Morgantown Federal Prison Camp: A Families' Guide

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FPC Morgantown is a federal prison camp — minimum security — in Morgantown, West Virginia, roughly two miles from West Virginia University. No fence, no cells, dormitory housing on a campus-style layout that earned the facility its "Club Fed" nickname decades ago. The BOP announced in late 2024 that it intends to close this facility, which matters for transfers, program continuity, and release planning.

• ▸Location: Morgantown, West Virginia 26507
• ▸Security level: Minimum (Federal Prison Camp)
• ▸BOP facility code: MRG
• ▸Housing: 7 units — dormitory bays, cubicles, and double rooms
• ▸Perimeter: No fence
• ▸Closure status: BOP announced intent to close in late 2024
• ▸Originally known as: The Kennedy Center

Camps feel different from the first day. No razor wire, no slamming doors, no constant noise from the unit. That actually throws people — the relaxed environment makes it easier to forget that one incident report still ends the whole thing. I watched guys at camps miss counts, catch shots over nothing, and lose halfway house dates they'd spent years building. The environment is low-pressure. The stakes are not.

Morgantown has the duck pond track, bocce courts, and auditorium screenings — the "Club Fed" reputation is based on real things. But the closure announcement changes the picture. If the BOP follows through, your LO gets transferred. New facility means a new case manager and potentially a disrupted program schedule. If he's mid-RDAP when the facility closes, continuation at the next facility is not automatic — that has to be tracked and pushed.

• ▸The duck pond outdoor track opens after 4:00 PM — people walk it for mental health as much as fitness
• ▸Off-site work details on the adjacent military base are available and generally preferred by the population
• ▸UNICOR positions pay more than other assignments and are documented for FSA purposes
• ▸The closure announcement means transfers are likely — monitor the BOP locator regularly for changes
• ▸Case manager access at camps is better than at mediums, but a signed release of information is still required before the BOP will talk to you

Real photos of FPC Morgantown from publicly available sources.

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Leaflet | Tiles © Esri — Source: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Satellite imagery of FPC Morgantown from Esri World Imagery. The red pin marks the facility location. Drag to pan, pinch to zoom.

• ▸RDAP: 500-hour, 9-month Residential Drug Abuse Program — up to 12-month sentence reduction for eligible inmates
• ▸Non-Residential Drug Treatment: 6-month program
• ▸Drug Education: shorter-format prerequisite course
• ▸Adult Basic Education / GED
• ▸English as a Second Language (ESL)
• ▸Welding apprenticeship: named vocational program for inmates serving 3+ years
• ▸Computer literacy training
• ▸Level platform: distance learning in entrepreneurship, computer science, IT, and job skills — accepted by BOP at this facility
• ▸Job Search Skills and Mock Job Fairs
• ▸UNICOR: Federal Prison Industries factory positions
• ▸Work details: food service, facilities maintenance (plumbing, electrical, HVAC), landscaping, laundry, library aide, chapel orderly, recreation aide, commissary, off-site community service

RDAP has the most direct impact on release date — up to 12 months off for eligible inmates, with waitlists managed by the case manager. Every FSA-eligible program completed also earns time credits that reduce supervised release or RRC placement. Use the federal inmate time calculation to see how his credits stack up against his current release date.

Minimum security means no locked cells, no perimeter fence, and campus-style movement during the day. Work assignments at Morgantown regularly go off-site — grounds maintenance on an adjacent military base is one of the named details. After 4:00 PM, the outdoor track surrounding the duck pond is open. That freedom is real. So is the fact that one serious incident report still ends a halfway house date.

• ▸No perimeter fencing — the boundary is administrative
• ▸Dormitory-style housing, not cells
• ▸Campus movement structure rather than controlled corridor movement
• ▸Off-site work details including an adjacent military base
• ▸Outdoor duck pond track accessible after 4:00 PM
• ▸Counts still occur — late to count is still a disciplinary issue
• ▸Incident reports still affect RRC/home confinement placement