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Loretto Low FCI

Low

Federal Correctional Institution

Loretto Low FCI is a federal correctional institution in Loretto, Pennsylvania, housing approximately 762 people. Below you'll find insider tips, programs, visiting hours, and preparation resources.

Last verified: March 5, 2026

FCINortheast RegionMale

What to Expect at Loretto Low FCI

Location & Travel

  • •Location & Travel: FCI Loretto is in southwest Pennsylvania between Altoona and Johnstown, 90 miles east of Pittsburgh. Off Route 22, midway between I-80 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike via Route 220. Served by Pittsburgh Airport, Amtrak, and commercial bus lines.
  • •Location & Travel: Hampton Inn Altoona — 814-941-3500

Visiting

  • •Visiting: FCI visiting hours Fri/Sat/Sun and Federal Holidays 8:15 AM–2:15 PM. Camp visiting hours Sat/Sun and Federal Holidays 8:15 AM–2:15 PM. Max 4 visitors (excluding children).

Daily Life

  • •Programs: UNICOR electronics cable factory (~500 workers). Priority placement for those with financial obligations over $1,000.
  • •Programs: Employment Skills Class covers career development, job search, resume writing, interview skills, and job retention.

Good to Know

  • •Location & Travel: Super 8 Altoona — 814-201-6909
  • •Location & Travel: Courtyard by Marriott Altoona — 814-312-1800
  • •Education: Classes are inmate-taught and last 8–12 weeks. Topics may include foreign languages, history, legal research, and business. Parenting class provided by Family Services Foundation.

Insider Information

Housing

Open dormitories with 40-person, 10-person, 6-person, and two-person rooms, plus cubicles. Housing assigned based on seniority, adjustment, and program participation. TVs in each unit, allowed 6:00 AM–11:50 PM (special permission for late events).

Phone Policy

300 minutes per month, 15-minute call limit with 45-minute wait between calls, 30-number caller list. Phones in housing units, available 6:00 AM–11:30 PM (except during counts). Local, long distance, international, and collect calls available.

Library

Leisure/law library open six days a week (closed Saturdays). Electronic Law Library available. Leisure library includes newspapers, magazines, listening/videotapes, and books.

UNICOR

Electronics cable factory employing approximately 500 people. Priority placement for those with financial obligations over $1,000 (at least 50% of UNICOR earnings applied toward balance).

Psychology/Counseling Services

The facility offers a non-residential drug treatment program, a drug education program, a residential drug treatment program, group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, anger management, basic cognitive skills, emotional self-regulation, criminal thinking, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and a parenting program. Individual counseling is available for those who require help.

Health Services

The facility provides outpatient care, including optometry services. All persons are assigned a personal care provider. Sick call is at 6:30 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The pill line runs daily at 7:45 to 7:55 AM, 11:00 to 11:30 AM, and 8:00 to 8:15 PM. Local hospitals are 20 to 30 minutes away. At least one physician assistant is on duty or on call 24 hours a day.

Fitness & Recreation

The recreation department offers intramural and varsity team sports (basketball, softball, and volleyball), stationary bicycles, weights, an outdoor track area, a music room, ping-pong tables, pool tables, and card game tables. An indoor gym is located across the hall from the barber shop, with hours of operation daily from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The hobby craft center offers leather craft, ceramics, and fine art.

Religious Services

The chaplain counsels persons regardless of faith or denominational affiliation and is available every day. The chapel includes areas for worship, prayer, and study, as well as a library with books, CDs, and videos/DVDs. A community of volunteers provides services for most faiths.

Commissary

See the full commissary list for Loretto Low FCI below, including available items and pricing.

View Loretto Low FCI Commissary List↗

Become Extraordinary and Compelling!

Live as the CEO of your life at Loretto Low FCI by posting journal entries, release plans, and book reports at PrisonProfessors.org—so others can hold you accountable while you build skills and earn freedom through merit.

Preparing for Self-Surrender at Loretto Low FCI

Loretto Low FCI is a Federal Correctional Institution. FCIs house people of varying security levels and typically offer educational, vocational, and treatment programs to support rehabilitation and reentry.

Pre-Surrender Checklist

  • •Bring your contact list and release plan
  • •Close out work and professional obligations
  • •Set up power of attorney and financial access
  • •Handle all medical preparations
  • •Choose one primary point of contact
  • •Prepare your family for phone and visitation limits
  • •Pack only what the facility allows
  • •Arrange transportation and surrender details
  • •Form a reading list before you arrive
  • •Know which programs are actually offered

Helpful Resources

Top 10 Self Surrender Checklist

Visitation Information For Families

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Programs & Services

Education Programs

  • GED
  • ESL
  • Adult Basic Education
  • Adult Continuing Education
  • Correspondence Courses
  • Parenting Class

Vocational Training

  • Automotive Repair
  • Personal Fitness Trainer
  • Teacher's Aide Apprenticeship
  • General Cook Apprenticeship
  • Employment Skills Class

Health & Wellness

  • Drug Education Program
  • AA
  • NA
  • Group Psychotherapy
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Anger Management
  • Basic Cognitive Skills
  • Emotional Self-Regulation
  • Criminal Thinking
  • Parenting Program
  • Sick Call (Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 6:30 AM)
  • Optometry Services

Recreation

  • Basketball
  • Softball
  • Volleyball
  • Stationary Bicycles
  • Weights
  • Outdoor Track
  • Music Room
  • Ping-Pong
  • Pool Tables
  • Card Game Tables
  • Leather Craft
  • Ceramics
  • Fine Art

Reentry Preparation

  • Employment Skills Class
  • Non-Residential Drug Treatment

Visiting Information

Regular Visiting Hours

  • Saturday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Sunday: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Federal Holidays: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Important Notes

  • • Valid government-issued photo ID required
  • • All visitors subject to search
  • • Dress code enforced

Note: Visiting schedules may vary. Contact the facility directly for the most current visiting hours and procedures. For a complete breakdown of visitation rules, dress code, and how to get approved, visit our Visitation Guide.

What a Smaller Facility Means for You

With a population of approximately 762 people, Loretto Low FCI is a smaller facility — and that has real implications for daily life, programming, and how you're treated.

Pros

  • ✓Easier to build relationships with staff — case managers and counselors are more likely to know you personally, which can help with halfway house and home confinement recommendations
  • ✓Shorter lines for commissary, phones, sick call, and laundry — daily logistics have less friction
  • ✓Fewer interpersonal conflicts — smaller populations generally mean a calmer, more predictable environment
  • ✓More structured environment — staff can maintain closer oversight, which often means clearer expectations and fewer surprises

Cons

  • ✗Fewer program options — vocational training, education, and RDAP slots may be limited, and waitlists can be unpredictable
  • ✗Less anonymity — staff and other people know your business, which can feel suffocating
  • ✗Limited work assignments — fewer UNICOR slots and job options mean less flexibility in how you spend your time
  • ✗Disciplinary issues are more visible — any problems stand out quickly in a smaller population

Frequently Asked Questions About Loretto Low FCI

Loretto Low FCI is a low-security Federal Correctional Institution. Unlike a federal prison camp, it generally has double perimeter fencing and more structured movement, though programming and work opportunities are still available.

No. Loretto Low FCI does not currently offer the Residential Drug Abuse Program. Individuals seeking RDAP placement must be designated to an institution that provides the program.

Individuals reporting to Loretto Low FCI typically undergo intake processing including identification verification, medical screening, housing assignment, and orientation specific to this institution's low-security level and cell-based housing structure.

Visiting at Loretto Low FCI typically takes place on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. All visitors must be on the approved visiting list and present a valid government-issued photo ID upon arrival. Visitors should follow the BOP dress code: no revealing clothing, no clothing that resembles prisoner uniforms (typically khaki or orange), and no open-toed shoes at some facilities. Contact Loretto Low FCI directly or check the BOP website for the most current schedule and any facility-specific restrictions.

Funds for individuals at Loretto Low FCI should be sent through BOP-approved methods: MoneyGram, Western Union, or U.S. Postal Money Orders. All funds are processed through the Federal Bureau of Prisons' centralized National Finance Center in Des Moines, Iowa — not sent directly to Loretto Low FCI. Money orders should be made payable to the individual's committed name and include their BOP register number. Allow 7–10 business days for processing.

Individuals at Loretto Low FCI have access to three primary communication channels. Phone: you receive 300 free phone minutes per month if you are First Step Act eligible, then you pay six cents a minute for up to 210 additional minutes. Calls cut off after 15 minutes, and calls will come from a 202 number or private caller. Phone access is seven days a week. Email: the TRULINCS system allows electronic messaging for a small per-minute fee. Regular mail: letters and cards can be sent and received through the U.S. Postal Service. Mail can be sent to: INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER | FCI Loretto | Federal Correctional Institution | P.O. Box 1000 | Loretto, PA 15940.

The commissary at Loretto Low FCI operates on a set schedule and offers snacks, beverages, hygiene products, over-the-counter medications, writing materials, stamps, and limited clothing items. The standard monthly spending limit is $360 (excluding telephone credits, stamps, and OTC medications). Some facilities implement this as a bi-weekly $180 cap. A current commissary list is typically available through the unit team.

Length of stay at Loretto Low FCI varies based on sentence length, offense type, and good conduct time calculations. Individuals at low-security facilities typically serve sentences ranging from one year to well over a decade, depending on circumstances.

The Bureau of Prisons requires all facilities to offer literacy and GED programs for individuals without a high school diploma. Loretto Low FCI provides educational programming that may include GED preparation, English as a Second Language (ESL), and post-secondary education opportunities through correspondence or partnerships. Current offerings include: GED, ESL, Adult Basic Education, Adult Continuing Education, Correspondence Courses, Parenting Class. Availability may change based on staffing and enrollment.

The BOP enforces a dress code for all visitors. Clothing must not be revealing — no low-cut tops, shorts above the knee, or see-through materials. Visitors should avoid wearing colors that match prisoner uniforms (typically khaki, orange, or olive drab). Open-toed shoes may be prohibited at some facilities. Undergarments are required. Visitors who do not meet dress code standards may be turned away. Contact Loretto Low FCI in advance if you have questions about specific items.

Yes, but publications must be sent directly from the publisher, a bookstore, or a book club — not from an individual. Hardcover and softcover books, newspapers, and magazines are generally permitted as long as they do not contain content deemed a security threat. Used books are typically not accepted. All incoming publications are subject to inspection by mailroom staff at Loretto Low FCI.

Loretto Low FCI is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, within the Northeast Region of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Contact the facility directly for driving directions and nearby lodging options.

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How Long Will You Actually Serve?

Federal sentences are not always served in full. Good time credit, the First Step Act, and RDAP can significantly reduce your time served.

Estimate Your Actual Release Date

Contact Information

772 St. Joseph St.

Loretto, Pennsylvania 15940

814-472-4140

Mailing Address

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER

FCI Loretto

Federal Correctional Institution

P.O. Box 1000

Loretto, PA 15940

Questions? Call us now: 949-799-3277

Facility Details

Security Level
Low
Facility Type
FCI
Region
Northeast
Gender
Male
Population
762
Updated: Mar 5, 2026

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Security Notice

All phone calls are recorded. All emails are saved. Mail can be read by staff.