Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to know if anyone know why there moving some inmates from the USP McCreary Federal Prison. My boyfriend's there and said he'll be transferring in 90 days. They're transferring the low level inmates now, so he'll be next he's medium level. Hopefully he'll get transfered back closer to home (NC) :D.

I have been trying to find out something about this prison and no one has posted until today, and you did. My brother wanted me to find out about it. He would like to be transfered there to the camp, when the time comes, he is federal. It would sure be closer to his home in Tenn and to me to visit. If you would please pm me or post what you no about it.
Thanks

When one facility gets too over crowded they start shipping them out and moving the inmates around to avoid the situation. Especially in the summer time when its hot and the inmates tend to be more easily stressed due to the heat. They try to avoid over crowding during the summer months to avoid conflicts. OR if they are having some work done at the facility he is currently located they will move them until the work is done then move them back!! Could be a number of reasons really.....

Kelly

Also since this facility is in KENTUCKY - I am moving this whole thread into the KENTUCKY state forum so someone there might be of more help to you!! You might also want to check out the FEDERAL FORUM here as well to see if there is any information about the facility in that forum!!

Actually it would probably be best to look in the federal forum for this information.

Hi, the reason inmates are being moved out of McCreary is because it was built to be a high security but has been a mix of low to high since it was built a few years ago. All non-high security levels are being moved or have already been moved. I had someone there for the last few years who had voluntered to go there when it first opened and he was moved a few months ago. It's a pretty strict place to visit, the CO's like to play by the rules as it were but I believe that's because it's a USP and things are alot more security minded.

Even though this is a Kentucky prison, it is a federal facility, so please check there for any further information.

I am just wondering what things are like here. My friend is there and I was wondering if this is a particularly "active" facility. I mean do things happen there a lot? Where he came from was awful and I am hoping that this place is better

As far as why they are moving people out of there it's because McCreary was basically an overflow prison when it first opened because there was no room in the medium and low security prisons. McCreary is now going to operating as a USP as it should and medium and low's shouldn't be in there. This is what I was told.

My husband was in McCreary and he liked it there better than FCI Allenwood. They will test you but that's in every prison.

Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone is doing well....I hope you all get to go see your loved ones soon. This is a long post but has a lot of useful info on it about USP Mcreary.
You willl love the visits at Mcreary.....you get to sit right next to him and hug him, hold his hands, lay your head on his shoulder, have him put his arms around you and really visit... it was really nice......the visits are no fuss and fast and easy getting in...there is a motel not far from mcreary called the parkland hotel it's 45 a night for 2 people and 40 a night for one person and a Best Western is also available although it is expensive but if you split the cost whith someone it is very manageble.
I stayed at the Best Western in Whitley City Kentucky and that is a little farther about a 30 min drive or less and that cost more than the Parkland but is cheaper than the Best Western in Pine Knot and much nicer. There is a post office on the road on the way up tp the prison and you can drop off mail on Saturday & Sunday before or after the visits and they will get them by Monday & Tuesday.
The visits are from about 8:45 -3 but they don't let you in until 8:15 and then you fill out an application with your info and license plate number on it, remember to jot down you plate number and then take it to the desk and sign in a book and then a few minutes later they call you you go through a metal detector and wait to be taken back to the visiting area it's really a smoothe process.
If you need a locker they will give you a lock....you can not wear any khaki colored clothing because the inmates wear that color....if you wear capris they need to be past your knee.....no sweats/jogging suits.
I know we ladies all want to look cute when we go to visit ...lol .....but, basically jeans, pants and a shirt is good enough you want to be comfortable sitting there fo 6 hrs.....besides after the first 10 minutes your loved one will not care what you have on he will be too busy enjoying your company and too happy to have you so close to him for the next 6 hrs!
If your loved one is in the hole/SHU he can still have a visit...you will be in the same visitng room but you will be visiting with him behind a glass and with the phone and the visit is for an hr.

They have vending machines in there and microwaves you can take up to 40 dollars in quaters in there in a zip lock sandwhich bag....there is a change machine in the front area lobby before you go in to visit but don't assume it will always be working bring your quaters with you. There is also a car wash nearby to get change from and Walmart will gladly give you rolls of quarters as long as it is not on a holiday weekend.
The visit is Saturday and Sunday and they are so nice and personal they are not too long or too short just right....bring a jacket as it does get cold in there....make sure you get there to visit before 8:45 they do an inmate count at 9am if you are not in there by 8:45 you will have to sit in the lobby and wait until 11am.
There is a childrens room set up so you can send the kids in the kids room to play they have books, TV and games and then you can visit for a while without the kids.
They also have chess boards, checkers and cards at the back desk to use if you want to play with your loved one while visiting. There is also a photo guy and you can take pictures your loved one can buy photo tickets from the commissary ahead of time.
The inmates get phone calls ..they get 300 minutes a month and 400 a month in November & December for the holidays..the calls are 15 min each with a 30 minute wait time in between the next call so everyone gets a chance to call. They can put money on the phone all at once or to limit and budget themselves a certain amount when they call but they can only put money on the phone twice a day.
Mine used to use his minutes up in 2 weeks because he would call more than once a day , we then changed to 1 call a day for 10 min , now we do 1 call a day for about 7 min and that will take us to the end of his minute cycle...if he wants to talk more often or longer we skip a day or two tallking....it is really nice to have him be able to call me at my sisters house or on my cell or at home......without me feeling the pressure of having to be in the house at a certain time to get his call.
He has never called collect but it depends on your phone service as to how the collect calls go some have a prepaid service where you deposit money in an account and use it till the balance is gone.
It is cheaper to have them call you prepaid with thier minutes than to call collect...you can wire money western union from a western union location or online and it is in their account in a few hrs 3.00 or less is about a 10 min call

as for USP Mcreary itself mine has no complaints about it he says the food is good and there is not a lot of violence most of it is one on one fighting no gang jumping etc most of the fights are due to younger guys coming in and trying to make a name for themselves and prove themselves.
They have cells set up like the ones on the old HBO series OZ they have a door on them with a small window and it gets locked everynight at 10pm.
They have satelite radio and they can buy radios and headphones from the commissary. The commissary has nice items to buy like Tide detergent and there is a washer and dryer in each unit, they have Timberland boots and airforce ones, nike gym shoes, and name brand toilitries you can also buy just about all the snacks and candy you find in most vending machines snickers, doritoes etc. My Fiance sent me their commisary list and I was really impressed by what was available to purchase. He said the commisary has really good stuff to buy but the food is really good in the chow hall to begin with. If your loved one has special diet needs low salt, no pork etc. he can request Kosher meals or the comman fare diet meals which are generally better meals. In the beginning when mine first got there he did that because the Kosher meals were better than the other food at his previous prison. Well that only lasted a while because he said the food was really good so he wanted to start eating regular meals. It's weird because that is one of the things he talks about the most is how good the food is.
There are plenty of classes to enroll in, parenting, anger mgt, finance, computers, typing, alcohol and drug rehabb, hobby classes like sewing, knitting , leather making classes where the guys make purses and belts etc....just to name a few and there are waitng list sometimes for the classes depending on the class. They also have a therapist that they can go talk to and have reguar appoinments with foe depression, anxiety or just wanting someone to vent to.
They have jobs for the inmates to get from working in the hospital, commissary, rec room , barber shop to being an orderly and cleaning up the units. They are all paid jobs and while the pay is not much it varies anywhere from $10.00 to $60.00 a month depending on the job, every little bit helps. I send my fiance money regulary but when he gets paid every month he always puts that money on the phone.

There is a lot to offer and do in McCreary, so if your loved one is saying he is bored or there is nothing to do it's because he is not doing anything nor does he want to.
Taking advantage of the classes and programs and jobs they offer in there will keep them busy, keep them out of trouble, give them a little cash on the books and when they have their "Team meeting" or go to "Team" (parole board review equivalent) this will also look favorable for them.
It will show they are trying to better themselves and do something with their time. My fiance has stayed out of trouble and programmed since he was transfered there and also while he was in his previous prison. As a result of staying out of trouble and programming (taking all the classes he could get and bettering hisself) he had his "Team meeting" and now has enough points to be transferred to a medium security soon.
There is a library, a computer lab, 2 gyms, indoor track, softball fields and basketball court.
Mcreary is fairly new about 5 yrs old and compared to a lot of institutions it is a country club. ( well it used to be but now it's more like Camp Snoopy but still better than more than 85% of the other USP's. It is at full capacity now but was only half full when mine got there.
(The old Warden was an FCI warden) the new one is a USP warden and is available everyday for the inmates to talk to him as well as counselors, medical staff etc....they have what they call the "mainline" everyday at lunch and inmates can go up to these people and talk to these people about any kind of issues they are having.
Unfortunately Mcreary has a new warden and he is a USP warden so things may change some ....FCI prisons tend to be more layed back as USP's are run harder so hopefully he will not change much in McCreary especially the visitation as it is wonderful!
My Fiance stated that this Warden locks them down if someone slips on a banana. He has been in McCreary a little over a year and has been on lock down there 4 times, but he says the lock downs are short are not bad lock downs. They get a hot meal once a day while on lock down which is good compared to the cold meals, bag lunches and lunchmeat sandwhiches prisons usually get on lock down. They also keep the TV's on (unless it was something really bad that happened) and the inmates can watch TV and listen to them from their rooms.
If you get worried about your loved one due to not hearing from them ..you can call McCreary to do a well being check and ask them to have the inmate call home and they will deliver the message to them. The staff is very polite and they treat the inmates with respect and like humans not inmates.
They are also very nice and helpful when you come to visit or call. It must be something about that Southern Hospitality...LOL
As far as driving up the mountain to visit ..yes McCreary is up the mountain and it does get very very dark (turn on your high beams).... but just drive slowly and carefully and you will be ok.
I hope all this info has been helpful to anyone planning on visiting or who has a loved one at or on the way to USP Mcreary.

Thank you so much for that information. My finace just left yesterday morning and arrived there at noon yesterday. He is located at the satelite camp, if that means anything to you. I was not with him when he was dropped off, so I am unsure of the location and set up of the facilities. He will be there for almost a year total, which may not seem like long to some, however any time away from a loved one can feel like forever. Good luck to you and your fiance!


Hi Everyone,
I hope everyone is doing well....I hope you all get to go see your loved ones soon. This is a long post but has a lot of useful info on it about USP Mcreary.
You willl love the visits at Mcreary.....you get to sit right next to him and hug him, hold his hands, lay your head on his shoulder, have him put his arms around you and really visit... it was really nice......the visits are no fuss and fast and easy getting in...there is a motel not far from mcreary called the parkland hotel it's 45 a night for 2 people and 40 a night for one person and a Best Western is also available although it is expensive but if you split the cost whith someone it is very manageble.
I stayed at the Best Western in Whitley City Kentucky and that is a little farther about a 30 min drive or less and that cost more than the Parkland but is cheaper than the Best Western in Pine Knot and much nicer. There is a post office on the road on the way up tp the prison and you can drop off mail on Saturday & Sunday before or after the visits and they will get them by Monday & Tuesday.
The visits are from about 8:45 -3 but they don't let you in until 8:15 and then you fill out an application with your info and license plate number on it, remember to jot down you plate number and then take it to the desk and sign in a book and then a few minutes later they call you you go through a metal detector and wait to be taken back to the visiting area it's really a smoothe process.
If you need a locker they will give you a lock....you can not wear any khaki colored clothing because the inmates wear that color....if you wear capris they need to be past your knee.....no sweats/jogging suits.
I know we ladies all want to look cute when we go to visit ...lol .....but, basically jeans, pants and a shirt is good enough you want to be comfortable sitting there fo 6 hrs.....besides after the first 10 minutes your loved one will not care what you have on he will be too busy enjoying your company and too happy to have you so close to him for the next 6 hrs!
If your loved one is in the hole/SHU he can still have a visit...you will be in the same visitng room but you will be visiting with him behind a glass and with the phone and the visit is for an hr.

They have vending machines in there and microwaves you can take up to 40 dollars in quaters in there in a zip lock sandwhich bag....there is a change machine in the front area lobby before you go in to visit but don't assume it will always be working bring your quaters with you. There is also a car wash nearby to get change from and Walmart will gladly give you rolls of quarters as long as it is not on a holiday weekend.
The visit is Saturday and Sunday and they are so nice and personal they are not too long or too short just right....bring a jacket as it does get cold in there....make sure you get there to visit before 8:45 they do an inmate count at 9am if you are not in there by 8:45 you will have to sit in the lobby and wait until 11am.
There is a childrens room set up so you can send the kids in the kids room to play they have books, TV and games and then you can visit for a while without the kids.
They also have chess boards, checkers and cards at the back desk to use if you want to play with your loved one while visiting. There is also a photo guy and you can take pictures your loved one can buy photo tickets from the commissary ahead of time.
The inmates get phone calls ..they get 300 minutes a month and 400 a month in November & December for the holidays..the calls are 15 min each with a 30 minute wait time in between the next call so everyone gets a chance to call. They can put money on the phone all at once or to limit and budget themselves a certain amount when they call but they can only put money on the phone twice a day.
Mine used to use his minutes up in 2 weeks because he would call more than once a day , we then changed to 1 call a day for 10 min , now we do 1 call a day for about 7 min and that will take us to the end of his minute cycle...if he wants to talk more often or longer we skip a day or two tallking....it is really nice to have him be able to call me at my sisters house or on my cell or at home......without me feeling the pressure of having to be in the house at a certain time to get his call.
He has never called collect but it depends on your phone service as to how the collect calls go some have a prepaid service where you deposit money in an account and use it till the balance is gone.
It is cheaper to have them call you prepaid with thier minutes than to call collect...you can wire money western union from a western union location or online and it is in their account in a few hrs 3.00 or less is about a 10 min call

as for USP Mcreary itself mine has no complaints about it he says the food is good and there is not a lot of violence most of it is one on one fighting no gang jumping etc most of the fights are due to younger guys coming in and trying to make a name for themselves and prove themselves.
They have cells set up like the ones on the old HBO series OZ they have a door on them with a small window and it gets locked everynight at 10pm.
They have satelite radio and they can buy radios and headphones from the commissary. The commissary has nice items to buy like Tide detergent and there is a washer and dryer in each unit, they have Timberland boots and airforce ones, nike gym shoes, and name brand toilitries you can also buy just about all the snacks and candy you find in most vending machines snickers, doritoes etc. My Fiance sent me their commisary list and I was really impressed by what was available to purchase. He said the commisary has really good stuff to buy but the food is really good in the chow hall to begin with. If your loved one has special diet needs low salt, no pork etc. he can request Kosher meals or the comman fare diet meals which are generally better meals. In the beginning when mine first got there he did that because the Kosher meals were better than the other food at his previous prison. Well that only lasted a while because he said the food was really good so he wanted to start eating regular meals. It's weird because that is one of the things he talks about the most is how good the food is.
There are plenty of classes to enroll in, parenting, anger mgt, finance, computers, typing, alcohol and drug rehabb, hobby classes like sewing, knitting , leather making classes where the guys make purses and belts etc....just to name a few and there are waitng list sometimes for the classes depending on the class. They also have a therapist that they can go talk to and have reguar appoinments with foe depression, anxiety or just wanting someone to vent to.
They have jobs for the inmates to get from working in the hospital, commissary, rec room , barber shop to being an orderly and cleaning up the units. They are all paid jobs and while the pay is not much it varies anywhere from $10.00 to $60.00 a month depending on the job, every little bit helps. I send my fiance money regulary but when he gets paid every month he always puts that money on the phone.

There is a lot to offer and do in McCreary, so if your loved one is saying he is bored or there is nothing to do it's because he is not doing anything nor does he want to.
Taking advantage of the classes and programs and jobs they offer in there will keep them busy, keep them out of trouble, give them a little cash on the books and when they have their "Team meeting" or go to "Team" (parole board review equivalent) this will also look favorable for them.
It will show they are trying to better themselves and do something with their time. My fiance has stayed out of trouble and programmed since he was transfered there and also while he was in his previous prison. As a result of staying out of trouble and programming (taking all the classes he could get and bettering hisself) he had his "Team meeting" and now has enough points to be transferred to a medium security soon.
There is a library, a computer lab, 2 gyms, indoor track, softball fields and basketball court.
Mcreary is fairly new about 5 yrs old and compared to a lot of institutions it is a country club. ( well it used to be but now it's more like Camp Snoopy but still better than more than 85% of the other USP's. It is at full capacity now but was only half full when mine got there.
(The old Warden was an FCI warden) the new one is a USP warden and is available everyday for the inmates to talk to him as well as counselors, medical staff etc....they have what they call the "mainline" everyday at lunch and inmates can go up to these people and talk to these people about any kind of issues they are having.
Unfortunately Mcreary has a new warden and he is a USP warden so things may change some ....FCI prisons tend to be more layed back as USP's are run harder so hopefully he will not change much in McCreary especially the visitation as it is wonderful!
My Fiance stated that this Warden locks them down if someone slips on a banana. He has been in McCreary a little over a year and has been on lock down there 4 times, but he says the lock downs are short are not bad lock downs. They get a hot meal once a day while on lock down which is good compared to the cold meals, bag lunches and lunchmeat sandwhiches prisons usually get on lock down. They also keep the TV's on (unless it was something really bad that happened) and the inmates can watch TV and listen to them from their rooms.
If you get worried about your loved one due to not hearing from them ..you can call McCreary to do a well being check and ask them to have the inmate call home and they will deliver the message to them. The staff is very polite and they treat the inmates with respect and like humans not inmates.
They are also very nice and helpful when you come to visit or call. It must be something about that Southern Hospitality...LOL
As far as driving up the mountain to visit ..yes McCreary is up the mountain and it does get very very dark (turn on your high beams).... but just drive slowly and carefully and you will be ok.
I hope all this info has been helpful to anyone planning on visiting or who has a loved one at or on the way to USP Mcreary.

Thank you so much for that information. My finace just left yesterday morning and arrived there at noon yesterday. He is located at the satelite camp, if that means anything to you. I was not with him when he was dropped off, so I am unsure of the location and set up of the facilities. He will be there for almost a year total, which may not seem like long to some, however any time away from a loved one can feel like forever. Good luck to you and your fiance!

Hello Missing my fiance.....you are welcome, my fiance will be transfering to a medium facility soon. I wanted to put info on here about USP McCreary because I couldn't find out much info about USP McCreary when mine first got there he was transfered from Beaumont hell on earth. My info is about the prison side so if the prison side is like Camp Snoopy as my fiance says, I imagine the Satellite Camp is easy breezy and a Country Club.....LOL.
There is someone else on here who has a loved one at the camp maybe you can PM her and see what she has found out. I think her loved one just got there recently. I'm sure the satellite camp part of McCreary is a lot Camp Snoopier than the Prison...LOL.
P.S. a day away from my baby is 24 hrs too long so regardless if it's a day or a year that is still time away from each other and you will miss them every day more and more no matter how long they have been gone or will be gone until they make it home. ....Good luck to you and your fiance as well!