Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc


The Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in California. It is part of the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.
FCC Lompoc is located within the city of Lompoc, northwest of Los Angeles, adjacent to Vandenberg Air Force Base. The complex also includes a U.S. Penitentiary and a minimum-security prison camp.

Facility

The average offender at FCI Lompoc is serving between one and fifteen years for federal drug and or other non-violent offenses. It has four general housing units, two of which offer dormitory and room-type housing. The institution offers a full range of inmate employment, vocational training, education, counseling, medical, dental, pre-release preparation, and other self-improvement opportunities.

Notable incidents

1980 escape

In the late evening hours of January 21, 1980, Christopher Boyce, who was serving a 40-year sentence for spying for the Soviet Union, escaped from FCI Lompoc. With the assistance of fellow inmates, Boyce hid in a drainage hole, used a makeshift ladder and small tin scissors to cut through a barbed wire perimeter. Boyce was on the run for 20 months until U.S. Marshals and FBI Agents captured him in the small town of Port Angeles, Washington on August 21, 1981, ending one of the most extensive and complex manhunts in the history of the U.S. Marshals Service.

COVID-19 pandemic

A deadly COVID-19 outbreak swept through the federal correctional complex in 2020. It included several dozen staff members, including guards.

Notable inmates (current)

Notable inmates (former)