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Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE)

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Last Updated: May 08, 2026
Address
700 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Beds
1025
County
Philadelphia
Phone
215-521-4000
Fax
215-521-7220
Email
phl-execassistant-s@bop.gov
Mailing Address
PO Box 562, Philadelphia, PA 19105
View Official Website

FDC Philadelphia is for Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) offenders found guilty of a federal crime and sentenced to incarceration in accordance with the Department of Justice Sentencing Guidelines.

All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for federal maximum (FDC) facility.

The phone carrier is Trulincs, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.

If you are seeking to send your inmate money for commissary, one recommended for this facility is MoneyGram There is a fee for sending money, see their rates and limitations.

If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders

Looking for an inmate at this facility? Visitation Information, Times and Rules
Satellite View of Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE)
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Official Resources

Nearby Facilities

If your loved one is at FDC Philadelphia, InmateAid can help you stay connected. Call the facility directly at 215-521-4000 with any immediate questions.

FDC Philadelphia, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a federal correctional institution managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This page provides essential information for those seeking details about inmate services, visitation guidelines, and facility contact information.

Questions About This Facility

FDC Philadelphia, officially known as the Federal Detention Center Philadelphia, is a downtown federal detention facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opened in 2000, the high-rise institution primarily houses pretrial detainees, inmates awaiting sentencing, federal prisoners in transit, and ICE detainees held under agreements with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Located adjacent to the federal courthouse complex, the detention center plays a major role in federal criminal and immigration detention operations throughout eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Public Bureau of Prisons records identify the facility as housing approximately 1,050 inmates and detainees combined. The institution is currently overseen by Warden Kathleen Toomey, who manages security operations, inmate transportation, detention services, healthcare functions, and administrative oversight throughout the downtown facility.

Unlike traditional sprawling prison campuses, FDC Philadelphia operates vertically as a secure urban detention tower integrated directly into Philadelphia’s federal judicial district. Its location allows rapid transport of inmates and ICE detainees to nearby courtrooms for federal trials, immigration hearings, sentencing proceedings, and detention appearances. The facility contains secure housing units, booking and intake areas, attorney visitation sections, medical and mental health clinics, recreation spaces, dining operations, transportation elevators, and administrative offices supporting around-the-clock federal detention operations. Because of Philadelphia’s role as a major East Coast transportation and financial hub, the detention center frequently houses inmates charged with organized crime offenses, public corruption, narcotics trafficking, interstate fraud schemes, firearms violations, and federal immigration offenses.

ICE Detainee Information

This facility holds immigration detainees under an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in addition to its regular population. ICE detainees are civil immigration detainees, not criminal defendants, and are held while their immigration cases are processed. The rules, rights, and services that apply to ICE detainees differ from those that apply to the general jail population.

To locate an ICE detainee at this facility, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. You will need the detainee's A-Number, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number that appears on any immigration document they have received. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning. If you do not have the A-Number, you can search using the detainee's full legal name, country of birth, and date of birth. Names must be an exact match; try variations if the first search returns no results.

Immigration bond works differently from criminal bail. Not all detainees are eligible for bond; those with certain criminal convictions or prior deportation orders may be subject to mandatory detention. For those who are eligible, bond is set by an immigration judge and typically ranges from $1,500 to over $10,000. Bond must be paid in full before release. An immigration attorney can request a bond hearing and argue for a lower amount based on the detainee's circumstances.

Unlike criminal defendants, ICE detainees do not have the right to a government-appointed attorney. They must hire a private immigration attorney or find free legal help through a nonprofit organization. RAICES provides legal services and bond assistance at raicestexas.org. The National Immigrant Justice Center offers free legal representation at immigrantjustice.org. Many immigration courts also maintain a list of free and low-cost legal service providers available to detainees upon request.

ICE transfers detainees between facilities frequently and with little advance notice, sometimes to locations far from family and legal counsel. If you cannot locate your family member through this page, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator again at locator.ice.gov with their A-Number. If they have an attorney, notify the attorney immediately as transfers affect court appearances and case timelines.

FDC Philadelphia has housed a number of high-profile inmates and defendants over the years. Former detainees include Philadelphia mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino, former Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord, multiple organized crime associates connected to the Philadelphia Mafia, and several nationally known white-collar defendants awaiting federal trial. The institution has also housed terrorism-related defendants, cartel-linked narcotics traffickers, and federal corruption defendants because of its proximity to one of the busiest federal court systems in the Northeast. The downtown detention center became especially well known during several major organized crime prosecutions and federal public corruption investigations that dominated headlines throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Although FDC Philadelphia provides educational classes, healthcare services, legal resources, work assignments, religious services, and reentry-focused programming, the institution does not offer the Bureau of Prisons’ Residential Drug Abuse Program, commonly known as RDAP. Because the facility primarily functions as a pretrial and holdover detention center, inmates seeking RDAP participation are generally transferred to long-term Bureau of Prisons institutions that offer the program after sentencing. Nearby federal prisons with RDAP availability are commonly utilized for eligible inmates designated out of FDC Philadelphia following federal court proceedings. ICE detainees housed at the institution are generally held temporarily pending immigration hearings, transfer coordination, or removal operations under DHS authority.

Like many downtown federal detention centers, FDC Philadelphia has faced periodic scrutiny involving overcrowding, staffing shortages, lockdown conditions, contraband smuggling, inmate violence, and aging infrastructure concerns. Federal audits and inmate litigation have periodically challenged conditions inside the institution, particularly during periods of elevated federal detention populations. The vertical design of the detention center creates unique operational challenges involving elevator-controlled inmate movement, emergency response coordination, and courthouse transportation logistics in one of the busiest urban environments in the federal prison system. Despite those challenges, FDC Philadelphia remains one of the Bureau of Prisons’ most important detention centers in the Northeast and continues serving as a major hub for federal criminal prosecutions, immigration detention, and high-profile judicial proceedings.

Table of Contents for FDC Philadelphia

Inmate Locator

Finding a Federal Inmate at Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE)

If you're trying to locate someone in federal custody at Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the federal system works differently from state and county facilities. The Bureau of Prisons maintains a central inmate locator at bop.gov covering all federal inmates from 1982 forward. The locator is the right starting point, but it doesn't show everyone in federal custody, newly sentenced inmates and those in transit may not appear yet. Call Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE) at 215-521-4000 if the locator doesn't return a result.

Using the BOP Inmate Locator

The BOP locator searches by full name, register number, or BOP number. The register number is an eight-digit identifier assigned at intake and used throughout the inmate's federal sentence. With the register number, the search returns an exact match. Without it, search by name and confirm against age, race, or sentencing details if the name is common. The locator returns current facility, register number, age, race, projected release date, and release status. It does not return charges, court of conviction, or visiting details.

When the Inmate Doesn't Appear in the BOP Locator

A federal inmate may be missing from the locator for several reasons. Newly sentenced inmates spend a designation period in US Marshals custody, often held at a county jail or private contract facility, before being assigned to a BOP institution. During designation, the person is still in federal custody but isn't yet in the BOP system. Designation can take a few weeks to a few months. Inmates in holdover status during transfer may also be temporarily missing. If you can't find someone in the BOP locator and the case is recent, they're likely still in US Marshals custody at a non-BOP facility.

Locating Someone in US Marshals Custody

Pre-designation federal detainees are held by the US Marshals Service, usually at a contracted county jail or regional federal detention center. The Marshals don't operate a public locator. To find someone in Marshals custody, contact the US Marshals Service district office for the federal court handling the case, or call the federal court clerk's office for the district of conviction. The InmateAid inmate search can also locate federal detainees at contracted facilities once the booking is in the facility's public roster.

The Register Number and What It's For

The BOP register number stays with the inmate across every federal facility transfer. State inmate ID numbers do not carry over. The register number is the single most useful piece of information for federal locating, document requests, money transfers, and communication account setup. Once you have it, save it; you'll use it for every federal interaction.

Once You've Located the Inmate

When you confirm the person is at Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE), set up an inmate phone and Trulincs account, and arrange money transfer through approved BOP channels. For federal facility phone discount plans, money transfer, and mail services, see InmateAid's federal inmate services and call 215-521-4000 to confirm what's available at Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE).

To confirm current custody status, register number, or recent transfers involving Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE), call 215-521-4000.

Visitation Information

Visitation Information - FDC Philadelphia

Facility Contacts

Executive Assistant (consular and ICE coordination): PHL-ExecAssistant-S@bop.gov Legal call scheduling email: cmcole@bop.gov Facility website: bop.gov/locations/institutions/phl

  • Monday 6:15 am - 2:30 pm
  • Tuesday 6:15 am - 2:30 pm
  • Wednesday 6:15 am - 2:30 pm
  • Thursday 6:15 am - 2:30 pm
  • Friday 6:15 am - 2:30 pm
  • Saturday 7:15 am - 2:00 pm
  • Sunday 7:15 am - 2:00 pm
  • Federal holidays 7:15 am - 2:00 pm

Note on Friend and Family Visits

This facility is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). For current friend and family visiting hours and protocols, check FDC Philadelphia's information page directly through the BOP website at bop.gov/locations/institutions/phl.

Who Can Visit

You can only visit a detainee at FDC Philadelphia if the detainee has placed you on their visitor list and BOP has cleared you in advance. BOP has its own rules on who can visit, what to wear, how long visits last, conduct expectations, and physical contact. Review the BOP guide "How to visit a federal inmate" at bop.gov/inmates/visiting.jsp before planning a visit.

Visiting Rules

No firearms or weapons of any kind. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios) in secure areas. Visitors cannot pass anything to detainees or carry items into the visitation area.

Every visitor is subject to a pat-down, bag inspection, and metal scan. Refusing a search means you will not be admitted.

Attorney Visits

In-person attorney visits run:

Monday through Friday: 6:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekends and federal holidays: 7:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For additional details, see FDC Philadelphia's BOP page at bop.gov/locations/institutions/phl.

A list of pro bono legal organizations is posted in every housing unit and updated quarterly. Detainees are responsible for contacting these organizations to schedule appointments.

Legal Calls

Attorneys can schedule legal calls by emailing cmcole@bop.gov.

Electronic Legal Documents

BOP has specific rules for when an inmate can receive electronic legal materials from an attorney. Review the acceptable format guidelines at bop.gov/inmates/custody_and_care/docs/ediscovery-formats.pdf.

Consular Visits

Consular officials can meet with their nationals. Make arrangements with the Executive Assistant by emailing PHL-ExecAssistant-S@bop.gov, and bring credentials.

Clergy Visits

Clergy can visit at any time but must arrange the visit ahead of time through the Chaplain's Office.

Frequently Asked Questions About Federal Detention Center, FDC Philadelphia (ICE)

  1. What is a federal prison?
      A federal prison is a correctional facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to house individuals convicted of federal crimes. These offenses include drug trafficking across state lines, white-collar crimes, terrorism, bank robbery, and other federal violations. Unlike state prisons, federal prisons operate under standardized regulations and typically have more structured programming.

  2. How do federal prisons differ from state prisons?
      Federal prisons are managed by the BOP and house inmates convicted of violating federal laws, while state prisons house those convicted of state crimes. Federal facilities tend to have more uniform security classifications and rehabilitation programs, while state prisons vary by jurisdiction. Additionally, federal inmates often serve longer sentences with less opportunity for parole, as federal sentencing guidelines are stricter.

  3. What are the security levels in federal prisons?
      The BOP classifies federal prisons into five security levels:

    • Minimum (Federal Prison Camps - FPCs): Low-risk inmates with non-violent offenses, dormitory-style housing, and little supervision.
    • Low (FCIs - Low): More security than camps, with fences, dorm-style housing, and work programs.
    • Medium (FCIs - Medium): Higher security, cell housing, increased staff monitoring, and more restricted movement.
    • High (United States Penitentiaries - USPs): Maximum security, with high walls, armed guards, and strict inmate movement restrictions.
    • Administrative Facilities (ADX, MCC, MDC, FMCs): Used for medical care, high-risk inmates, or those requiring extreme isolation (e.g., ADX Florence Supermax).

  4. What is ADX Florence, and why is it considered the most secure prison?
      ADX Florence, also known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” is a supermax facility in Colorado that houses the most dangerous federal inmates, including terrorists and high-profile criminals. It has 23-hour solitary confinement, soundproof cells, and minimal human interaction to prevent escapes or inmate violence.

  5. Can federal inmates earn early release?
      Federal inmates can reduce their sentences through good conduct time (GCT), participation in rehabilitation programs, and the First Step Act. However, unlike state prisons, parole was eliminated from the federal system in 1987, meaning inmates must serve at least 85% of their sentence before being released on supervised release.

  6. How do phone calls work in federal prisons?
      Federal inmates can make outgoing calls only to approved numbers using the Corrlincs system, managed by providers such as GTL (ViaPath) and Securus or the BOP itself. Calls are limited to 15 minutes per call and 300 minutes per month, with costs varying between $0.06 to $0.21 per minute depending on the location. Using a LOCAL number gets the six-cents-per-minute rate. Get a local number from InmateAId for only $5.00. All calls are monitored and recorded, except for attorney-client calls.

  7. Can federal inmates send and receive mail?
      Yes, inmates can send and receive mail, but all non-legal mail is screened for contraband. Books, magazines, and newspapers must be shipped directly from an approved vendor like Amazon or InmateAid. Legal mail is not read but may be inspected in the presence of the inmate.

  8. What are the visitation rules for federal prisons?
      Visitation is allowed, but visitors must be pre-approved and follow strict guidelines, including dress codes, behavioral rules, and security screenings. Some institutions offer non-contact visits (separated by glass), while others allow contact visits with limited physical interaction. Visits can be terminated if rules are violated.

  9. How do family members send money to federal inmates?
      Funds can be deposited into an inmate’s account using Western Union, MoneyGram, or the BOP’s online deposit system called Trulincs. Family members can also send postal money orders to the Federal Bureau of Prisons centralized processing facility in Des Moines, Iowa.

  10. Do federal prisons provide healthcare?
      Yes, federal prisons provide basic medical, dental, and mental health care, with certain facilities designated for serious medical conditions (FMCs – Federal Medical Centers). Emergency treatment may require transfer to an outside hospital, and some medications are restricted based on security concerns.

  11. Do federal inmates have access to education and work programs?
      Yes, federal prisons offer GED programs, college correspondence courses, and vocational training. Inmates can work through UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries), earning $0.12 to $1.15 per hour for jobs in textiles, manufacturing, or recycling. Participation in these programs can also help reduce sentence time under the First Step Act.

  12. What happens if an inmate breaks the rules in a federal prison?
      Disciplinary actions range from loss of privileges (phone, commissary, visitation) to solitary confinement (SHU - Special Housing Unit). More serious infractions can lead to criminal charges or additional prison time.

  13. Can federal inmates transfer to a different facility?
      Transfers can happen for security reasons, medical needs, overcrowding, or disciplinary actions. Inmates may also request a transfer closer to family, but approval depends on the BOP’s evaluation.

  14. What kind of food do federal inmates receive?
      Federal prisons follow National Menu guidelines, providing three meals per day, including vegetarian and religious dietary options. Some facilities allow inmates to purchase snacks and specialty foods from the commissary.

  15. Can federal inmates own personal property?
      Inmates are allowed limited personal items such as eyeglasses, religious materials, and authorized hygiene products. Commissary purchases may include headphones, radios, and writing supplies.

  16. Do federal inmates have internet access?
      No, federal inmates do not have direct internet access. However, they can use Trulincs, a secure email system, to communicate with approved contacts. Emails are monitored and cost approximately $0.05 per minute of usage time.

  17. Are federal prisons overcrowded?
      Many federal prisons operate above capacity, leading to shared cells, increased inmate tensions, and limited access to rehabilitation programs. Overcrowding is a major concern, prompting calls for criminal justice reform and alternative sentencing.

  18. What happens when a federal inmate is released?
      Inmates are usually transferred to a halfway house or placed on supervised release to help reintegrate into society. They may receive job placement assistance, housing referrals, and continued mental health treatment if needed.

  19. Can federal inmates vote?
      No, federal inmates cannot vote while incarcerated. However, voting rights may be restored after release, depending on the state’s policies regarding felon disenfranchisement.

Ask The Inmate

Connect directly with former inmates and get your questions answered for free. Gain valuable insights from individuals with firsthand experience in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and GEO and CoreCivic-run private prisons. Whether you're seeking advice, clarification, or just curious about life behind bars, this unique opportunity allows you to ask questions or explore answers to previous inquiries from the InmateAid community. Engage in meaningful discussions and get informed perspectives from those who truly understand the system.
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