The Metropolitan Detention Center is a United States federal administrative detention facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. There are several facilities throughout the US.
In Season Two's premier episode, "Thirsty Bird", Piper Chapman and Alex Vause were transferred to MDC Chicago temporarily while awaiting the trial against Kubra Balik, for which they were required to testify.
Prison System[]
Due to MDC being a Maximum Security prison, the setup and systemin the prison is different from that of Litchfield Penitentiary, resulting in Piper's difficulty in adjusting.
The inmates are divided into units (A, B, C; similar to Litchfield's cell blocks), and further subdivided into cells, with each barred holding cell consisting of six bunks for six inmates each. The inmates in each cell share one toilet, which is situated in the middle of the room. They are only allowed to leave their cells during meals, during rec time (one hour a day) and during their "outdoor time" once a week, when all units can mingle in the yard.
Jobs assigned to the men include feeders (who distribute the food) and cleaners. Whilst there are both male and female inmates in one unit, they don't share cells, and the men were told to keep a distance and stick to the walls while the women passed through upon their arrival.
Inmates[]
The MDC is a mixed prison, inhabiting both male and female inmates. As MDC is a maximum security prison, in contrast to Litchfield, there are inmates with offenses of high degrees such as multiple murders.
A list of all known inmates that are or were incarcerated at MDC: