Serving Clients in the Second Circuit and the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
Information for Family Members
My family member was just arrested, how can I find out where they are being held?
Please check this website and type in your family member’s name: http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp
You can click on the name of the facility to figure out more information about each particular location. If you have no access to a computer, please call our office and we can check for you.
Where are the jails located?
If your family member’s case is in the Southern or Eastern District of New York, they can be held at one of five facilities.
Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan
http://www.bop.gov/DataSource/execute/dsFacilityAddressLoc?start=y&facilityCode=nym
Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
http://www.bop.gov/DataSource/execute/dsFacilityAddressLoc?start=y&facilityCode=bro
Queens Correctional Center
http://www.geogroup.com/facility.asp?fid=26
Westchester County Correctional Facility
http://correction.westchestergov.comhttp://correction.westchestergov.com/westchester-inmate-lookup
Nassau County Jail
http://www.nassaucountysheriff.com/inmatesearch.asp (this allows you to look someone up)
http://www.nassaucountysheriff.com/inmatevisitation.asp (this gives info about visiting)
http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Sheriff/correct_ctr.html (phone numbers and info)
Can I write my family member letters?
Yes, you can send your family member letters. You must write their name and register number on the envelope. You can also order books for them but the books must be sent directly from the book distributor (for example, they must be sent directly from amazon.com) and they must be soft cover books.
After you determine where your family member is being held, you can send mail to the following addresses:
Name
Register number
The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan
150 PARK ROW
NEW YORK, NY 10007
Name
Register number
The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
MDC BROOKLYN
METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER
P.O. BOX 329002
BROOKLYN, NY 11232
Name
Westchester County Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 10
Valhalla, NY 10595
Name
Nassau County Jail
100 Carmen Avenue
East Meadow, NY 11554
Name
Register number
Queens Private Detention Facility
182-22 150 Ave.
Jamaica, NY 11413
My family member was just arrested, when will they be able to call me?
When a person is arrested, it may take 3 or 4 days for the person to beassigned and placed into a unit. Once they are in a unit, and has commissary money, they will be able to call you.
What about collect calls - are they possible?
Collect calls are permitted. For BOP telephone procedures, see http://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5264_008.pdf
My family member is incarcerated. How can I deposit money for them?
To deposit money for anyone in the Bureau of Prisons you will need to fill out a payment quick collect form at Western Union. You will need to write your family member’s name and register number on the form. You can find their register number at: http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp
How do I visit my family member?
Once your family member is assigned to a unit at the prison, he must ask their counselor to send out visiting request forms to their family members. Once you receive the form you must fill it out and return it to the jail. If you are approved, you will receive information regarding visiting days and hours for the particular facility. If you are not approved for any reason, please feel free to contact our office and we will try to help you resolve the matter directly with the jail. If a visitor does not have legal status in this country, the visitor may not be approved by the bureau of prisons.
Visitor information
Please take a look at the Bureau of Prison regulations prior to visiting your family members. The BOP has very strict rules regarding dress code. You must be able to pass through a metal detector without setting it off or you will not be allowed inside. It is possible that if you wear a bra with underwire it will cause the metal detector to go off. Here is a summary of the BOP dress code: http://www.bop.gov/inmate_locator/procedures.jsp
My family member is about to be sentenced, is there anything I can do to help:
Yes, it is very important for family members and loved ones to get involved prior to sentencing. The most helpful thing that family members can do is write letters of support. The letters should be addressed to the Judge but returned to your family member’s attorney so that they can review the letters before they are sent off to the Judge. Remember this is the chance for the Judge to see your loved one through your eyes. Please try to be as detailed as possible and provide the Judge with as many examples as you can think of that would show your family member in a positive light. Please contact the paralegal or attorney on your family member’s case with any questions regarding letters of support.
Helpful links:
Southern District of New York Pretrial
http://www.nyspt.uscourts.gov/
Southern District of New York Probation
http://probation.nysd.uscourts.gov/
Southern District of New York Court House
http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov/
Eastern District of New York Pretrial
http://www.nyept.uscourts.gov/
Eastern District of New York Probation
http://www.nyep.uscourts.gov/
Eastern District of New York Court House
http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/
New York Legal Aid
http://www.legal-aid.org/en/home.aspx
Bronx Defenders Office
http://www.bronxdefenders.org/
Brooklyn Defender Service
http://www.bds.org/home.aspx
Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem
http://www.ndsny.org/
New York State Corrections
http://www.doccs.ny.gov/