Why Diddy Wants To Serve His Prison Sentence At FCI Fort Dix

Diddy FCI Fort Dix — Source: ANGELA WEISS / Getty

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is now asking the court and the Bureau of Prisons to let him serve his 50-month (4 years, 2 months) sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey. His conviction stems from two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution (involving male escorts and his ex-girlfriends; sometimes drug-fueled), in violation of the Mann Act. The jury dismissed more serious charges, such as racketeering and sex trafficking. Since he’s already been in federal custody (at MDC Brooklyn) since his arrest in September 2024, that time is counted toward his sentence.

Fort Dix (officially the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix) is a low-security federal prison for male inmates, with a satellite minimum-security camp. It’s located within the military base complex of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, New Jersey and is among the largest singular federal facilities by population. As a low-security institution, Fort Dix provides various inmate programs, including educational and occupational training. It is one of a subset of federal prisons that hosts the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), the Bureau of Prisons’ most intensive treatment track for inmates battling substance abuse. Over the years, Fort Dix has housed several high-profile inmates and has faced issues with contraband smuggling, internal corruption, and violence.

Diddy’s legal team is pushing hard for Fort Dix for several reasons. Primarily, they feel that the rehabilitative resources (specifically RDAP) at Fort Dix would be crucial in helping him tackle any substance abuse issues and assist his efforts to reintegrate. Fort Dix is located relatively close to Combs’ hometown in New York and his connections in New Jersey. They have emphasized that placing him there would facilitate more frequent family visitation opportunities compared to many other federal prisons farther away. Third, considering that Fort Dix is a lower-security facility and provides a somewhat less harsh environment, his lawyers believe that it would be a more suitable placement given his status and rehabilitative priorities. They formally requested that Judge Arun Subramanian “strongly recommend” Fort Dix to the Bureau of Prisons.

It is essential to note that the judge’s recommendation is advisory only. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has the ultimate authority to decide which facility an inmate is assigned to, based on classifications, security needs, and program availability. The BOP considers factors like the nature of the offense, a prison’s capacity, an inmate’s medical and programming needs, safety and security protocols, and placement arrangements. Additionally, although Diddy’s lawyers portray the move as a supportive and rehabilitative request, critics may view it as a bid for a more favorable prison placement, which is not uncommon in high-profile cases.

While the request is public, the court has not yet officially acted on recommending Fort Dix, so we’ll have to wait to see whether the Bureau of Prisons complies or assigns him elsewhere. Do you think Diddy will get his request? Either way, we’ll be here to keep you posted.