Metropolitan Federal Detention Center Guide
Metropolitan Detention Center: Find an Inmate and Handle the Next Steps
A federal Metropolitan Detention Center, usually shortened to MDC, is a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility used heavily for pretrial, court-related and short-term federal custody.
Start by identifying the correct MDC and locating the person in the BOP system. From there, use the register number for visits, mail, money, communication and court-related follow-up.
Federal MDC rules share a BOP framework, but visiting schedules, mailing addresses and local procedures remain facility-specific.What Is a Metropolitan Detention Center?
In the federal system, an MDC is an administrative-security detention facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. These institutions commonly hold people connected to active federal court proceedings as well as other federal inmates.
A federal BOP detention facility generally located near a major federal court and metropolitan area.
Another BOP name used for institutions that perform a similar federal detention role.
A separate BOP facility designation. Do not assume an MCC and MDC are the same institution.
Which Metropolitan Detention Center Do You Need?
The BOP currently maintains facility pages for MDC Brooklyn, MDC Los Angeles and MDC Guaynabo. Each has its own physical location, telephone number, visiting procedures and inmate-mail address.
80 29th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Federal judicial district: Eastern District of New York.
Official MDC Brooklyn
535 N Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Federal judicial district: Central District of California.
Official MDC Los Angeles
652 Carretera 28
Guaynabo, PR 00965
Serves the federal judicial areas of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Official MDC GuaynaboFederal detainees can be held away from where they live. Use the BOP inmate locator to confirm the current institution.
How to Find Someone in a Metropolitan Detention Center
The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator is the correct starting point for a person in BOP custody. It covers federal inmate records from 1982 to the present.
Open the BOP inmate locator
Search the national federal database before opening individual MDC pages.
Search by name
Enter first, middle and last name where known. The BOP also provides filters such as age, race and sex when searching by name.
Or search by identification number
A BOP register number gives a more precise match. The locator also supports certain other federal identification numbers.
Open the correct result
Confirm the person’s identity, current location and displayed release information before taking another action.
Save the eight-digit register number
That number is important for correspondence, funds and many other BOP transactions.
Federal Inmate Not Showing Up? Use This Order
A failed BOP search does not automatically prove the person is not in federal custody.
The person may still be in temporary custody or awaiting transfer into a BOP-operated institution.
Custody and court information are separate. The federal docket may identify hearings or case activity even when the current housing location is unclear.
You Found the Federal Inmate. What Should You Do Next?
Save the exact institution and register number first. Then deal with the task that actually matters instead of repeating the inmate search.
BOP social visitation normally requires the inmate to place you on the visiting list and the BOP to approve you.
Do not mail funds to the MDC street or inmate-mail address.
Put the inmate’s committed name and register number exactly as required.
The inmate initiates the contact-list process for TRULINCS messaging.
The BOP locator tells you custody information, not the complete federal court docket.
BOP publishes dedicated resources for attorneys and pretrial legal access.
Pretrial Detainee vs Sentenced Federal Inmate
This distinction matters because many people held in metropolitan detention centers are connected to active federal prosecutions.
| Status | Practical meaning | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| Pretrial | The federal criminal case is still pending and the person has not yet reached final sentencing. | Court docket, detention order, attorney and next hearing. |
| Awaiting sentencing | The case may have reached a plea or verdict, but the final sentence has not yet been imposed. | Sentencing date, presentence process and court orders. |
| Sentenced | A sentence has been imposed. The person may later be designated or transferred to another BOP institution. | BOP location, release information and possible transfer. |
| Release / reentry | A qualifying inmate may later move into community-based reentry placement or other authorized prerelease custody. | Current BOP locator result and release instructions. |
How to Visit Someone at a Metropolitan Detention Center
BOP visitation is not normally a walk-in process. A prospective visitor generally needs to be placed on the inmate’s visiting list and approved before visiting.
The inmate starts the process
After arriving at a new BOP institution, the inmate receives a Visitor Information Form and sends it to prospective visitors.
Complete the visitor information
Fill in the requested information accurately and return the form using the instructions supplied with it.
Wait for approval
BOP may conduct additional checks before approving a visitor.
Check the exact MDC schedule
Visiting days, hours and local restrictions belong to the individual facility, not to the national BOP page alone.
Confirm before traveling
Operational restrictions, weather, security events or an inmate’s housing status can affect visits.
Who can be considered for the visiting list?
BOP identifies immediate family, other relatives and certain approved friends, associates, clergy, sponsors, employers and attorneys as possible visitors.
How to Send Money to an MDC Inmate
Federal inmate funds are handled through BOP’s centralized deposit system. The BOP specifically warns people not to mail money to the institution address.
The BOP currently supports MoneyGram ExpressPayment for deposits to BOP-managed facilities.
BOP also publishes a Western Union Quick Collect procedure for federal inmate funds.
Acceptable negotiable instruments are mailed to the BOP processing address in Des Moines, Iowa.
Information you need
- Inmate’s full committed name.
- Eight-digit BOP register number.
- Correct BOP payment details for the method being used.
The BOP accepts money orders, U.S. government checks, certified or cashier’s checks, and bank drafts through its centralized mail process.
Personal checks and cash are not accepted.
Inmate Full Committed Name
Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number
P.O. Box 474701
Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
BOP states that additional items sent with centralized fund deposits can be disposed of.
How to Send Mail to an MDC Inmate
Mail is different from money. Ordinary correspondence goes to the specific institution’s published inmate-mail address.
Inmate Name & Register Number
MDC Brooklyn
Metropolitan Detention Center
P.O. Box 329002
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Inmate Name & Register Number
MDC Guaynabo
Metropolitan Detention Center
P.O. Box 2005
Cataño, PR 00963
Use the current BOP-published mailing format and P.O. Box shown on the MDC Los Angeles facility page.
Do not substitute the physical street address without checking the current BOP mail instructions.
Verify Los Angeles mail addressUse the BOP facility page’s “How to send things here” section before mailing anything. This matters especially after a transfer.
Phone Calls, TRULINCS and CorrLinks
You generally do not telephone a housing unit and ask to be connected directly to a federal inmate. BOP provides inmate communication systems for approved contact.
BOP-operated facilities use TRULINCS. The inmate first requests to add the outside person to an approved electronic contact list.
Once approved, CorrLinks sends the outside contact an invitation to accept or block future messages.
How electronic contact starts
If you expected a CorrLinks invitation but did not receive one, verify the email spelling and check spam or junk folders first.
BOP TRULINCS InstructionsMDC Custody Records and Federal Court Records Are Different
The BOP tells you where a federal inmate is housed. The federal court docket explains the prosecution, filings, hearings, orders and sentencing activity.
| Need | Best starting source |
|---|---|
| Current federal custody | BOP inmate locator. |
| Facility rules | Individual MDC page on BOP.gov. |
| Criminal case docket | Federal court records / PACER and the court handling the case. |
| Detention or release order | Federal court docket and defense attorney. |
| Sentencing | Court judgment plus BOP custody information. |
| Legal access inside BOP | BOP attorney and pretrial legal-access resources. |
Attorney Visits and Legal Access
The BOP publishes separate attorney resources, legal-activity policies and a Pretrial Detention Legal Access Handbook for people held while their federal cases are pending.
Attorneys should use the specific institution’s legal-visit procedure rather than the normal family visitation process.
BOP publishes procedures covering legal access, correspondence and legal materials.
BOP makes its Pretrial Detention Legal Access Handbook available in English and numerous other languages.
What Happens After an Inmate Arrives at a BOP Facility?
BOP states that newly arriving inmates are interviewed and screened by case-management, medical and mental-health staff.
The Admission and Orientation process introduces institution programs, services, policies and procedures.
BOP Entering Prison GuideCommissary and Inmate Account
BOP institutions maintain inmate trust/commissary accounts. Funds from family, friends and other approved sources can be placed into that account.
The individual MDC facility page may publish a current commissary list showing items offered at that institution.
How to Report a Serious Concern About a Federal Inmate
BOP maintains an online form for concerns involving an inmate and a separate option for reporting staff misconduct.
Use the BOP concern process for an issue involving a person in federal custody.
BOP’s concern form also provides a category for reporting alleged staff misconduct.
An online concern form is not a substitute for emergency services when someone faces an immediate emergency.
What Happens When Someone Leaves an MDC?
Leaving a metropolitan detention center does not always mean release to the community. A person may be transferred, designated to another federal prison, released by court order or moved toward prerelease placement.
Transfer to another BOP institution
A sentenced inmate may later appear at another federal institution. Recheck the BOP locator instead of continuing to use the old MDC address.
Court-ordered release
For a pretrial detainee, release may follow a federal court order or other case-related decision.
Residential Reentry Center
BOP uses Residential Reentry Centers, commonly called halfway houses, for some inmates approaching release.
Community transition
BOP reentry services can include employment, financial-management and other transition support.
Before Calling an MDC, Have These Details Ready
Facility staff can respond more efficiently when you know exactly which inmate and which issue you are asking about.
Full committed name and correct spelling.
Eight-digit register number from the inmate locator.
Visiting, mail, communication, legal access, transfer or another specific facility issue.
Common Metropolitan Detention Center Mistakes
BOP specifically says mailed inmate funds must go through its centralized processing address, not the local MDC.
Check the inmate locator again before sending a letter. The person may no longer be at that MDC.
Federal social visitation ordinarily requires advance visitor approval.
“Metropolitan detention center” is a facility type/name, not one national building.
BOP custody data does not replace the federal criminal docket.
Verify payment providers and procedures through BOP before sending inmate funds.
Official Federal Detention Resources
These are the primary government resources used for the actions described in this guide.
Search federal inmate whereabouts and obtain the BOP register number.
Find federal prisons, detention centers and facility-specific information.
Visitor-list approval and general BOP visitation requirements.
Explains how electronic correspondence with a federal inmate begins.
Central information for calls, electronic messages, mail and inmate funds.
Legal-access handbooks, policies, forms and attorney information.
BOP’s online concern and staff-misconduct reporting resource.
Information about transition services and Residential Reentry Center placement.
Metropolitan Detention Center FAQs
What is a Metropolitan Detention Center?
A Metropolitan Detention Center is a Federal Bureau of Prisons detention facility located in or near a major metropolitan area. MDCs frequently house people involved in active federal court proceedings as well as other federal inmates.
Is a Metropolitan Detention Center federal?
The MDC facilities covered in this guide—Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Guaynabo—are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
How do I find someone in a federal Metropolitan Detention Center?
Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator by name or federal identification number. Confirm the current institution before sending money, mail or planning a visit.
What Metropolitan Detention Centers are currently operated by the BOP?
Current BOP facility pages identify MDC Brooklyn in New York, MDC Los Angeles in California and MDC Guaynabo in Puerto Rico.
What is a BOP register number?
It is the federal inmate identifier used by the Bureau of Prisons. The eight-digit number is important for inmate searches, funds, mail and other federal inmate services.
Can I call a federal inmate directly?
You generally cannot call the institution and be connected directly to the inmate. Federal inmates use BOP-authorized telephone and communication systems to contact approved people.
How does CorrLinks work for an MDC inmate?
The inmate requests to add an outside person to the approved electronic contact list. After staff approval, CorrLinks sends that person an invitation to accept or block electronic correspondence.
How long is a CorrLinks invitation valid?
BOP currently states that the identification invitation is valid for 10 days. If it expires, the inmate must begin the contact process again.
Do I need approval to visit an MDC inmate?
Normally, yes. The inmate places prospective visitors on a visiting list and BOP must approve them before social visitation.
Can I visit immediately after an inmate is transferred?
Sometimes verified immediate family may be considered before a normal visiting list is established, but permission is not automatic. Call the facility before traveling.
How do I send money to an MDC inmate?
Use a BOP-authorized deposit method such as the currently listed electronic services or the centralized BOP lockbox. Do not mail funds to the institution’s inmate-mail address.
Can I mail cash to an MDC inmate?
No. BOP says cash and personal checks are not accepted through its centralized inmate-funds mail process.
What address do I use for inmate mail?
Use the current inmate-mail address shown on the specific MDC’s official BOP facility page. The mailing address can differ from the physical institution address.
Is the BOP inmate locator the same as federal court records?
No. The BOP locator shows federal custody information. Federal court records provide case filings, hearings, orders, judgments and other docket information.
How do I check bond for someone in an MDC?
Federal detention and release are controlled through the federal court process. Review the court docket, detention or release order and contact the person’s defense attorney for case-specific information.
Are all MDC inmates convicted?
No. Metropolitan detention centers commonly hold pretrial detainees and people awaiting sentencing, so confinement at an MDC does not itself mean the person has been convicted.
Can someone be transferred out of an MDC after sentencing?
Yes. A sentenced inmate may later be designated or transferred to another BOP institution. Recheck the inmate locator before visiting or sending mail.
How do attorneys arrange legal access to an MDC inmate?
Attorneys should use the specific institution’s legal-access procedures and BOP attorney resources rather than ordinary family visitation procedures.
How can I report a serious concern about someone in federal custody?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides an online inmate-concern form and a category for reporting staff misconduct.
Does the BOP inmate locator show an exact release date?
It can display release information, but BOP currently warns that release dates may change as sentences and federal time credits are reviewed. Check the locator again for updated information.
This guide was checked against current Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate-search, facility, visitation, communication, money, legal-access, reentry and inmate-concern resources.
Facility schedules, mail addresses, communication policies and operating conditions can change. Verify the individual MDC page before traveling, mailing property or completing a time-sensitive transaction.
CountyDetentionCenter.org is an independent informational website. It is not operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, a federal court or any Metropolitan Detention Center.