Herlong Federal Prison FCI: A Families' Guide
FCI Herlong is a low-security federal prison in remote Lassen County, California, about 60 miles northwest of Reno. This guide covers visiting hours, the mailing address, RDAP, FSA credits, and what families need to know before making the trip.
FCI Herlong Facility Details
Facility Type
FCI
Security Level
LowBOP Code
HER
Location
Herlong, California
Base Name
Herlong
Complex Parent
Standalone facility
Verified
09/13/2026
FCI Herlong Overview
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FCI Herlong is a low-security federal correctional institution for adult males in Lassen County, California. It sits alongside a minimum-security satellite camp in the remote Honey Lake Valley, about 60 miles northwest of Reno. The facility carries a BOP Care Level 1 medical designation — it only houses clinically stable individuals with minimal ongoing medical needs.
- ▸Location: Herlong, CA 96113 (Lassen County, northeastern California)
- ▸Security level: Low (FCI) with adjacent minimum-security satellite camp
- ▸Medical care level: BOP Care Level 1 (clinically stable only)
- ▸Nearest major city: Approximately 60 miles northwest of Reno, NV
- ▸BOP facility code: HER
- ▸UNICOR: Yes — fleet management and vehicular components operation
FCI Herlong FAQ
What to Expect at FCI Herlong
The thing that doesn't show up in any BOP brochure is how much the remote location affects everything. Mail is slower. Staffing is thinner. Case managers carry heavy caseloads and won't reach out proactively — if something needs to get done with his programming or FSA credits, he has to push it. That's harder when the compound is quiet and the days blend together.
What families consistently report about Herlong is that the compound is genuinely calmer than most federal facilities at this security level. The gang-politics pressure that wears people down at medium facilities is lower here. That matters for his mental state, and it matters for keeping his record clean — one incident report can wipe out a halfway house placement date.
- ▸Mail runs slower than at urban BOP facilities — add a week to your delivery expectations
- ▸RDAP waitlists are real; he should request placement the day he arrives if he's eligible
- ▸UNICOR vehicular components jobs pay more and look strong on reentry paperwork — worth pursuing early
- ▸The Care Level 1 designation means a serious medical issue will get him transferred to a higher-care facility; know this before it happens
- ▸Visiting requires real travel planning — there is no lodging in Herlong; Susanville is 50 miles out, Reno is 60
FCI Herlong: Real Photos
Real photos of FCI Herlong from publicly available sources.
Aerial View of FCI Herlong
Satellite imagery of FCI Herlong from Esri World Imagery. The red pin marks the facility location. Drag to pan, pinch to zoom.
Programs and Education at FCI Herlong
RDAP available at this facility — completion can reduce a sentence by up to 12 months
- ▸GED preparation — mandatory for inmates without a verified high school diploma
- ▸ESL (English as a Second Language) classes
- ▸Adult Continuing Education (ACE) — short practical-topic courses
- ▸Correspondence courses — self-pay college-level coursework through outside institutions
- ▸Vocational apprenticeships: dental assistant, electrician, plumber, welder (4 registered trades)
- ▸UNICOR: fleet management and vehicular components operation — higher pay than standard institutional jobs
- ▸RDAP (Residential Drug Abuse Program): 500-hour residential program; eligible inmates can earn up to 12 months off their sentence upon completion
- ▸NR-DAP (Non-Residential Drug Abuse Program)
- ▸Drug Education classes and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
- ▸Inmate Skills Development System (ISDS) — reentry-focused programming
- ▸Parenting Program
- ▸Recreation: gymnasium, basketball, treadmills, ellipticals, ladder climbers, outdoor track, softball and football/soccer fields, music classes, art and hobby crafts, leisure library with NEO word processors
- ▸Religious services through the chapel department
Program participation is the engine behind FSA earned time credits. He needs to be enrolled in needs-based programming to accumulate credits toward early transfer to a Residential Reentry Center or home confinement. Waiting lists for RDAP are real — he should submit that request his first week in. If his credits aren't reflecting correctly on his record, use the federal inmate time calculation to check the math yourself before his case manager catches it.
Calculate FSA Time Credits →FCI Herlong Security Level: What It Means Inside
Low security means more daily movement and fewer restrictions than a medium or high facility. He'll have broader access to programs, the yard, and work assignments. Staff-to-inmate ratios are lower at this level, which means more self-management is expected — and more opportunity to stack program participation toward FSA credits.
- ▸Double-fenced perimeter with electronic detection
- ▸More open compound movement during designated hours
- ▸Dorm-style housing typical at low-security facilities — less cell time than medium or high
- ▸Lower staff-to-inmate ratio than medium facilities
- ▸Notably low gang-politics pressure — inmates here are generally not pressured into racial or regional group affiliations
- ▸Institutional violence reported as low compared to typical federal facilities at this level
- ▸Care Level 1 designation means a serious medical event could trigger a transfer
Visiting FCI Herlong: Hours, Rules, Dress Code
Visiting at FCI Herlong in Herlong, California runs on a specific rotation schedule. Here's what families need to know before visiting:
Visiting at FCI Herlong runs Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. No weekday visiting. The facility is about 60 miles northwest of Reno in an isolated valley — plan travel and lodging in Susanville (roughly 50 miles away) or Reno the night before.
Visiting schedule:
- ▸Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- ▸No weekday visiting hours
Getting approved:
- ▸He initiates the visitor application through his case manager — you don't submit it directly
- ▸Background check required for all adults on the list
- ▸Allow 4-6 weeks for approval before planning a trip
- ▸Children under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult visitor
Dress code:
- ▸No khaki, olive drab, or brown clothing (resembles inmate uniforms)
- ▸No open-toed shoes
- ▸No underwire bras — wear a sports bra to avoid screening issues
- ▸No revealing clothing; shorts must fall below the knee
- ▸No camouflage patterns
What to bring:
- ▸Government-issued photo ID
- ▸Clear bag with approved items
- ▸Quarters for storage lockers
- ▸Basic car key only — no large electronic key fobs
What gets turned away:
- ▸Outside food or drinks
- ▸Cell phones or any electronics
- ▸Anyone wearing a dress code violation — they will turn you around at the door
- ▸Anyone not on the approved visitor list
How to Send Mail to FCI Herlong
Sending mail to your loved one at FCI Herlong requires the exact address format below. Here's what you need to know:
Send all mail to the following address — the register number must appear on every piece or it risks delay or return:
INMATE FULL NAME REGISTER NUMBER
FCI Herlong
P.O. Box 800
Herlong, CA 96113
- ▸Register number is required on every envelope and package
- ▸All mail is opened and inspected before delivery
- ▸Photos allowed: standard prints only — no Polaroids, no nudity, no images of contraband or weapons
- ▸Books and magazines must ship directly from an approved retailer (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) — not from your home address
- ▸No hardcover books unless sent from the publisher
- ▸No glitter, stickers, perfume, or anything applied to the envelope exterior
- ▸No cash, money orders, or gift cards inside envelopes — use the BOP's online deposit system for sending funds
- ▸Standard first-class mail typically takes 7-14 days; the remote Lassen County location adds transit time compared to urban BOP facilities
Phone Calls at FCI Herlong: Cost and Setup
Phone calls at FCI Herlong go through the BOP's contracted phone system. Here's how to set up and receive calls at this facility:
- ▸Inmates receive 300 minutes per month — roughly 20 calls at the 15-minute session cap
- ▸Each call is limited to 15 minutes; an automated warning tone sounds before cutoff
- ▸All calls are monitored and recorded except properly flagged attorney calls
- ▸To receive calls, set up an advance prepaid account linked to his BOP register number through the BOP-approved phone provider
- ▸He can also pay for calls directly from his commissary account balance
- ▸If a call drops mid-session, he can call back — but the time counts against the same monthly allotment
- ▸Calling hours follow the facility's posted schedule, typically daytime and early evening
- ▸International calls require separate approval and are restricted
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References
Security classification verified against the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Last verified: 2026-09-13.
https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/her/