The BOP Will Be Closing Six Facilities and Operational Changes

On July 1, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) announced that it will be closing six prisons and making operational changes as a result of decades of deferred maintenance and severe staff shortages.

You can read the full BOP press release here.

Which Prisons Will Be Closing?

According to the BOP’s press release, the following institutions will be permanently closing:

• FCI Beaumont Low, Beaumont; Texas
• FCI Big Springs and Satellite Camp; Big Springs, Texas
• FCI La Tuna, Satellite Low, and Satellite Camp; Anthony, Texas
• FMC Lexington Satellite Camp; Lexington, Kentucky
• FCI Petersburg Low; Petersburg, Virginia
• FCI Taft; Taft, California

Other Changes to BOP Institutions

In addition to the closure of the six facilities listed above, the BOP has announced that Morgantown FPC and Duluth FPC will transition to be Federal Satellite Low prisons.

That means a total of 5 BOP minimum security camps will be either closed or transition to low security facilities.

The Elephant in the Room

This is not the first time recently the BOP has announced it would be closing multiple prisons. FCI Dublin and FPC Pensacola were closed following a December 2024 announcement. In March 2026, rumors began to go around of more potential shutterings.

While the BOP’s press release discusses how it will be handling employees within the Bureau, it gives no insight on what will happen to the inmates currently housed in low and minimum security settings. There will certainly be transfers to other BOP facilities, but there is a significant question of whether the BOP is able to house all of the displaced inmates at the same security level.

According to the BOP’s population data, over 3,600 inmates are currently housed in the facilities set to be closed down:

• FCI Beaumont Low: 1,651
• FCI Big Springs and Satellite Camp: 617
• FCI La Tuna, Satellite Low, and Satellite Camp: 712
• FMC Lexington Satellite Camp: 232
• FCI Petersburg Low: 459
• FCI Taft: N/A

Now, many of the BOP’s prison camps are closed. It is possible that we will see more individuals who were housed in low or minimum security institutions be sent to halfway houses or home confinement as previously indicated by a BOP press release. Only time will tell.

BOP Leadership’s Statement on the Closings

BOP Director William K. Marshall, III states in the press release:

We are a Bureau that acts. These actions are necessary to address longstanding infrastructure and staffing challenges while ensuring the Bureau remains focused on its core mission of operating safe, secure, and efficient correctional facilities. We will support our workforce throughout this transition and responsibly position the agency for the future.

It has been no secret that the BOP has been struggling with infrastructure costs and retaining employment for some time now. Still, the closing of six federal facilities will come as a shock to many people with loved ones in BOP custody. We are hopeful that this may result in an increase of individuals being released to community corrections rather than being placed in a higher security facility.