Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook


The Federal Correctional Institution, Ray Brook is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates that is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.
FCI Ray Brook is located in Essex County, New York, midway between the villages of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Although constructed as a prison, it initially served as the Olympic Village for the 1980 Winter Olympics, which were held in Lake Placid.

History

The prison became operational following the conclusion of the Olympics and accepted its first inmates that same year. Local activists and international participants had protested the dual purpose building. Decarceration activists formed the coalition Stop the Olympic Prison arguing that the location and scale of the project contradicted federal recommendations for new prisons. In contrast, the Soviet Union announced their intention to repurpose facilities of the 1980 Summer Olympics for public housing. A 1979 Sports Illustrated piece included interviews of teams from various countries who were seeking alternative accommodations.
In 2010, FCI Ray Brook commemorated its thirtieth anniversary. In 2016, the institution became host to a pilot Pell Grant program offering college coursework through North Country Community College.
The Bureau of Prisons has received numerous complaints regarding conditions at FCI Ray Brook. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated a previously dismissed lawsuit filed against the Bureau of Prisons on behalf of six inmates who were allegedly housed in an extremely hot and cramped single room without adequate ventilation and cleaning supplies. The Court found that the evidence justified a claim of cruel and unusual punishment. The lawsuit is currently pending.

Notable inmates (current and former)

†Temporarily transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn pending an appeal.
Inmate NameRegister NumberStatusDetails
Eduardo Arellano-FelixServing a 15-year sentence; scheduled for release in 2021.Key member of the Tijuana Cartel, a multi-national drug trafficking organization, extradited from Mexico in 2012; pleaded guilty in 2013 to directing the shipment of hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal drug proceeds from the US to Mexico.
David RadlerSentenced to 29 months; transferred from Moshannon Valley Correctional Center; transferred to Canada in September 2008; paroled from Ferndale Institution December 2008.Pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Former associate of Conrad Black and CEO of Ravelston Corporation.
Sathajhan SarachandranServing a 26-year sentence; scheduled for release in 2029.†Pleaded guilty in 2009 to providing material support for terrorism for attempting to purchase military weapons for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant group on the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.