Visiting Hours, Scheduling, and How to Plan a Trip to USP McCreary

Before booking anything, confirm where the inmate is actually housed. People in federal custody get moved - sometimes for program opportunities, medical treatment, or security reasons that have nothing to do with family. Skip this step, and you might drive hours only to find out your loved one transferred last week.

The easiest way to check an inmate's location is the BOP Inmate Locator, which covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to present. If you have the inmate's register number (format: #####-###), your search will go faster.

• ✓ Have the inmate’s BOP register number ready in this format: #####-###

BOP visiting schedules typically include Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays - sometimes weekdays too. But exact days and times vary by facility and even by housing unit. Weekends fill up fast, so your available slots may depend on how the institution manages crowding. Visit length can also be limited. Federal inmates are legally entitled to at least four hours of visiting time per month, and facilities may offer more. Still, the Warden can restrict how long each visit lasts or cap how many people visit at once to keep the visiting room manageable. Treat any "typical" schedule as a starting point, not a guarantee.

1. Start with the institution’s posted guidance - Visiting schedules generally include weekends and holidays, but the exact schedule can vary by facility and housing unit.
2. Confirm the schedule through the inmate - Your loved one can tell you what schedule applies to their housing unit.
3. Call to verify before you travel - Schedules and limits can change, especially when the visiting room is crowded.

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• ✓ Confirm the inmate’s current housing location before you travel, since transfers can happen.
• ✓ Make sure the inmate has added you to their approved visiting list and that you’ve been cleared by the BOP.
• ✓ Verify the visiting days and hours for the facility and the inmate’s housing unit before you leave.
• ✓ Arrange and pay for your own transportation; there is no government payment or reimbursement for travel.

Two things cause the most last-minute headaches: visitor approval and travel logistics. At USP McCreary, you can only visit if the inmate has added you to their approved visiting list and the BOP has cleared you. Not sure if you're approved? Find out before you commit to the drive. Also, plan your transportation knowing the full cost is on you. The BOP doesn't reimburse travel expenses, so build your trip around what you can realistically afford - and what you can adjust if plans change.