White collar crime refers to non-violent, financially motivated offenses committed by corporations, executives, government employees, and other professionals. White collar prisoners are often housed separately from general population inmates in minimum security “Club Fed” style facilities. This article explains what defines a white collar prison.
Typical Convictions of White Collar Inmates
Common white collar convictions leading to a low-security prison assignment include:
- Embezzlement
- Tax evasion
- Money laundering
- Forgery and counterfeiting
- Securities and investment fraud
- Public corruption like kickback schemes
- Identity fraud or computer hacking
- Corporate crimes like insider trading
- Ponzi schemes or mortgage fraud
Nonviolent financial and public trust offenses characterize this class of prisoner. They require less restrictive confinement than violent convicts.
Profile of a White Collar Prison
Compared to general population maximum and medium security prisons, white collar facilities have:
- Campus layout without prison yard confinement
- Units called “lodges” hosting 24-80 inmates
- Unfenced grounds patrolled by unarmed officers
- Private or shared rooms instead of cells
- Lax dress codes including civilian clothes
- Extensive indoor and outdoor recreation options
- Liberal visitation policies – conjugal visits allowed
- Expansive dining halls with higher quality food
- Inmate self-governance and lenient schedules
Conditions emulate a “country club” atmosphere though still constituting incarceration.
Notable Amenities
White collar prisons unique amenities include:
- Tennis courts, gyms, sports fields
- Game and TV rooms with snacks available
- Yoga, art, music programs
- Extensive libraries and computer rooms
- Self-serve laundry facilities
- Microwave kitchen access
- Newspapers, magazines, radios allowed
- Limited internet and email access
- Food buffets with salad bars
- Group activities like gardening clubs
Prisoners serve easier time but under strict conduct rules.
Work Opportunities
Inmates are expected to work full-time in roles like:
- Supervising operations of lodges
- Janitorial, laundry, and maintenance
- Food services and catering
- Groundskeeping and landscaping
- Teaching or tutoring other inmates
- Clerical and office administration
- Running the facility’s shops and recreation areas
- Assisting new inmates with assimilation
Low risk and good behavior unlocks better jobs.
Self-Improvement Focus
Rehabilitation programs emphasize self-improvement through:
- Extensive counseling and therapy options
- College courses and degree programs
- Wellness seminars on health, finance, and family
- Musical instrument instruction and practice
- Creative arts like painting, sculpting, writing
- Public speaking, communication and leadership
- Career planning for life after release
- Personal finance and investment lessons
The goal is addressing root behaviors leading to criminal conduct.
Rationale for Separate Facilities
Authorities argue white collar offenders require environments supporting their rehabilitation that:
- Reflect lighter security risks to staff and inmates
- Enable safe self-governance models preparing for reentry
- Provide constructive activities suited to nonviolent inmates
- Separate non-assimilating inmate populations
- Prevent predatory conduct targeting white collar criminals
- Allow inmates to leverage professional skills productively
Critics counter that separate facilities reinforce class divides in the justice system.
Downsides and Risks
Drawbacks of white collar prisons include:
- Perception of lenient “country club” conditions
- Complaints that segregation limits accountability
- Undermines deterrent effects for corporate executives
- Risks extorting or radicalizing privileged inmates
- Lighter confinement keeps corrupt networks intact
- Limited access for families unable to visit remote camps
Authorities defend the separate model for nonviolent inmates focused on rehabilitation.
Conclusion
White collar prisons aim to balance punishment with effective reform programming for financial and corporate criminals unsuited to maximum security. Their campus-style privileges help nonviolent inmates positively adjust but also raise concerns about going soft on severe white collar misconduct. Ongoing debate continues around properly punishing and rehabilitating privileged inmates within a bifurcated prison system segregating by class and conviction type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are most white collar prisons located?
Remote rural areas or small towns. Notable examples include FPC Montgomery in Alabama, FCI Morgantown in West Virginia, FPC Alderson in West Virginia, and FPC Bryan in Texas.
What percentage of prisoners are in white collar facilities?
Only around 8% of inmates are housed at minimum security white collar prisons. Over 90% are in medium or maximum security general population facilities.
Do white collar prisoners receive parole more readily?
Yes, first-time white collar inmates will often be released to halfway houses after serving only about 80% of their full sentence, especially with good behavior.
Are all white collar prisons part of the federal system?
Most are federal institutions housing offenders convicted of federal charges. But some states like California have created separate minimum security prisons for white collar criminals convicted under state laws.
Are white collar prisons eligible for inmate work release programs?
Yes, lower security often allows approved inmates nearing parole to participate in release preparation programs involving supervised daytime work release or home confinement.