What is a dropout yard? It’s a term inmates and prison staff use to describe a certain type of facility. They are scattered across the US and are sometimes referred to as SNY or Special Needs Yards.
Who’s placed in these facilities? Former law-enforcement personnel, gang drop outs, and sexual deviants for a start. These inmates are placed there because there aren’t any politics in them and most inmates leave everyone else alone. They are supposed to be safe places, and most of the time they are. That isn’t to say some of the people incarcerated in these facilities don’t still have a target on their back for being a sexual predator or a snitch. They do, and they still have to watch their back even in the dropout yard.
In order to get transferred to one of these facilities, you have to be recommended for the transfer. Most inmates are sent there after being housed in the SHU or Special Housing Units in other facilities. It gets expensive to house people in the SHU, and they are overcrowded, so one solution is to transfer individuals to a dropout yard. Another way to get there is to debrief and drop out from your gang.
As they get older, some gang members get tired of the continuous drama in gangs, realize the futility and stupidity of it all, and just want to serve their time and go home. In order to do this, they have to debrief by giving information to authorities. Often this is dangerous for them, but there isn’t any other way to get out. (Most gangs adhere to the blood in – blood out rule.) They will remain marked as a snitch. This is actually pretty ridiculous, as the authorities already know who is who and what they are all doing anyway. What is told to them is already old news.
Dropout yards serve a purpose for those who just want to pay their dues and go home. Hopefully, these facilities will not turn into places where gangs and drugs thrive the same way they do in regular facilities.
Information for Friends and Family of Inmates 
I need help. My son is being mistreated by correction officers due to Not being in a gang.
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Gosh, that is a new one. First of all, I’m glad to hear he is not in a gang. Here are some suggestions. Call administration in the facility and ask for the warden. Be sure to document your call. If it is a state facility, call your congressman or woman and tell them. If it is a federal facility call the BOP. You can also email them. Phone # (202) 307-3198. If you email them, you probably will not get an answer. I never have. Email addresses are for the facility he is in.
He can ask to be put in isolation. I’m not sure that will help, if it is the corrections officers who are mistreating him, but he would be in a different “block” area and would have different correction officers. There are cameras in those areas too.
I would have him call and tell you about the problems, while you record the call, so you have documentation. Have him name the officers.
He can send a “kite” (note) to administration in his facility to document the abuse. This may cause him more trouble though if the wrong people get their hands on it.
Another avenue would be to call your local ACLU and ask them if they can do anything.
Please let me know how he is doing and if you are able to solve the problem.
Sharron
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My son in in federal prison . im in need of info / help can you email me plz dont want say on the web site
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id like any type of information on any type of intitution , prison or yards that are available for SNY DROPPED OUTS in california
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Hello Bertha,
Apparently the only completely SNY is Mule Creek State Prison – 4001 CA-104, Ione, CA 95640. In 20 of California’s 34 prisons there are drop out yards separate from general population. Unfortunately, it seems gang members are proliferating in those yards also and the state has been slowly integrating SNY inmates back into general population. It seems there is not a good answer for inmates who are in need of protection any more. What is happening that might help is that prisoners in need of protection are being transferred to lower level prisons with more rehabilitation programs being offered.
In 2018 the system began reintegrating the SNY inmates back into the general population with non-designated programing, so inmates could get ready to live in the community when they get out. Non-Designated Programming Facilities are facilities that house inmates together regardless of their designation (Sensitive Needs Yard (SNY) or General Population (GP)) in order to provide greater access to self-help, educational, vocational and rehabilitative programs.
That being said, I don’t believe they have solved the problem. If the Sensitive Needs Yards are becoming dangerous, they should weed out the problem makers and get the yards back to being safe for those who need them.
I would suggest that you call your loved one’s case manager and discuss your concerns. Maybe by them knowing you are aware of your loved one’s needs they might do something. No one is transferred to a SNY without coming to the authorities and debriefing. Your loved one has to do this to get into a SNY. Mostly what they want to know about is the gang activities.
I hope this helps,
Sharron
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My son was in a FCI drop out yard. He put in a request to try to move closer to home. He has been more than 800 miles from home for over 4 years. As a result he is being sent to a federal penitentiary in California. He has been trying to talk to someone about it because if he goes there he will have to go directly to the schu. He spent 7 months in the shu waiting to get transferred. I thought if they were in a drop out yard that any transfer would be to another drop out yard. He is in fear for his life and we can’t get anyone to help. What can we do. He is in Atlanta right now waiting to be transferred.
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Hi Linda,
I am so sorry to hear this about your son. The Federal system does not care if they send inmates away from their home. They often transfer them because of a multitude of reasons: too many gang members in that prison, the inmate being being too high of a level in a gang, too many inmates in the prison, etc. If he requested a transfer I would have thought he would go to another drop out yard, but there are only a few of them that I know of. The best thing I know to do is for him to contact his counselor and tell them he is in fear of his life and be sure to make the counselor document his request. If he is in the Schu, he will be safe, but who wants to spend months in solitary? You could also call the warden where he is and tell them the problem or at least ask to speak to his counselor or administration. If you have a state representative (senator or representative) you can call, try that too. And lastly call the Federal Bureau of prisons and see if you can get anyone to answer. That contact info is:
Address:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St., NW
Washington, DC 20534
Phone:
(202) 307-3198
Be sure to document all your efforts and who you speak too, so you can have documentation in case he has to go to the Schu. Then you could file a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. They say on their website they make take 20-30 days to respond if you send a letter, so try calling first.
Sadly, I never found them to be responsive and often came up against a brick wall with requests. Maybe you will have better luck. If your son contacts his counselor – transfer person, it will probably make a better impact.
I’m praying for his safety. Please let me know what happens.
Sharron
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My fiancee is not safe where he is. He is a drop out he needs to go to a drop out yard I’ve been emailing and calling to get him moved. He just wants to do his time then come home to me and start a good life. He fears for his life and so do I. I need help to make sure he’s ok
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Hello Miranda,
He may not be safe where he is and I sure understand your fear. He has to speak to his counselor and tell him he does not feel safe and needs to be moved. Most of the time they will not do anything based on your actions. they need him to make the request. Sometimes it takes awhile to get moved and during that time he could ask to be in administrative-segregation. He should be safe there.
I wish I had better news for you but that is the way they (people in the prison system) work.
In the meantime try to support him best you can. One of the best dropout yards is Coleman FCC in Florida near Orlando.
Best,
Sharron
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I wanted my grandson to go to Coleman, but he said his points are too low now. How does that work? What does FCC STAND for. He has advanced from USP TO FCI. He says the only one in Florida is Mariana medium prison?
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Hello, I apologize for the late reply. Unfortunately, I have the dreaded flu!
I am not sure why he couldn’t go to Coleman if his points are low. FCC Coleman has a low security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp. He should be able to go there. It is a designated “drop out” yard.
I suggest he petition his prison counselor to see what is the problem. He is not correct, there are several FCI -Federal correctional institution facilities in Florida. FCC is a federal correctional complex that has faculties with different levels for incarceration. I have listed the common acronyms for the Bureau of Prisons below. I hope this helps.
Sharron
ADX Administrative-Maximum U.S. Penitentiary
CO Central Office
FCC Federal Correctional Complex
FCI Federal Correctional Institution
FDC Federal Detention Center
FMC Federal Medical Center
FPC Federal Prison Camp
FSL Federal Satellite Low
FTC Federal Transfer Center
MCC Metropolitan Correctional Center
MCFP Medical Center for Federal Prisoners
MDC Metropolitan Detention Center
RO Regional Office
RRC Residential Reentry Center
RRM Residential Reentry Management Office
SFF Secure Female Facility
SCP Satellite Prison Camp
USP U.S. Penitentiary
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