Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was sentenced to four years and two months in prison on federal charges related to the transportation of individuals for prostitution, has asked to serve his sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal correctional facility in New Jersey known for its rehabilitation and drug treatment programs.
Combs’ attorneys made the formal request on Monday, just days after his sentencing, citing the facility’s Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) and proximity to his family as key reasons for the recommendation.
“In order to address drug abuse issues and to maximize family visitation and rehabilitative efforts, we request that the Court strongly recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that Mr. Combs be placed at FCI Fort Dix for RDAP purposes and any other available educational and occupational programs,” his attorney Tony Geragos wrote in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, according to the New York Post.
The RDAP is the Bureau of Prisons’ most comprehensive drug treatment initiative, offering counseling, life skills training, and the possibility of reduced sentences upon successful completion.
What is FCI Fort Dix?
Located on the McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint Base, about 64 miles southwest of New York City, Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix is the largest single federal prison by population, housing nearly 3,900 inmates. The complex also includes a minimum-security satellite camp that accommodates around 210 inmates.
The facility has gained attention for housing several high-profile inmates, including mobsters, drug traffickers, corrupt politicians, and the notorious “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli.
At one point, the prison was overseen by Lamine N’Diaye, the former warden of the Manhattan federal jail where financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019. N’Diaye has since retired.
A checkered past
Despite its reputation as a relatively low-risk institution, FCI Fort Dix has faced multiple controversies over the years.
- In 2021, a 27-year-old inmate was stabbed in the eye by another prisoner.
- In 2019, authorities uncovered a drone-smuggling operation in which contraband such as cellphones, tobacco, weight-loss pills, and eyeglasses were flown into the prison.
- That same year, a correctional officer pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband into the facility.
- During his time there, Martin Shkreli was reportedly placed in solitary confinement after being accused of using a contraband smartphone to manage his pharmaceutical company from behind bars.
