Louisiana is home to one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, with a prison population that is almost double the national average.
The state’s prison system has been the subject of widespread criticism, with concerns about overcrowding, harsh living conditions, and a lack of access to adequate healthcare and rehabilitation programs.
Despite efforts to reform the system, Louisiana continues to struggle with the challenges posed by its high incarceration rate. This article will explore the state’s prison system, including its history, current state, and efforts to address the issues facing it.
Louisiana Prison Map
Use the Louisiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Correctional Center | Allen Parish, Louisiana | 1538 | Medium | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| B.B. Rayburn Correctional Center | Washington Parish, Louisiana | 1132 | Medium | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| David Wade Correctional Center | Claiborne Parish, Louisiana | 1182 | Maximum | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| Dixon Correctional Institute | Jackson, Louisiana | 2529 | Medium | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| Elayn Hunt Correctional Center | St. Gabriel, Louisiana | 1163 | Multi-level | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women | St. Gabriel, Louisiana | 813 | Multi-level | Female | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
| Raymond Laborde Correctional Center | Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana (Cottonport) | 1564 | Medium | Male | Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections |
Allen Correctional Center
Allen Correctional Center is a state prison in Allen Parish, Louisiana, operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The facility was built by the Louisiana Department of Corrections in December 1990 for $27 million.
Its capacity is 1538, and it serves as a medium-security prison for adult male inmates. The facility provides a range of programs to promote rehabilitation, including education and vocational training, substance abuse treatment, and counseling services.
Additionally, the prison has a medical and mental health unit to provide comprehensive healthcare to its inmates. While the prison aims to provide a safe and secure environment for both inmates and staff, it has faced some challenges in the past, including allegations of mistreatment of inmates and staff shortages.
B.B. Rayburn Correctional Center
B.B. Rayburn Correctional Center is a prison for men located in Washington Parish, Louisiana. Originally named the Washington Correctional Institute, the facility began receiving prisoners in 1983 after construction began in 1982.
In 2006, the prison was renamed after Louisiana state senator B.B. Sixty Rayburn. The prison has a capacity of 1132 inmates and is operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
David Wade Correctional Center
David Wade Correctional Center is a Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections prison situated in an unincorporated area of Claiborne Parish. The prison is located between Homer and Haynesville, Louisiana, close to the Louisiana-Arkansas border.
The facility opened in 1980 and features the N-5 Special Management Unit, which holds some 50 prisoners who are at risk. The unit houses a range of inmates, including former prison officials, convicted ex-police officers from New Orleans, contract killers, pedophiles, and young people with life sentences.
Thirty-nine percent of the beds at Wade are maximum custody, and as with many rural prisons, many of the correctional officers who work at Wade are from the local Haynesville-Homer area.
Dixon Correctional Institute
Dixon Correctional Institute (DCI) is a prison facility located in Jackson, Louisiana. It is operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections and is situated approximately 30 miles away from Baton Rouge.
DCI has the capacity to house 2529 inmates and is located about 34 miles away from the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola). The facility provides various programs to inmates, including educational, vocational, and substance abuse treatment.
The warden’s housing is located in a picturesque pastoral setting by a lake. The facility’s primary goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for both staff and inmates, while also offering rehabilitation opportunities for those incarcerated.
Elayn Hunt Correctional Center
Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is a multi-security-level Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections institution located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. This prison is exclusively for adult men and is the second-largest in Louisiana.
EHCC is situated approximately 70 miles northwest of New Orleans and has about half the number of prisoners held at the larger Louisiana State Penitentiary.
It is worth noting that since 2010, male inmates from all parishes enter the DOC system through the Hunt Reception and Diagnostic Center at Hunt.
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) is the only correctional facility for women under the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. It is situated in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, and includes the state’s female death row.
However, due to flooding in August 2016, LCIW has temporarily moved, and its inmates are being housed in other prisons.
The administration is currently located in the former Jetson Youth Center near Baker, but by 2021, the prison is set to be relocated to the Baker area address, according to the LCIW website. The Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is situated west of LCIW.
Raymond Laborde Correctional Center
Raymond Laborde Correctional Center (RLCC) is a correctional facility located in the southwestern region of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. The facility opened its doors in 1989 and sits on 1,187 acres of land just outside the city limits of Cottonport.
RLCC has undergone renovations and new construction over the years, increasing its operational capacity from its original design capacity of 610 to 1,564. The facility has a staff of 326 employees and an operating budget of $24.5 million.
RLCC has been accredited by the American Correctional Association’s Commission on Accreditation since 1992 and has successfully maintained its accreditation through 2013.
On June 19, 1989, RLCC received its first imprisoned person and has since served as a correctional institution for the state of Louisiana.
Federal Prisons
| Prison Name | Location | Inmate Capacity | Security Level | Gender | Operator/ Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale | Central Louisiana | 1168 | Low-security | Male | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
| Federal Correctional Institution, Pollock | Grant Parish, LA | 1152 | Medium-security | Male | Federal Bureau of Prisons |
Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale
The Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale (FCI Oakdale) is a low-security federal prison in Louisiana, exclusively for male inmates.
It is one of the two facilities that make up the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex, which is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The complex consists of two low-security facilities, FCI Oakdale I, and FCI Oakdale II.
FCI Oakdale is situated in central Louisiana, approximately thirty-five miles south of Alexandria and fifty-eight miles north of Lake Charles. It is a secure facility designed to house inmates who have been convicted of federal crimes and sentenced to serve time in prison.
Federal Correctional Institution, Pollock
The Federal Correctional Institution, Pollock is a medium-security federal prison that houses male inmates in Grant Parish, Louisiana.
It is part of the Pollock Federal Correctional Complex and is run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which falls under the United States Department of Justice. Situated approximately 15 miles north of Alexandria, the facility is located in the heart of central Louisiana.
As a medium-security prison, FCI Pollock has a higher level of security than minimum-security facilities but is not as strict as maximum-security ones. The prison aims to provide inmates with educational and vocational programs to prepare them for re-entry into society.
Private Prisons
| Prison Name | Location | Inmate Capacity | Security Level | Gender | Operator/ Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winn Correctional Center | Winn Parish, LA | 1,538 | Medium | Male | LaSalle Corrections |
Winn Correctional Center
Winn Correctional Center (WCC) is a medium-security state prison for men located in unincorporated Winn Parish, Louisiana, about 13 miles southeast of Winnfield. The facility, which is part of the Louisiana Department of Corrections prison system, is situated within the Kisatchie National Forest.
As of February 2014, Winn is one of several privately operated prisons in the state, and it has the capacity to house 1,538 inmates. Originally opened in 1990, the prison was expanded in 1992 and became the first privately managed medium-security prison in the United States.
In mid-2015, management of the state-owned facility passed from Corrections Corporation of America to LaSalle Corrections.
Sources:
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/allen-correctional-center/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/b-b-rayburn-correctional-center/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/david-wade-correctional-center/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/dixon-correctional-institute/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/elayn-hunt-correctional-center/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/louisiana-correctional-institute-for-women/
https://doc.louisiana.gov/location/raymond-laborde-correctional-center/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Correctional_Institution,_Oakdale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Correctional_Institution,_Pollock