South Central Regional Office at a glance
The South Central Regional Office supervises the Bureau of Prisons’ institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas from a military reserve complex in Grand Prairie, Texas. Its 22 institutions held 26,460 people in the population report of September 10, 2026. It answers to the Central Office in Washington, D.C., and it decides the BP-10 appeals mailed from those prisons.
| Official name | South Central Regional Office |
|---|---|
| BOP code | SCR |
| Street address | US ARMED FORCES RESERVE CMPL, 346 MARINE FORCES DR, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75051 |
| Staff mail | US ARMED FORCES RESERVE CMPL, 344 MARINE FORCES DR, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75051 |
| Shipping | US ARMED FORCES RESERVE CMPL, 344 MARINE FORCES DR, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75051 — 344, where the street record prints 346 |
| Phone | 972-730-8600 |
| Fax | 972-730-8809 |
| FOIA requests | 972-730-8600 · [email protected] (the Bureau’s FOIA page, September 2026) |
| States (as the Bureau prints them) | Arkansas · Louisiana · New Mexico · Oklahoma · Texas |
| Institutions | 22, in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas on the roster |
| Population | 26,460 (September 10, 2026) |
| Reentry offices | Two — RRM Dallas · RRM San Antonio |
| Reports to | Central Office, Washington, D.C. |
On this page
What does the South Central Regional Office do?
It holds no one; its staff are administrators. The Bureau describes every regional office’s job in a single passage of its Offices page: “Six regional offices provide oversight and technical assistance to the facilities located in their respective region of the country. In addition to providing operational oversight, regional office staff conduct workshops, conferences, and specialized training programs for their region; assist state and local criminal justice agencies; and contract to provide offender placement in residential reentry centers.”
The number six is fixed in the Code of Federal Regulations. 28 C.F.R. § 503.1 reads: “The Bureau of Prisons consists of a Central Office, located at 320 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534, a Staff Training Center, and six Regional Offices (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, South Central, and Western).” Grand Prairie is the middle rung for its 22 institutions: their wardens answer to it, and it answers to the Central Office. The other five offices are listed on our regional offices page.
The Bureau’s physical record for its Grand Prairie Office Complex prints the same reserve complex at 346 Marine Forces Drive, and that complex houses the Designations and Sentence Computation Center. Designation and sentence-computation questions go there, not to the regional director; see our Grand Prairie and the DSCC page.
Which federal prisons does the South Central Regional Office oversee?
Twenty-two, which together held 26,460 people when the Bureau counted on September 10, 2026. Texas has thirteen of them, Louisiana four, Arkansas and Oklahoma two each, and Tennessee one. Each state has a page of its own: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
| Institution | Type and security | Population | Camp or satellite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | |||
| FCI Forrest City Medium | Federal Correctional Institution · Medium | 1,638 | — |
| FCI Forrest City Low | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,615 | Camp: 267 |
| Louisiana | |||
| USP Pollock | U.S. Penitentiary · High | 926 | — |
| FCI Pollock | Federal Correctional Institution · Medium | 1,450 | Camp: 260 |
| FCI Oakdale I | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,164 | — |
| FCI Oakdale II | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,011 | Camp: 62 |
| Oklahoma | |||
| FCI El Reno | Federal Correctional Institution · Medium | 1,005 | Camp: 155 |
| FTC Oklahoma City | Federal Transfer Center · Administrative | 1,233 | — |
| Tennessee | |||
| FCI Memphis | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,069 | — |
| Texas | |||
| USP Beaumont | U.S. Penitentiary · High | 1,227 | — |
| FCI Beaumont Medium | Federal Correctional Institution · Medium | 1,111 | — |
| FCI Three Rivers | Federal Correctional Institution · Medium | 897 | Camp: 260 |
| FCI Bastrop | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,044 | Camp: 125 |
| FCI Beaumont Low | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,317 | Camp: 517 |
| FCI Big Spring | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 413 | Camp: 93 |
| FCI La Tuna | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 437 | Camp: 121 |
| FCI Seagoville | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,320 | Camp: 117 |
| FCI Texarkana | Federal Correctional Institution · Low | 1,081 | Camp: 229 |
| FPC Bryan | Federal Prison Camp · Minimum | 618 | — |
| FDC Houston | Federal Detention Center · Administrative | 840 | — |
| FMC Carswell | Federal Medical Center · Administrative | 1,026 | Camp: 245 |
| FMC Fort Worth | Federal Medical Center · Administrative | 1,567 | — |
| Total | 22 institutions in 5 states | 24,009 | 2,451 |
Nine rows belong to four complexes — FCC Beaumont (three institutions), Forrest City, Pollock and Oakdale (two each). Address mail to the institution, never only the complex.
Tennessee is missing from this region’s printed state list, yet FCI Memphis is a South Central institution. The Offices page prints Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas for this region and places Tennessee under the Mid-Atlantic Region. The Bureau’s roster and its address records disagree: both code FCI Memphis to the South Central Region, and the table above follows them. We read the two sources on September 18, 2026 and report both. Reentry for the state runs through a third office — RRM Nashville, a Mid-Atlantic office, prints all three Tennessee districts, so a release plan into Tennessee is handled outside this region.
Which RRM offices are in the South Central Region?
Two, and between them they print every judicial district in the five states the Offices page assigns to this region. RRM Dallas lists Eastern and Western Arkansas; Eastern, Middle and Western Louisiana; Northern, Eastern and Western Oklahoma; and Northern Texas. RRM San Antonio lists Eastern, Western and Southern Texas and New Mexico. No district appears under both.
Neither prints anything in Tennessee. FCI Memphis sits in the Western District of Tennessee, which the Bureau prints under RRM Nashville. Placement follows the release address, not the prison: Memphis to Dallas runs through RRM Dallas, Beaumont to Nashville through RRM Nashville.
These offices hold the halfway-house contracts and supervise home confinement; the regional office signs contracts but does not run placements. Our halfway house overview explains the referral, and the RRM directory lists every reentry office in the country.
How do I appeal to the South Central Regional Director (BP-10)?
Mail the BP-10 so that it arrives in Grand Prairie within 20 calendar days of the date the warden signed the BP-9 answer. Program Statement 1330.18 (Jan. 6, 2014) allows an appeal “on the appropriate form (BP-10) to the appropriate Regional Director within 20 calendar days of the date the Warden signed the response” (at pp. 6–7), and says the deadlines “specify the date of the Appeal’s receipt in the regional office or the Central Office” (at p. 7). Our BP-9 guide covers the level below, and the remedy policy page summarizes the program.
The envelope has required contents. PS 1330.18 at p. 7 requires the regional appeal to be “accompanied by one complete copy or duplicate original of the institution Request and response,” and the inmate “shall provide two additional copies of any continuation page and exhibits with the regional Appeal.” Nothing new can be added at this stage: “An inmate may not raise in an Appeal issues not raised in the lower level filings” (at p. 7).
Where the person is on the day of mailing decides the office, “regardless of the institution that responded to the institution filing” (PS 1330.18 at p. 7). A BP-9 answered at FCI Memphis, followed by a move to a Mid-Atlantic prison before the appeal goes out, means the BP-10 goes to that region instead of this one.
The Regional Director then has 30 calendar days from the date the appeal is logged. PS 1330.18 at p. 9 sets two lists of numbers two sentences apart. The response times are 20 days for the warden, 30 for the Regional Director and 40 for the General Counsel. The extensions are “once by 20 days at the institution level, 30 days at the regional level, or 20 days at the Central Office level.” Here both figures are 30.
Two kinds of filing begin at Grand Prairie rather than at the prison. Discipline appeals: “DHO appeals shall be submitted initially to the Regional Director for the region where the inmate is currently located” (PS 1330.18 at p. 6; see the inmate discipline program page). And a complaint the person reasonably believes would put them in danger if it became known at the institution may be marked “Sensitive” and sent straight to the Regional Director (at p. 6); if the regional coordinator does not agree that it is sensitive, it is not accepted and the person is told so in writing.
After Grand Prairie the last step is the BP-11 in Washington. On courts, the statement says only this: “In many cases, courts require a proper Appeal to the General Counsel before an inmate may pursue the complaint in court” (at p. 7). Our § 2241 petition page describes one of the filings that can follow.
How do I contact the South Central Regional Office?
By telephone at 972-730-8600, or by fax at 972-730-8809. The Bureau publishes one mailbox for the office, [email protected].
Watch the house number. The physical record places the office at 346 Marine Forces Drive, while the staff-mail and shipping records both print 344, and the table above keeps each as the Bureau printed it rather than picking one. A letter to a member of staff follows the staff-mail line: US ARMED FORCES RESERVE CMPL, 344 MARINE FORCES DR, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75051.
Nothing meant for a prisoner belongs at this address. Letters and funds go to the institution; see our guides to federal inmate mail and sending money. A transfer request starts with the unit team, as our transfers page explains.
Which South Central prisons are on the July 2026 closure list?
Three of the six institutions the Bureau named on July 1, 2026 are in this region: FCI Beaumont Low, FCI Big Spring and FCI La Tuna. The release said the Bureau “will close the following institutions” and listed “Beaumont FCI Low”, “Big Spring FCI and Satellite Camp” and “La Tuna FCI, FSL (Federal Satellite Low), and Satellite Camp”. It announced a reduction in force at Big Spring and La Tuna.
All three are still on the roster. The September 10, 2026 report counted 1,317 people at FCI Beaumont Low and 517 at its camp, 413 at FCI Big Spring and 93 at its camp, and 437 at FCI La Tuna and 121 at its camp. La Tuna’s low-security satellite was already idle: the release calls it “currently non-operational”. The Bureau has published no closing date (checked September 18, 2026). Our prison closures page tracks the wider list.
The announcement stops no clock: a BP-9 is still due 20 calendar days after the event, under 28 C.F.R. § 542.14(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many prisons are in the South Central Region?
Twenty-two, located in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. They held 26,460 people in the Bureau’s population report of September 10, 2026. Texas alone has thirteen, including USP Beaumont, FPC Bryan, FDC Houston and both medical centers, at Carswell and Fort Worth.
Where does a BP-10 from FCI Memphis go?
To the South Central Regional Office in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Bureau’s Offices page lists Tennessee under the Mid-Atlantic Region, but its roster and address records place FCI Memphis in the South Central Region. Program Statement 1330.18 at p. 7 sends the appeal to the region holding the person when it is mailed.
How long does the South Central Regional Director have to decide a BP-10?
Thirty calendar days from the date the appeal is logged as received, under Program Statement 1330.18 at p. 9. The same page allows one extension of 30 days at the regional level, given in writing. If no answer comes within the time allowed, including the extension, the person may treat the silence as a denial.
Is New Mexico part of the South Central Region?
On the Bureau’s Offices page, yes. In practice no Bureau institution operates in New Mexico, so no one serves a sentence there under this office. The District of New Mexico is printed under RRM San Antonio, which handles halfway-house and home-confinement placement for people releasing to that state.
Is the regional office the same as the Grand Prairie Office Complex?
No. They share a reserve complex in Grand Prairie, Texas, but do different work. The complex houses the Designations and Sentence Computation Center, which decides where people are sent and computes sentences. The regional office supervises the region’s prisons and decides BP-10 appeals from them.
Can a family member file a BP-10 for someone in a South Central prison?
No. Under Program Statement 1330.18 at p. 8, family members and lawyers may help prepare an appeal, but no one else may submit it on the prisoner’s behalf. The person in custody signs and mails it. Relatives can gather records, draft wording and keep track of the 20-day window.
Where we can help
Our work here follows the remedy ladder from the BP-9 through Grand Prairie to Washington, moves between the region’s prisons, and compassionate release requests, including from FMC Carswell and FMC Fort Worth.
Discuss a Discipline or Custody Issue. You leave with an assessment of whether the Bureau followed its own policy, and what to file if it did not. A BP-9 is due 20 calendar days after the event it complains of. 28 C.F.R. § 542.14(a).
Call 843-620-1100 or contact us to arrange a paid one-hour consultation about a specific situation. Calls are answered 24 hours a day. The route itself is set out on our compassionate release page.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C. is a federal criminal defense and post-conviction firm based in Columbia, South Carolina, practicing nationwide. Mentions of South Central Region places on this page do not imply an office or a lawyer there.
Sources and currency
Bureau of Prisons documents
- RO South Central, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2026. Address, telephone, fax and mailbox; the physical, staff-mail and shipping records.
- Offices, Federal Bureau of Prisons, read September 18, 2026. The role of regional offices, the state list for this region, and the Grand Prairie Office Complex.
- Our Locations, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2026. The roster behind the institution table, including FCI Memphis’s region.
- Population Statistics, Federal Bureau of Prisons. The September 10, 2026 report.
- Administrative Remedy Program, Program Statement 1330.18, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2014. Sensitive requests and DHO appeals at p. 6; the 20-day appeal at pp. 6–7; receipt rule, contents, processing office and the courts sentence at p. 7; assistance at p. 8; response times and extensions at p. 9.
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Announces Facility Closures and Operational Changes, Federal Bureau of Prisons, July 1, 2026.
- RRM Dallas, RRM San Antonio and RRM Nashville, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2026. Printed districts and street blocks.
Regulations
- 28 C.F.R. § 503.1, Structure of the Bureau of Prisons.
- 28 C.F.R. § 542.14, Initial filing; the 20-day deadline at (a).
- 28 C.F.R. § 542.15, Appeals.
- 28 C.F.R. § 542.18, Response time.
Sources reviewed September 2026. Confirm anything load-bearing with the office or the institution before relying on it.
Reviewed for legal accuracy by Elizabeth Franklin-Best, Esq., Principal Attorney·September 2026