28 C.F.R. § 540.200

Purpose and scope

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(a) Purpose of this subpart. This subpart defines the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (Bureau) authority to operate, and designate inmates to, Communications Management Housing Units (CMUs) within Bureau facilities.

(b) CMU. A CMU is a general population housing unit where inmates ordinarily reside, eat, and participate in all educational, recreational, religious, visiting, unit management, and work programming, within the confines of the CMU. Additionally, CMUs may contain a range of cells dedicated to segregated housing of inmates in administrative detention or disciplinary segregation status.

(c) Purpose of CMUs. The purpose of CMUs is to provide an inmate housing unit environment that enables staff to more effectively monitor communication between inmates in CMUs and persons in the community. The ability to monitor such communication is necessary to ensure the safety, security, and orderly operation of correctional facilities, and protection of the public. The volume, frequency, and methods, of CMU inmate contact with persons in the community may be limited as necessary to achieve the goal of total monitoring, consistent with this subpart.

(d) Application. Any inmate (as defined in 28 CFR 500.1(c)) meeting criteria prescribed by this subpart may be designated to a CMU.

(e) Relationship to other regulations. The regulations in this subpart supersede and control to the extent they conflict with, are inconsistent with, or impose greater limitations than the regulations in this part, or any other regulations in this chapter, except 28 CFR part 501.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 2018–2026 · leading case: White v. True (S.D. Ill. 2020).
White v. True (S.D. Ill. 2020). · cites it 2× “28 C.F.R. § 540.200 (c). prevented from corresponding with his daughter (“B.”
Sebolt v. United States (N.D. Ill. 2018). “13)(citing 28 C.F.R. § 540.200 (2015)). Sebolt does not contest his assignment to the CMU at the FCI in 2013.”
Smadi v. True (S.D. Ill. 2023). “” 28 C.F.R. § 540.200 (c). Federal regulations establish the criteria for placement of an inmate in the CMU.”
Jordan v. USA (S.D. Ill. 2023). “Jordan was designated to the CMU prior to the promulgation of 28 C.F.R. § 540.200 , et seq., but the designation criteria and process is identical to the criteria used when Jordan was designated to the CMU, except that final approval authority was given to the Regional Director…”
Wint v. Warden (S.D. Ill. 2025). “” 28 C.F.R. § 540.200 (b). Inmates are not confined in their cells during the day, and most prison services are available within this self-contained housing unit.”
Akers (S.D. Ill. 2026). “See 28 C.F.R. § 540.200 . See also 28 C.F.R. § 540.”
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