FCI El Reno in Oklahoma has one of the longest histories in the federal system. Ground was broken in January 1932 on land near U.S. Route 66, and the first prisoners arrived in April 1933, with the facility formally opening to the public the following year as the Southwestern U.S. Reformatory — originally intended for younger, first-time offenders rather than the general adult population. Over the following decades it built out extensive prison industries, including a broom factory relocated from Leavenworth and a weaving operation that, during World War II, produced tens of thousands of cargo nets for the military. Around 1976 the institution shifted to accepting the general adult male population rather than just younger offenders, and by the 1980s it had also become a key transfer hub in the federal system, with large numbers of inmates passing through overnight during interstate transport. El Reno earned a place in the national spotlight in July 2015 when President Obama toured the facility and spoke with inmates, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit a federal prison — a visit that helped spark broader conversations about sentencing and criminal justice reform. Today it operates as a medium-security institution.