The Federal Bureau of Prisons directly operates 122 institutions across the United States. That figure covers the prisons the Bureau staffs itself and does not include contract facilities, halfway houses, or administrative offices. Together, those 122 institutions hold roughly 138,800 federal inmates as of early 2026.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Population Statistics
What the 122 Count Includes
The 122 figure counts only institutions directly staffed and operated by the Bureau of Prisons.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. BOP: Our Locations It leaves out several pieces of the broader federal corrections footprint:
- Six regional offices
- The headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- Two staff training centers
- 22 residential reentry management offices
- Private prisons operated under contract
- Residential reentry centers (halfway houses)
Control of the entire system sits with the Attorney General, who sets rules and appoints personnel for all federal correctional facilities outside the military.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 4001 – Limitation on Detention; Control of Prisons A separate statute charges the Bureau itself with providing safe quarters and care for every person convicted of or charged with a federal offense.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 4042 – Duties of Bureau of Prisons
The agency itself dates to the Act of May 14, 1930, signed by President Herbert Hoover, which centralized management of federal prisons that had previously operated with little coordination among individual wardens.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. Historical Information
The Five Security Levels Inside the 122
Every federal prison falls into one of five categories based on physical design and the level of supervision provided. Inmates are assigned to a facility that matches a security score calculated from the severity of the offense, criminal history, sentence length, escape history, age, and behavior in custody. Lower scores point to lower security.
Minimum Security (Federal Prison Camps)
Dormitory-style housing with little or no perimeter fencing. Camps emphasize work assignments and programming and hold inmates with scores of roughly 0 to 11 points.
Low Security (Federal Correctional Institutions)
Double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and a higher staff-to-inmate ratio than camps. Inmates here typically score 12 to 15.
Medium Security
Strengthened perimeters, often with double fences and electronic detection, and primarily cell-based housing. Internal controls are tighter, and the range of work and treatment programs is wider. Scores generally fall between 16 and 23.
High Security (United States Penitentiaries)
Walls or reinforced fencing, single- or multiple-occupancy cells, the highest staff-to-inmate ratios, and close control of all inmate movement. Scores of 24 and above land here.
Administrative Facilities
A catch-all category for institutions that serve specialized functions regardless of an inmate’s security score. This group includes Metropolitan Detention Centers for pretrial holding, federal medical centers for inmates with serious health or psychiatric needs, and the ADX facility in Florence, Colorado, which is the most restrictive federal prison in the country.
The point system is not purely mechanical. A history of escape attempts, sex offenses, serious violence, or a pending deportation order can force placement at a higher security level regardless of the score.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
Six Regions
The Bureau groups its 122 institutions into six geographic regions: Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, South Central, Southeast, and Western.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. BOP: Our Locations Each region operates under a regional director who connects individual prison wardens to the Central Office in Washington, D.C. The Central Office sets broad policy and budget guidelines, and regional directors handle execution and day-to-day logistics, including inmate transfers and staffing coordination across time zones.
Why 122 May Not Hold Much Longer
The current count is under pressure. In December 2024, the Bureau announced plans to close seven federal prisons, and ongoing budget scrutiny has introduced further uncertainty about which facilities will stay open. For fiscal year 2026, the Bureau’s salaries and expenses account carries approximately $7 billion in total spending authority.7USAspending.gov. Federal Account Profile
Staffing is a related pressure point. The Bureau employed approximately 35,750 people as of mid-2024, making it one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. FBOP Staffing Overview Federal prisons were operating at roughly 7% over rated capacity as of the most recent congressional data.9Congress.gov. Correctional Officer Staffing in Federal Prisons Retention bonuses for correctional officers were cut significantly in early 2025, adding strain at facilities in remote or high-cost areas where recruiting is already difficult.
Facilities That Sit Outside the 122
Two kinds of facilities house federal inmates but do not count toward the 122: privately operated prisons and residential reentry centers.
Private Prisons
The role of private prisons in the federal system has shifted with each administration. In January 2021, Executive Order 14006 directed the Department of Justice to stop renewing contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. That order was revoked on January 20, 2025.10The White House. Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions With the revocation in place, the Department of Justice is once again free to contract with private prison operators, and the trajectory for 2026 and beyond remains uncertain.
Residential Reentry Centers
Residential reentry centers, commonly called halfway houses, serve inmates approaching the end of their sentences. The Bureau contracts with these facilities to provide a structured, supervised living environment along with employment counseling, job placement assistance, and financial management support.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Residential Reentry Management Centers Unlike the 122 institutions, these centers are not staffed by the Bureau directly. They function as a bridge between incarceration and full release, and placement often depends on an inmate’s custody classification, remaining sentence length, and behavior record.
Add the 122 institutions, the contract prisons, and the halfway houses together and the full federal corrections network is considerably larger than the headline count suggests. But when the Bureau of Prisons reports how many federal prisons it runs, 122 is the number that answers the question.