Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota
The Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota (FCI Mendota) is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in California. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp housing minimum-security male offenders.
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| Location | Fresno County, near Mendota, California |
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| Coordinates | 36°44′00″N 120°23′32″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Medium-security (with minimum-security prison camp) |
| Capacity | 1,600 (128 in camp) |
| Population | 1,312 (103 in camp) |
| Opened | 2012 |
| Managed by | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
| Warden | Rafael Zuniga |
| Street address | 33500 West California Ave. |
| City | Mendota |
| County | Fresno |
| State/province | California |
| ZIP Code | 93640 |
| Country | United States |
| Website | http://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/men/ |
FCI Mendota is located in central California, 36 miles west of Fresno.[1]
History
FCI Mendota opened in January 2012 after years of funding delays. The final cost of construction was $235 million. Mendota Mayor Robert Silva was pleased about the new jobs and revenue for local businesses that the prison would provide and encouraged the Bureau of Prisons to hire as many local residents as it could.[2][3]
Facility and inmate life
FCI Mendota is located on 960 acres and is enclosed with a 12-foot-high razor wire fence. Inside the facility, inmates have access to educational programs where they may work toward their GED certificate and gain vocational training. Prisoners are required to work on a number of duties, ranging from food preparation in the dining hall to maintenance work. A recreation yard has basketball courts, a soccer field and a track.
Inmates sleep in seven- by twelve-foot cells, complete with toilet and sink. They have access to a common area where they can exercise, shower, and watch basic cable television.
Official counts are conducted at 12:05 a.m., 3 a.m., 5 a.m., 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. counts are known as "standing counts," during which inmates must stop what they are doing and stand up even if they are in bed. An additional standing count is held at 10 a.m. on holidays and weekends.[4]
Notable inmates
| Inmate Name | Register Number | Photo | Status | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankie Maybee | 10463-010 | Serving an 11-year sentence; scheduled for release in 2021, Now at a Residential Reentry Facility in Dallas | Convicted for his role in a 2010 incident during which a group of Hispanic men were threatened and run off the road; accomplice Sean Popejoy was sentenced to 4 years; the first individuals sentenced under the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act.[5] | ||
| Jeffrey Bizzack | 01694-138 | Served a 2-month sentence; scheduled for release in 03/01/2020. Released On 02/28/2020 | Convicted for his role in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.[6] | ||
| Jeremy Meeks | 71672-097 | Released On 07/07/2016. | Jeremy Meeks was dubbed the "hot felon" by some media. |
See also
- List of U.S. federal prisons
- Federal Bureau of Prisons
- Incarceration in the United States
References
- "FCI Mendota". Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- Doyle, Michael (July 19, 2010). "Mendota federal prison on track to open 'early next year'". The Modesto Bee.
- "Mendota's new federal prison opens soon". KFSN-TV Fresno. January 19, 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- "Federal Correctional Institution / Satellite Camp Prison Mendota, California Admissions & Orientation Handbook" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Prisons. 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- Parker, Suzi (September 28, 2011). "Judge sentences Arkansas men to prison under hate crimes law". Reuters. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- https://www.thedailybeast.com/college-admissions-scandal-jeffrey-bizzack-parent-who-turned-himself-in-gets-two-months-in-prison