Introduction

Watch This Video On Disciplinary Infractions

Anyone who anticipates serving time in federal prison should have a basic, working understanding of how the “inmate disciplinary program” operates. The Bureau of Prisons relies heavily on its disciplinary code to maintain order, and people entering custody quickly learn that a seemingly minor misunderstanding can lead to serious consequences: SHU time, lost privileges, frozen earned time credits, delayed halfway house placement, and even RDAP removal.

Those who work with White Collar Advice receive detailed lessons on Program Statement 5270, which governs the disciplinary system. Individuals preparing independently should still invest the time to understand how the code works:

• Review Program Statement 5270
  

By understanding how disciplinary matters are processed, individuals will know what to expect, how to avoid unnecessary complications, and how to respond if they’re ever cited.

The Disciplinary Code

The Code of Federal Regulations divides “Prohibited Acts” in federal prison into four categories:

• Greatest severity prohibited acts (Series 100)
  
• High severity prohibited acts (Series 200)
  
• Moderate severity prohibited acts (Series 300)
  
• Low severity prohibited acts (Series 400)
  

People entering federal prison rarely intend to break rules. But prisons are volatile environments, and the number of potential violations is enormous. Understanding the structure of the code helps justice-impacted individuals avoid unnecessary clashes with the disciplinary machine.

This lesson follows this structure:

1. Who starts a disciplinary infraction?
   
2. What happens when someone is charged?
   
3. How should a person respond?
   
4. What sanctions follow disciplinary infractions?
   
5. How can someone minimize exposure to infractions?
   

Expanded 2025 guidance: FSA credits, technology issues, cynical case managers, modern infractions.

1. Who Starts a Disciplinary Infraction?

Disciplinary infractions begin with the culture of confinement. Federal prisons are isolated communities where the “law” inside is the disciplinary code. Unlike in the outside world, liberties, due-process protections, and standards of proof are minimal.

Any staff member can write a shot.
Not just officers—secretaries, cooks, electricians, chaplains, recreation staff, teachers, and maintenance personnel all have authority to issue disciplinary reports.

People in federal prison refer to disciplinary infractions as “shots.”

Staff may start a shot for many reasons:

• Observing a perceived violation
  
• Hearing something
  
• Being told by another incarcerated person
  
• Reviewing email or phone records
  
• Seeing something on camera
  
• Finding something in a shared area
  

Because the list of code violations is so long, staff could theoretically find a violation on almost anyone, any day.

This is one of many reasons preparation matters.

2. Example Narrative 

The culture of confinement is very different from anything most people have experienced. Consider this true example:

A man named John surrendered to a minimum-security camp to serve a 36-month sentence. He intended to follow every rule. But upon arrival, the institution did not have his PSI. John had no idea how to prepare for this issue; his lawyer had negotiated a favorable sentence but did not know the nuances of federal prison intake.

Because the PSI was missing, staff placed John in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) — essentially solitary confinement. The SHU is a concrete, windowless unit used for punishment and “pending investigation.”

For two days John paced in the cell without phone access. When finally allowed to call, the only number he could dial was his wife’s. He explained the PSI problem. She patched him through to the attorney on a three-way call to expedite a solution.

That evening, a guard appeared at his cell door and issued a 297 — Abuse of Phone Privileges (High Severity) shot for the three-way call. John explained he didn’t know the rule. It didn’t matter. The guard wrote down his admission.

Two days later, the DHO imposed:

• One year loss of phone privileges
  
• Six months loss of visits
  
• One month commissary loss
  

The DHO told him, “You should have thought about your family before you broke the law.”

John eventually won on appeal — but it took four months. Four months without visits, without phone use, and without commissary.

Expanded 2025 Reality:
A shot like this today would also:

• Freeze earned time credits (ETCs) under the First Step Act
  
• Potentially delay halfway house eligibility
  
• Risk RDAP expulsion
  
• Allow cynical case managers to argue he is “not ready” for community placement

This example shows why preparation is not optional.

3. Issuing the Shot 

A staff member who believes someone violated the code writes a shot. Policy says this should occur within 24 hours, but this rule is not always followed.

A shot includes:

• Time staff became aware
  
• Time written
  
• Code number
  
• Description of alleged misconduct

A lieutenant then presents the shot, reads the person their rights, and asks for a statement. This is an important moment. A hasty verbal explanation often hurts the person later.

Modern Expansion (2025):
Lieutenants in many institutions are overwhelmed and frustrated. With the FSA pushing more people toward early release, some staff feel their authority shrinking. This has led to:

• More write-ups
  
• More aggressive interpretation of behavior
  
• More reliance on “insolence” or “refusing orders”
  
• More SHU placements pending investigation

Justice-impacted individuals must think strategically from the moment the lieutenant appears.

4. What Happens After Someone Is Charged?

After the lieutenant’s investigation (often a procedural formality), the shot proceeds to the Unit Disciplinary Committee (UDC). UDC is usually:

• The Unit Manager
  
• The Case Manager
  
• The Counselor
  

UDC reads the charges, the investigative notes, and asks the person for their response.

UDC can:

1. Find guilt and impose sanctions
   
2. Dismiss the charge
   
3. Refer the case to the DHO (for more serious offenses)

The DHO presides over all greatest-severity violations, most high-severity violations, and some moderate-severity violations. The DHO reviews the case, hears the statement, and imposes sanctions.

The disciplinary system is widely referred to as a “kangaroo court” because the staff who review infractions rarely overturn them.

5. How Should a Person Respond If Charged?

Knowledge is leverage. Those who understand the process navigate it more intelligently.

If someone accepts responsibility, the best approach is simple:

“I recognize I made a bad decision and I apologize. I’m under stress, but that’s no excuse. It won’t happen again.”

Staff are used to arguments, excuses, and emotional reactions. Calm accountability often leads to reduced sanctions.

If contesting the charge, the correct move is:

“I would like to submit a written response for the record.”

If the lieutenant says, “Just tell me what happened,” respond:

“Please note that I will submit my written statement within two hours.”

Expanded 2025 Advice:
Written statements are essential now because:

• Good Time Credit loss is automatic for many violations
  
• Earned Time Credits freeze with most violations
  
• RDAP participants risk expulsion
  
• Case managers use disciplinary history to delay home confinement
  

A clean written record is the only real protection.

6. Sanctions That May Follow an Infraction

Program Statement 5270 details sanctions, which may include:

• Time in SHU
  
• Loss of good time
  
• Loss of earned time credits (FSA credits)
  
• Transfer to higher security
  
• Loss of phone, visits, commissary
  
• Job removal
  
• Program removal
  
• Monetary restitution
  
• Additional criminal charges
  

2025 Expansion:
The most damaging modern consequences occur behind the scenes:

• Frozen FSA credits
  
• Delayed or denied halfway house and home confinement
  
• RDAP expulsion
  
• Case manager hostility (“not ready for community custody”)
  
• Future infractions punished more harshly
  

7. Breakdown of Prohibited Acts 

Below is a condensed, practical overview of the relevant codes for each severity level. These are the ones people actually encounter in minimum-security settings.

100 SERIES — Greatest Severity

Rare in camps but serious if they occur.

• 102 Escape: walking past an unmarked boundary, leaving a work detail, or being out of bounds.
  
• 104 Weapon Possession: sharpened items, metal fragments, hobby-shop tools.
  
• 108 Hazardous Tool: cell phones, chargers, tablet parts, unauthorized electronics.
  
• 110–113 Drugs/Alcohol: possession, use, introduction.

Key Modern Consequence:
A 100-level infraction can destroy the entire early-release timeline.

200 SERIES — High Severity

Where many justice-impacted individuals get blindsided.

• 201 Fighting: even mutual yelling or bumping.
  
• 203 Threats: tone, body language, or frustration interpreted as “threat.”
  
• 205–206 Sexual Acts/Proposals: unwanted contact or misunderstood interactions.
  
• 208 Tampering with Locks: hanging towels or blocking sightlines.
  
• 212–213 Group Demonstrations: joining group complaints or petitions.
  
• 218 Property Damage: breaking locker hinges, damaging equipment.
  
• 219 Theft: taking food, supplies, or property.
  
• 296–297 Mail/Phone Abuse: three-way calls, using spouse’s work email, forwarding messages.

Key Modern Consequence:
These infractions often lead to loss of FSA credits, RDAP removal, and aggressive case-manager attitudes.

300 SERIES — Moderate Severity

The most dangerous category today because FSA credits are tied to behavior.

• 302 Misuse of Medication: saving Tylenol or ibuprofen.
  
• 303 Possession of Money: even $1.
  
• 305 Possession of Non-Authorized Items: food, clothing, supplies.
  
• 306–307 Refusing Work/Orders: tone-based interpretations.
  
• 312 Insolence: extremely subjective.
  
• 313 Lying: disagreement becomes “false statement.”
  
• 316 Unauthorized Area: walking into the wrong space.
  
• 320–321 Count Violations: not standing fast enough.
  
• 330 Untidy Quarters: messy bunk or shared area.
  

Key Modern Consequence:
Most 300-level shots freeze FSA credits for months — the silent killer of early release.

400 SERIES — Low Severity

• 402 Feigning Illness: skipping work.
  
• 404 Abusive Language: emotional interactions.
  
• 409 Unauthorized Physical Contact: hugging, pats on the back.

Important:
Repeating 400-series infractions escalates to 300-series sanctions.

8. How to Minimize Exposure to Disciplinary Problems

An individual who understands the code — and understands the culture — is best positioned to avoid problems. But confinement brings unpredictability; you cannot control other people’s decisions.

Modern strategies include:

• Avoid sports, gambling, and volatile TV rooms.
  
• Wake early — camps are calm before sunrise.
  
• Keep distance from unstable bunkmates.
  
• Maintain a spotless living area.
  
• Never borrow, lend, trade, or hold anything for anyone.
  
• Stay out of groups that complain to staff.
  
• Avoid drama, gossip, cliques.
  
• Keep communication simple on phones, tablets, email.
  
• Follow orders without tone or hesitation.
  
• Build personal structure — idle time is dangerous time.
  

When people with long sentences describe how they avoided trouble, they all return to one principle:

They lived with purpose and minimized exposure to other people’s chaos.

9. Administrative Remedies 

Administrative remedy is the system used to appeal disciplinary infractions or address grievances. It includes BP-9, BP-10, and BP-11 filings. A written, factual, unemotional record improves the chances of reversal.

10. Questions for Reflection 

• In what ways would participation in organized sports influence the likelihood of disciplinary infractions?
  
• How would you respond to a lieutenant who offered to dismiss a disciplinary infraction if you agreed to serve as a confidential informant?
  
• If others became aware that you received a disciplinary infraction, how would you respond to their inquiries about what happened?
  
• What steps could John (have taken to avoid his disciplinary infraction?)
  
• In what ways are you preparing yourself now for the challenges that can present themselves during confinement?