MCC Chicago is a 26-story federal detention facility in downtown Chicago, built specifically as a prison and opened in 1975. Designed by noted architect Harry Weese, it's shaped like a triangular high-rise with narrow, bar-free window slits, an unusual design at the time meant to blend into the surrounding skyline while still functioning as secure housing. Unlike most federal prisons, it primarily holds men and women who are awaiting trial, sentencing, or transfer in the Northern District of Illinois's federal court system, so turnover tends to be faster and stays less predictable than at a standard prison. Over the decades it has held a number of high-profile detainees during their court proceedings, including former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and, more recently, individuals facing terrorism-support and organized crime charges. Its downtown location, just blocks from the federal courthouse, is part of the original design logic — keeping detainees close to where their hearings happen. For families, the pretrial nature of MCC Chicago means visitation rules, mail, and length of stay can look different from what's typical at a longer-term BOP institution.