You cannot fix what you cannot see. If you want to check a sentence computation, challenge a disciplinary record, or prove what programs were completed, you need the records. Here is how to get them. There are two main ways. A Privacy Act request asks for records about yourself. A FOIA request asks for federal agency records. For your own file, the Privacy Act request is usually the right tool. Your loved one can file it. Family members generally cannot get someone else's records without that person's written permission. What to ask for. Be specific. The central file. The sentence computation. Disciplinary records. Program completion records and certificates. Medical records, if relevant. A vague request gets a slow answer. A specific request gets a useful one. Where to send it. BOP records requests go to the BOP's FOIA and Privacy Act office. The request should include the full name, register number, date of birth, and a clear description of the records wanted. Sign it. Date it. Keep a copy. Expect a wait. These requests take time. Weeks. Sometimes months. If the answer is slow, follow up in writing and keep the follow-up too. If records come back with pages blacked out, that is normal for some categories, and the letter should explain why. Once the records arrive, read them against what you already know. Compare the sentence computation to the judgment. Compare the program list to the certificates. Discrepancies are the whole point of getting the file. Records are leverage. Get them early, before you need them, not after a deadline is already running. If you need help drafting the request or figuring out what to ask for, that is what we do. Pro Se Help prepares documents for people representing themselves. Free consultation at prosehelpllc.com. This is general information, not legal advice.