Ventress Correctional Facility

Ventress Correctional Facility, is a medium-security state prison for male inmates located in Clayton, Alabama. The max capacity at Ventress is 1650, and it opened in 1990. Ventress is the first facility in Alabama that is dedicated to drug and alcohol treatment.

Many of the inmates at Ventress Correctional Facility participate in the supervised community service program within the surrounding area.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at Ventress Correctional Facility are on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. You can arrive as early as 7:30 a.m., but you can’t leave anyone in your vehicle. So, be sure to bring only people who are on the visiting list and have been approved by prison staff.

The visiting days and times alternate based on the first letter of the inmate’s last name, so contact your loved on or call the prison to get up-to-date information about the proper visit time.

Inmates have a sixty day waiting period for visitation privileges, but during that time you can have the inmate put you on their visit list and submit your application.

Special visits are often approved for immediate family members who live out of state and can’t visit regularly.

Getting on the Approved Visit List

Family and friends may visit an inmate during social visiting hours, but he must put you on the visiting list and you must fill out a visitor application first.

The inmate must mail you the visitor application, which you must fill out completely and accurately, then mail it back to the inmate using the inmate mailing address provided below.

A prison staff member will do a background check and determine if the visitor application is approved or denied. The process takes about a month, on average, and a staff member will notify the inmate with the decision. It is the inmate’s responsibility to let their potential visitor know if they have been approved or denied.

A married inmate may not have a female friend on their approved ADOC visit list. An unmarried inmate may have one female friend and one male friend.

A minor child must be the inmate’s son or daughter to be allowed in the visiting room.

Basic Visit Procedures and Rules

If you are 16 years of age or older, you must bring a current photo ID with you. Accepted forms include:

• a state or federal ID card
• driver's license
• military ID
• current passport

When you enter Ventress, you must sign-in and you need to know your license plate number and the inmates register number.

Before your visit you will receive a visual and pat search by an officer. You will also be scanned by a metal detector, finger printed, and stamped with ink that can be detected with ultraviolet light upon your exit from the visiting room.

You will be searched by an officer when you enter the facility. If you refuse a search, you will not be allowed to visit.

Each adult visitor may enter the visitation check-in area with:

• a maximum of $20.00 in cash for vending machines
• an identification card
• car keys

Visitors with babies will be allowed to bring:

• A maximum of four disposable diapers (one will be changed during searches)
• One small baby blanket
• Two plastic baby bottles

All items must be carried in a clear plastic bag.

The dress code in the visiting room is very conservative. All dresses, skirts, and pants must be below the knee and all blouses and shirts must be long enough and high enough to cover the waist and chest area.

Prohibited Items in the Visiting Room Include:

• Sunglasses, except prescribed by a doctor
• Electronic equipment to include, but not be limited to, cell phones, video games, radios, MP3 players, laptops, etc.
• Jewelry, except wedding set/band
• Medication, except prescribed by a doctor and with prior approval of the Warden
• Tobacco products, matches, or lighters
• Firearms/Weapons
• Purses, briefcases, or duffel bags
• Hats, caps, scarves, or headbands
• White or any light colored clothing that appears white
• Wigs, except prescribed by a doctor and with prior approval of the Warden
• Scrub type garments
• Sundresses or sleeveless shirts
• Shorts, stretch pants, or tight fitting trousers with elastic type fabrics
• Slippers, shower shoes, and beach shoes
• Tight fitting, sheer, and see-through clothes

If you have any questions, call the facility directly and ask to speak with the visiting room officer.

Inmates can receive a maximum of two books of stamps, four sheets of loose leaf paper, and four envelopes each week. There is a limit of four pages of internet material per letter. You can’t send any form of writing pads or tablets, torn out magazine pages, news clippings, or writing instruments in the mail.

If you want to send newspapers and magazines, they must come directly from the publisher via a subscription or mail order that is prepaid. You can also order books, but they must come from sites like Amazon.com and they must be mailed directly from the vendor to the prisoner.

Inmates may receive a maximum of two books and four magazines/newspapers each month.

Your mail will be rejected if you mark the envelope with crayon, marker, stickers, glitter, or lipstick.

The maximum photo size that you can send is 4"x 6". Polaroids are not allowed, and any picture that contains nudity or anything sexually suggestive will be rejected.

You can send up to five photos in an envelope with a single stamp.

How to Call an Inmate

Calling an inmate directly isn’t possible because they are not allowed to have cellphones and they can't receive inbound calls to the facility.

Inmates can make outbound calls during approved hours, and they must call collect or pay for the call with the money that is on their personal account.

Approved hours for phone calls are usually between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., but those times do vary by facility. During count times and lockdowns, phone calls are not allowed.

The time limit on all calls is 30 minutes, and they will be monitored and recorded.

Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has contracted with CenturyLink to provide calling services for inmates, and anyone can open a CenturyLink account to prepay for inmate calls.

Rate tables and more detailed information about services available from CenturyLink is available by clicking here. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Alabama, please click here.

How to Send Money

There are four ways to send money to a prisoner at an ADOC facility:

• Online at www.accesscorrections.com
• By phone at (866)345-1884
• At a CashPayToday location
• Send a money order and coupon by US mail to:
• Secure Deposits - Alabama DOC
• PO Box 12486
• St. Louis, MO 63132

Inmates can receive outside funds which are deposited into their commissary accounts via Access Corrections. You can start an account for free by visiting their website or calling (866) 345-1884. You can add money to an inmate’s account with a credit card or debit card when you use the website or call.

Once you have an account, you can also put money on an inmate’s books with cash at a CashPayToday location like Dollar General and Family Dollar.

If you prefer to send a money order, you still need an account at accesscorrections.com. They have the deposit coupons that you can print out and mail in to the above address. You can also request a coupon while visiting the Ventress Correctional Facility.

Fee schedule:

Deposit Amount       Online      Phone       Money Order   Walk-In
$0.01 - $25.00         $2.95        $3.50         no charge      $5.00
$25.01 - $100.00     $5.95        $6.50        no charge       $5.00
$100.01 - $200.00   $7.95        $8.50        no charge       $5.00
$200.01 - $300.00   $7.95        $9.00        no charge       $5.00

*The fee will be deducted from your deposited amount.

Inmates are allowed to spend money on phone calls and commissary.  The commissary (or canteen) is the prison store, where inmates can buy a variety of items like food and beverages, OTC medications, stationary, stamps, hygiene items, clothing, and electronics.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• Mental health treatment through individual and group therapy and various mental health programs
• An 8-Week substance and alcohol abuse treatment program
• A six-month Crim Bill drug treatment program
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Educational and Vocational programs provided by Sparks Technical College
• Community Service Programs
• Medical and dental care
• Pre-release and reentry programs

Pictures of Ventress Correctional Facility

Careers at Ventress Correctional Facility

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Alabama Department of Corrections, you can find available positions at Ventress Correctional Facility by visiting the Alabama DOC website. The starting salary for a correctional officer is $30,852, and they offer benefits like paid leave, paid sick days, and paid holidays, and health and dental Insurance

Reviews from former employees at Ventress Correctional Facility say that the pay and benefits are above average. They also say that staff members are nice and well-trained.