20 Prisons in Indiana – Behind Bars in the Hoosier State

Prisons play a crucial role in maintaining the safety and security of society by incarcerating individuals who have committed crimes. In Indiana, the prison system is operated by the Indiana Department of Correction, which oversees 20 facilities across the state.

The state’s prison system has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including issues related to overcrowding, understaffing, and inadequate funding. Despite these challenges, Indiana’s prisons continue to house a significant number of inmates, with the state having one of the highest incarceration rates in the country.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the prison system in Indiana, exploring its history, current status, and the challenges it faces.

Indiana Prison Map

Use the Indiana prison map below to locate any facility. Click on the map markers to read our detailed guide of that facility.

State Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
Branchville Correctional Facility	Perry County	1,400+	Medium	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Chain O’Lakes Correctional Facility	Noble County	140	Maximum	Male and Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Correctional Industrial Facility	Pendleton	1,400+	Medium	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Edinburgh Correctional Facility	Edinburgh	300+	Minimum	Male and Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Heritage Trail Correctional Facility	Plainfield	1,000+	Minimum	Male and Female	The GEO Group, Inc.
Indiana State Prison	Michigan City	2,400+	Maximum	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Indiana Women’s Prison	Indianapolis	700+	Maximum	Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Miami Correctional Facility	Bunker Hill	3,100+	High-Medium	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Madison Correctional Facility	Madison	900+	Minimum	Female	Indiana Department of Correction
New Castle Correctional Facility	New Castle	3,200	Varying	Male	The GEO Group, Inc.
Pendleton Correctional Facility	Pendleton	1,500	Maximum	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Plainfield Correctional Facility	Plainfield	1,600+	Medium	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Putnamville Correctional Facility	Indiana	2,500+	Medium	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Rockville Correctional Facility	Rockville	1,200+	Maximum	Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Wabash Valley Correctional Facility	Sullivan County	2,200+	Maximum/ Minimum Security	Male	Indiana Department of Correction
Westville Correctional Facility	Indiana	3,400+	Maximum	Male	Indiana Department of Correction

Branchville Correctional Facility

Branchville Correctional Facility is a medium-security prison located in Perry County, Indiana. As an Indiana Department of Correction state prison for men, it has a capacity for over 1,400 incarcerated individuals.

The facility opened in 1982 and since then, it has provided opportunities for educational and vocational skills training to its inmates. The woodworking and sewing programs are especially popular and the items produced by the incarcerated individuals are often donated to community organizations.

Branchville Correctional Facility takes rehabilitation seriously and offers a variety of programs to help the inmates prepare for life outside of prison.

Chain O’Lakes Correctional Facility

Chain O’Lakes Correctional Facility, located in Noble County, Indiana, is a community re-entry center established in 1967. The facility initially housed 54 incarcerated individuals but has since expanded to six buildings with a maximum capacity of 140.

Chain O’Lakes offers various educational and treatment programs to aid each incarcerated individual with their transition back into society.

The facility also provides work crews to maintain Pokagon State Park and Chain O’Lakes State Park, as well as assist the Noble County Surveyor’s office, Indiana Department of Transportation, and the local community on special projects.

Chain O’Lakes Correctional Facility strives to provide a safe and supportive environment to help individuals successfully re-enter society.

Correctional Industrial Facility

The Correctional Industrial Facility (CIF), formerly known as the Correctional Industrial Complex, is a medium security facility located in Pendleton, Indiana. It was established by the Indiana Department of Correction on October 18, 1984.

The facility houses over 1,400 adult male incarcerated individuals and offers educational programs to help them improve their skills and knowledge.

CIF also provides work and vocational training opportunities, such as the brake shop where incarcerated individuals refurbish brake pads. These programs aim to prepare individuals for successful re-entry into society upon their release.

Edinburgh Correctional Facility

Edinburgh Correctional Facility, located in Edinburgh, Indiana on Camp Atterbury, was established in 1991. This minimum-security facility currently holds over 300 incarcerated individuals.

The facility’s work crews support Camp Atterbury and other communities and states, saving Indiana taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.

Edinburgh Correctional Facility aims to provide labor support for the military, local community, and other state agencies, while also offering programs, education, services, and job assignments to promote positive change and growth for successful re-entry into the community.

Heritage Trail Correctional Facility

Heritage Trail Correctional Facility is a minimum-security prison located in Plainfield, Indiana. In 2010, the Indiana Department of Correction awarded a contract to The GEO Group, Inc. to operate the Short-Term Offender Program (STOP) facility, which was later renamed Heritage Trail in 2015.

The facility is situated on the former grounds of the Indiana Boys School and Plainfield Re-Entry Educational Facility, and still features the original red fire kiln brick housing units and administration building.

With a maximum capacity of over 1,000 inmates, Heritage Trail provides dormitory-style housing to promote personal responsibility and community participation among its population.

Indiana State Prison

The Indiana State Prison, located in Michigan City, Indiana, was established in 1858 as the state’s second correctional facility. The prison was named after the first facility, located in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The Michigan City location became the oldest facility in the system after Prison South was destroyed by a fire in 1922. The prison’s original perimeter wall enclosed 8.3 acres, but it was enlarged to 24 acres over time.

With a capacity of over 2,400 incarcerated individuals, the prison is designated as a level four maximum security facility that houses individuals with long sentences and/or convictions for violent crimes. The facility has ten towers on its walls, which are manned all day, every day.

The prison staff takes pride in keeping the buildings and grounds clean and presentable. Additionally, a level two facility, formerly known as Lakeside Correctional Facility, with a capacity for 385 incarcerated individuals, is also located on the prison grounds.

Indiana Women’s Prison

The Indiana Women’s Prison is a maximum-security facility and the oldest and first adult facility for females in the United States. Established in 1872, the prison operated at its original site for 136 years before relocating to its current location at 2596 North Girls School Road in 2009.

The facility has a capacity of over 700 and specializes in providing care for all female incarcerated individuals.

One unique feature is the Officer Breann Leath Memorial Maternal-Child Health Unit, which allows incarcerated mothers to stay with their children and receive education and resources to support successful re-entry.

The prison also provides resources and treatment for mental health, substance use, and domestic abuse, along with multiple educational opportunities. The goal is to help incarcerated women prepare to re-enter their community with more skills and confidence than when they arrived.

Miami Correctional Facility

Miami Correctional Facility, located on the former Grissom Air Force Base, is a Level 4 high medium security correctional facility in Indiana. The facility was established in 1997 after a successful campaign by the community.

It has a capacity to house over 3,100 men in dormitory and cellhouse housing, and also a level 1 facility that can accommodate over 200 inmates. Miami Correctional Facility offers work and educational programs to its inmates, including a Braille translation program and a sewing shop that provides items to partner organizations.

The facility is known for its emphasis on rehabilitation and education and has been praised for its efforts toward reducing recidivism rates among its inmates.

Madison Correctional Facility

Madison Correctional Facility is located in southeastern Indiana and overlooks the Ohio River to the south while being bordered by Clifty Falls State Park on the west.

Originally established in 1989 as an adult male level one work camp, the purpose of the facility was changed in 2004 to house minimum security adult females due to an increase in incarcerated women statewide. Today, Madison Correctional Facility can accommodate over 900 women in dorm housing, which includes a 72-bed work release program.

The facility provides programming and job opportunities to incarcerated individuals, both on and off the grounds, with the goal of preparing them for re-entry into their community with enhanced skills and confidence.

Through treatment and rehabilitation, Madison Correctional Facility aims to help incarcerated women successfully reintegrate into society.

New Castle Correctional Facility

New Castle Correctional Facility is a privately managed correctional facility in Indiana that was established in 2002 by the Indiana Department of Correction. It has a maximum capacity of 3,200 adult male incarcerated individuals with varying security levels.

The facility is managed by The GEO Group, Inc. which works with partners to offer a range of services to the inmates. These services include specialized medical care, educational and therapeutic programming, and vocational opportunities.

The facility is equipped to handle special needs and maximum security inmates.

Pendleton Correctional Facility

Pendleton Correctional Facility is a level three maximum security adult male facility situated in Pendleton, Indiana. The facility has a minimum-security dormitory located next to the main facility.

The present-day Pendleton Correctional Facility was established in 1921 after a fire destroyed a significant part of the Indiana Reformatory in Jeffersonville, which was designated as the first Indiana State Prison in 1821. Most of the existing buildings were constructed between 1922-1923, and five new housing units were completed in 1985.

The facility underwent several renovations, including the completion of a new infirmary in September 1988 and cell house renovations in 2002, 2005, and 2009.

In 1996, the Indiana Reformatory was renamed Pendleton Correctional Facility, following a Department of Correction permit to change the names of the facilities to be more representative of their geographical locations.

Plainfield Correctional Facility

Plainfield Correctional Facility in Indiana was established in 1964 as the Indiana Youth Center and has since become a medium security facility with a capacity to hold over 1,600 individuals in dormitory housing.

The facility offers resources and treatment geared toward mental health and substance use, as well as educational opportunities. The goal is to provide treatment and rehabilitation to prepare incarcerated men to re-enter their community with increased skills and confidence.

Plainfield Correctional Facility is committed to ensuring the safety of its staff and inmates and works to maintain a secure environment while providing a path toward successful reentry into society.

Putnamville Correctional Facility

The Putnamville Correctional Facility, located in Indiana, was originally established in 1915 as a minimum security, misdemeanant work camp. Over time, the facility evolved and in 1977, it was reclassified as a medium-security prison for individuals convicted of felonies.

The facility covers 3,500 acres of land, but in 2009, 917 acres were allocated to the Department of Natural Resources. The Putnamville Correctional Facility has been recognized for its environmental initiatives, including winning the 2010 Organization of the Year by the Hoosier Environmental Council for Green Initiatives.

Additionally, the facility offers multiple educational and work training programs, including training in coding and visual and audio programming through The Last Mile, and other programs focused on education and parenting.

With a capacity of over 2,500, the Putnamville Correctional Facility is an important part of the Indiana prison system.

Rockville Correctional Facility

Rockville Correctional Facility is a maximum-security adult female facility located on approximately 52 acres in Rockville, Indiana. Originally established as a juvenile male facility in 1970, it transitioned through several stages before becoming the largest female facility in the Department of Correction.

In 1995, the state approved the Department’s plan to rebuild the facility to fit its new mission as a 600-bed facility for women. Over the next three years, the facility underwent significant changes, including the demolition of 23 structures, the construction of 13 new buildings, and infrastructure replacement.

Today, the facility includes 22 buildings within the property and two residences with a total capacity of more than 1,200. It also serves as the intake unit for women in the Department of Correction, providing assessments to assign each incarcerated individual to the facility and programming that best meets their needs.

The facility offers multiple educational and vocational training opportunities, including cosmetology, parenting support, and a partnership with Televerde that includes training and work opportunities inside the facility and post-release.

Wabash Valley Correctional Facility

Wabash Valley Correctional Facility is a maximum/minimum security prison that houses over 2,200 inmates. Located north of Carlisle in Sullivan County, the facility was completed in 1997.

It has both minimum and maximum security sections, as well as programs to support the needs of the incarcerated population, such as the Special Needs Acclimation Program (SNAP).

Wabash Valley’s staff have implemented various programs to ensure that the facility is well-run and provides inmates with opportunities for growth while maintaining public safety. The prison is also involved in the local community, supporting food pantries, schools, and other organizations.

Westville Correctional Facility

Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana was originally built as Beatty Memorial Hospital, a state-run mental health facility, in 1951. After a lawsuit was filed in 1974 to reduce overcrowding in Indiana’s prisons, the hospital was transferred to the Department of Correction and underwent renovations and additions.

It opened as a correctional facility in July of 1979, and in 1991 a 220-bed Maximum Control Complex was added. Today, the facility has a capacity for over 3,400 incarcerated individuals and offers programs focused on community service and re-entry.

Westville Correctional Facility also has partnerships with Gold Standard Truss and the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College to offer the Moreau College Initiative.

Federal Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Level	Gender	Operator/ Manager
United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute	Terre Haute	1,338	Maximum	Male	Federal Bureau of Prisons

United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute

The United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute is a maximum-security federal prison located in Terre Haute, Indiana. It is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute, and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The facility houses male inmates and includes a Special Confinement Unit for those who have been sentenced to death by the U.S. federal government. USP Terre Haute also contains the federal execution chamber, where most federal death row inmates are housed prior to execution.

FCC Terre Haute is situated in the city of Terre Haute, approximately 70 miles west of Indianapolis.

Juvenile Prisons

Prison Name	Location	Inmate Capacity	Security Levels	Gender	Operator/Manager
LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility	LaPorte	62	Medium	Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility	Logansport	62	Medium	Female	Indiana Department of Correction
Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility	Madison County	245	Maximum	Male	Indiana Department of Correction

LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility

LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility (LPJCF) is a female juvenile correctional facility located in LaPorte, Indiana. Originally built in 1953 as a trustee inmate housing facility for the Indiana State Prison, LPJCF has undergone several transformations over the years.

In 1995, it was converted to Camp Summit Boot Camp, a medium security juvenile male facility utilizing a paramilitary approach. The facility was able to house up to 94 students between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, classified into the boot camp program with a wide variety of charges.

In November 2017, LPJCF was established as a female juvenile facility, serving as the only female juvenile facility in Indiana. The facility can house up to sixty-two (62) female youth and also serves as the intake facility for female youth and court-ordered diagnostic evaluations.

The main building comprises of housing units, a kitchen/dining area, and administrative offices.

Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility

Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility in Indiana has had a varied history since it was erected in 1953. Initially used to house trustee inmates from the Indiana State Prison, it became an adult male work release center in 1977 with a capacity of 80 inmates.

The facility’s mission changed in 1992 to a level 2 woman’s facility until 1993. In 1995, the facility was reopened as Camp Summit Boot Camp, a juvenile male facility. The boot camp program utilized a paramilitary approach during a six-month program and had the ability to house 94 students between the ages of fifteen and eighteen with a wide variety of charges.

In November 2017, LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility was established by converting Camp Summit Boot Camp into a female juvenile facility. The facility is situated on sixty acres in LaPorte, Indiana, and can house up to sixty-two (62) female youth.

LaPorte Juvenile also serves as the intake facility for female youth, and court-ordered diagnostic evaluations.

Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility

The Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility is a maximum-security prison for juvenile males between the ages of 12 and one minute before they turn 22. It is located in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, southwest of Pendleton.

The campus-style facility has an average daily population of 245 males. The Pendleton Facility was established in 2000 with the purpose of preparing young men for re-entry into society with the necessary skills to avoid further criminal behavior.

The facility provides educational programs, vocational training, and mental health services to its residents. The goal is to create a safe and secure environment that will help these young men become productive members of society.

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