register/ID number if you have it) to reduce delays and confusion.

Trying to figure out which category applies to someone at FCI Williamsburg? Focus on current, official information. A person's custody status (sentenced vs. pretrial) and whether they're a D.C. offender or contract placement can usually be confirmed through official records and the facility's communication channels. It's worth checking - situations change quickly around court dates and transfers.

1. Confirm where the person is physically housed - check the BOP’s inmate locator and compare it to what you’ve been told.
2. Identify the person’s case type and status - federal sentenced, USMS pretrial/pre-sentence, D.C. sentence, or a state/military contract placement.
3. Check the most recent official BOP materials - population details and responsibilities are described in BOP publications, and broader statistics are published by the agency.
4. Contact the facility through official channels if something doesn’t match - ask specifically what status the person is in and whether they are in BOP custody or being held for another authority.