Federal Correctional Institution, Forrest City
 | |
 | |
| Location | Forrest City, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Low-security (with minimum-security prison camp) |
| Population | 1,900 (310 in prison camp) |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Managed by | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
| Warden | Anthony Haynes |
The Federal Correctional Institution, Forrest City (FCI Forrest City) is a United States federal prison for male inmates in Arkansas. It is part of the Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Forrest City) and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. FCC Forrest City is located in eastern Arkansas, 85 miles east of Little Rock and 45 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee.[1]
The complex consists of four facilities:
- Federal Correctional Institution, Forrest City Low (FCI Forrest City Low): a low-security facility.
- Federal Correctional Institution, Forrest City Medium (FCI Forrest City Medium): a medium-security facility
- A satellite prison camp adjacent to the facility houses minimum-security male offenders.
The facility is named for the town of Forrest City, Arkansas, itself named for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Facility and programs
FCI Forrest City opened in April 1997. Inmates are housed in dormitories with cubicles. Educational opportunities include GED, ESL, continuing education and parenting courses. Career counseling and vocational training are also available, as well as a drug treatment program. A federal industries program, known as UNICOR, employs 300 inmates and produces a furniture line called "Harmony." All inmates at FCI Forrest City are required to perform a job assignment, including cleaning services, clerical duties, masonry, plumbing, painting, landscaping and welding.[2][3]
In media
On October 10, 2013, FoxNews.com reported on how the United States federal government shutdown of 2013 was effecting employees at FCI Forrest City. Citing a story from WMC-TV, prison employees were unsure when the next time they would receive a paycheck amid the shutdown, but the inmates are continuing to get paid for jobs like landscaping. The report said that the inmates are still receiving checks because their funds come out of a trust fund that is not affected by the problems in Washington. About 600 workers at FCI Forrest City are impacted by the slimdown, the report said. "The inmates who have committed the crimes in this country and are incarcerated by violating the laws of common society, they’re not affected by the shutdown, but the employees that we trust to keep our communities safe are," Jeff Roberts, a prison employee who goes to work every day and does not get paid, told the station. Roberts added that there was concern among employees that they would be unable to pay bills.[4]
Notable Inmates (current and former)
| Inmate Name | Register Number | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifford Harris | 59458-019 | Released from custody in 2011; served 1 year.[5] | American hip hop recording artist known as T.I.; pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges in 2008, returned to prison for probation violations.[6] |
| Arthur J. Williams | 20308-424 | Released from custody in 2014; served 10 years.[7] | Notorious counterfeiter; pleaded guilty in 2005 to printing $10 million in fake money; Williams's story was featured on the CNBC television program American Greed.[8][9][10] |
| Beaudouin Ketant | 63255-004 | Served part of a 27-year sentence; released in 2015 due to his cooperation in federal drug cases.[11] | Haitian drug kingpin and former ally of ex-Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; convicted in 2004 of directing the shipment of over 30 tons of Colombian cocaine into the US through Haiti from 1987 to 1996.[12][13][14] |
| Armando Villalobos | 12877-379 | Currently serving a 13 year sentence; Set for release in 2025[15] | Disgraced former District Attorney for Cameron County Texas; convicted in 2014 for his role in a large south Texas extortion and bribery scheme from 2006 to 2012. Villalobos was convicted of accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for favorable prosecutorial judgement, reduced criminal charges, case dismissals, pretrail diversion agreements, and probationary matters.[16][15] |
See also
References
- ^ "FCI Forrest City Low". Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- ^ Bosworth, Mary (2002). The U.S. Federal Prison System. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. p. 227. ISBN 0-7619-2304--7.
- ^ "FCC Forrest City, Arkansas Inmate Information Handbook" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Prisons.
- ^ "Amid slimdown, Arkansas prisoners get paid while guards do without". FoxNews.com. October 10, 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ Duke, Alan (September 8, 2011). "Documents show real reason T.I. went back to prison". CNN. Cable News Network. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ "Rapper T.I. reports to US federal prison again." Taiwan News. April 18, 2011. Retrieved on May 1, 2011.
- ^ "The Man Who Made Money". Gorilla Convict. Gorilla Convict. June 8, 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
- ^ James, Randy (June 15, 2009). "The Art of Counterfeiting Money". Time.
- ^ "United States of America vs. Arthur J. Williams" (PDF). US Department of Justice.
- ^ "The Royal Scam: Kings of Counterfeit". CNBC.
- ^ Weaver, Jay (April 20, 2015). "Onetime Haitian kingpin Jacques Ketant to be freed from prison after helping feds in Miami". Miami Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ Wilson, Catherine (July 9, 2003). "Reputed Haitian druglord held without bond in 33-ton drug case". Florida Times-Union.
- ^ Lebowitz, Larry (February 26, 2004). "Drug dealer accuses Aristide". The Miami Herald.
- ^ Anderson, Curt (February 21, 2012). "Ex-Haitian Drug Lord Beaudoin 'Jacques' Ketant Could See Sentence Cut By Miami Judge". Huffington Post.
- ^ a b "Former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos Sentenced To Federal Prison In Connection With South Texas Bribery Scheme". 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
- ^ "Former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with South Texas Bribery Scheme". FBI. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
