The Federal Medical Center, Devens (FMC Devens) is a United States

federal prison A federal prison is operated under the jurisdiction of a federal government as opposed to a state or provincial body. Federal prisons are used for convicts who violated federal law (U.S., Mexico), inmates considered dangerous (Brazil), or those s ...

in Massachusetts for male inmates requiring specialized or long-term medical or mental health care. It is designated as an administrative facility, which means it has inmates from different security classifications, from white-collar criminals to mobsters and sex offenders. It is operated by the

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

, a division of the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

. FMC Devens also has a satellite camp housing minimum-security male inmates. FMC Devens is located in north-central Massachusetts, approximately 39 miles west of Boston, on the grounds of

Fort Devens Fort Devens is a United States Army Reserve military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Due to extensive environmental contamination it was li ...

, which occupied the land before it was scaled back in size.

Facility and services

Upon entering FMC Devens, new inmates undergo a month-long admission and orientation program to meet prison staff, acquaint themselves with the facility, and learn the facility's rules and regulations. They are introduced to the prison's inmate count system: prisoners are checked on five times a day. New inmates also receive a physical exam and educational, vocational, and psychological tests. Inmates at Devens are subject to random, unannounced urine and breathalyzer tests, as well as searches for contraband. FMC Devens has regular onsite specialists in

cardiology Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart d ...

nephrology Nephrology (from Greek'' nephros'' "kidney", combined with the suffix ''-logy'', "the study of") is a specialty of adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function (ren ...

endocrinology Endocrinology (from '' endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental event ...

surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

neurology Neurology (from el, wikt:νεῦρον, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix wikt:-logia, -logia, "study of") is the branch of specialty (medicine), medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of co ...

and

pulmonology Pulmonology (, , from Latin ''pulmō, -ōnis'' "lung" and the Greek suffix "study of"), pneumology (, built on Greek πνεύμων "lung") or pneumonology () is a medical specialty that deals with diseases involving the respiratory tract. ...

. Inmates often leave the facility to see outside specialists and for tests and medical procedures not available in the medical center, according to Sandra Howard, the clinical director at FMC Devens. Inmates are allowed six visits a month. Physical contact is allowed so long as it is not deemed excessive. An in-house psychology department offers inmates counseling for depression and suicidal ideation, as well as sex-offender and drug-addiction programs. A chaplain offers religious services and counseling, and volunteers in a prisoner visitation service pay visits to inmates who do not receive many visitors. There are adult continuing-education classes and an electronic library where they can read up on new case law and sentencing guidelines. The prison has a recreation area for floor hockey, basketball, and soccer, a hobby craft room, and a music-practice room.

Notable inmates

Current

* Inmates currently held at FMC Devens.

Former

* Inmates who have served time at FMC Devens.

References

External links