Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center

Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center is a multi-function, state operated adult correctional institution. It has a capacity of 207 male and female inmates and employs a staff of 45. Yukon Kuskokwim serves both as an intake and a short-term facility, and at any given time, 75 to 85 percent of the population is inmates in pretrial status.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Secure visiting is available to all prisoners unless they are restricted for segregation reasons. Secure visits are visits where a glass partition separates the inmate and visitors.

Secure Visiting Hours - General Population (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
FEMALES: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM & 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
MALES: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM & 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Secure Visiting Hours - General Population (Saturday & Holidays)
FEMALES: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
MALES: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Secure Visiting Hours - Segregation
FEMALES: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
MALES: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Contact visitation is only authorized for the Office of Children Services and other professional visitors.

Those allowed to visit include adults (18+), prisoner’s children (if accompanied by an adult family member), minors under 18 (if escorted by a parent or guardian), a minor who is married to the prisoner he/she is visiting, emancipated minors, and a probationer with permission from their PO and the Superintendent.

You are not allowed to visit an inmate at Yukon-Kuskokwim if you do not follow the rules, if you’ve been released from a correctional facility or jail within the past 60 days (unless you are an immediate family member), or if you are on probation and parole and do not have the proper permission.

Visiting Rules At Yukon Kuskokwim:

• Visitors shall leave purses and outer garments, i.e., coats, parkas, etc., in their vehicles or in the lockers provided.
• Weapons of any sort are not permitted to enter the facility.
• All visitors shall present accurate picture identification.
• All married or emancipated minors must furnish appropriate documentation i.e., marriage license, court order, etc.
• Visitors shall be responsible for the conduct of their children at all times while on the premises.
• Provocative body contact or visual connotations is not permitted.
• Visitors who leave the visiting area during visiting shall be viewed as terminating their visits and shall not be allowed to return.
• Visitors and dependents will not be allowed to take any items into the visiting room.
• Visitors and inmates are not authorized to exchange anything, Officers will not accept anything from or for any inmate.
• Visitors that are immediate family members may place money on the inmates’ account via cash or money orders.
• Violations of any visitation rule may terminate the visit immediately and may be grounds to permanently terminate your visitation within this facility.
• Staff may search a visitor and his or her belongings for weapons and contraband. Visitors who refuse to submit to a search will not be allowed to visit.  Staff may pat search or use a metal detector on visitors before and after visitation. A staff member of the same sex must perform the pat search.
• The Department may terminate visitation and refer for prosecution any visitor who introduces or attempts to introduce contraband during visitation. Contraband includes anything that the visitor or prisoner exchanges without the Superintendent’s approval.
• Visitors must keep their children under control. The Department may terminate a visit if children are unruly or disruptive. The shift supervisor has the discretion to terminate a visit for any disturbance

Dress Code:

• Hats and jackets are prohibited
• Shirts must have sleeves, shoulders and midriffs must be covered
• Clothing may not have obscene or provocative slogans, logos, or other objectionable writing
• Shirts with buttons/clasps must be buttoned or fastened with the exception of the top (neck) button or clasp
• Pants and or shirts must extend below the knee
• Cell phones are prohibited
• Any clothing item which is transparent, translucent, low cut, revealing, provocative, or immodest is prohibited

Prisoners may receive through the mail:

• Correspondence
• Photos
• Money orders, cashier’s checks, and certified checks for $500 or less

Only approved visitors may send funds to be deposited on a prisoners account. Cash may only be accepted from approved visitors in person, not through the mail.

Prisoners may only receive books, newspapers, and magazines through the publisher. The prisoner must make the order for books, newspapers and books.

Prisoners will not receive any mail that contains:

• threats of physical harm against any person or threats of criminal activity;
• contraband, plans for sending contraband in to or out of the institution;
• contents that written is written in code that the reader can not understand;
• contents that is gang hand signs, symbols or slang;
• contents that show frontal nudity. Frontal nudity includes either the exposed female breast(s) and/or the genitalia of either gender;
• plans for activities in violation of facility rules, or criminal activity;
• information that, if communicated, would create a risk of mental or physical harm to a person;
• material that could reasonably be expected to aid an escape, or incite or encourage any form of violence;
• magazines, books, audio or video tapes, music or game compact discs, or movie DVDs;
• contents that are in violation of a court order or probation/parole condition prohibiting contact with an individual or class of individuals;
• contents that depicts or describes procedures for construction or use of weapons, ammunition, bombs or incendiary devices;
• plans for activities in violation of facility rules, or criminal activity;
• postage stamps;
• musical cards, recordable cards, oversized cards (any card larger than 8" X 11") , or cards made out of a non-paper material;
• decorative stickers;
• glue, white out, perfume, paint, lipstick, crayon, or other unidentifiable substances;
• cash or personal checks
• or any mail with an envelope/box that:
• is made of non-paper material;
• has decorative stickers, address labels or seals;
• has no return sender and/or complete return address

How to Call an Inmate

Prisoners at Yukon Kuskokwim have reasonable access to a telephone, but can’t receive inbound calls. The facility may limit, monitor, or record prisoners' telephone calls to preserve security and order in the institution and to protect the public.

The Alaska Department of Corrections currently contracts with SECURUS Technologies for telephone services with family, friends, and loved ones (FFL). SECURUS is required to meet federal requirements as imposed by the Federal Communication Commission and the local requirements required by the Alaska Regulatory Commission for services and fees.

Inmates may only place outgoing calls and cannot receive incoming calls to their facility. In order for inmates to place calls, a billing account needs to be established by FFL’s with SECURUS Technologies. The following billing accounts are currently available:

ADVANCE Connect: Allows family, friends and loved ones to receive collect calls from inmates and have the charges deducted automatically from the F.F.L's prepaid account.

DIRECT Bill: Allows family, friends and loved ones to receive collect calls from inmates and have the charges billed directly to the F.F.L's through SECURUS Correctional Billing Services. Credit check required.

Billing Accounts may be set up through the SECURUS website or by calling 1-800-844-6591.

The rate for prepaid and collect local calls is .07 per minute. Long-distance prepaid calls are .21 per minute and collect calls are .25 per minute. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Alaska, please click here.

How to Send Money

There are two methods family/friends can deposit money to a prisoner's account. Money orders or cashier's checks with the prisoner's name and offender number can be mailed into the institution. The sender's name and address must be on the money order or cashier's check as well the envelope or it will be treated as unacceptable mail.

Personal checks and cash will not be accepted and will be returned to the sender at the prisoner's expense or destroyed.

The second method is to have a family member/friend drop off cash, money order or cashier's check at the facility. A copy of the receipt will be given to that person for their records.

Deposits on a prisoner's account may not exceed $500 in a single month. Prisoners may only receive money from verifiable immediate family members and persons on their approved visiting list.

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

• Outdoor Recreation

There is an outdoor recreation yard. The yard is completely enclosed with a fence and has a ball and basketball hoop. All inmates are offered at least one hour of outdoor recreation per day.

• Substance Abuse Counseling & Classes

A full time Substance Abuse Counselor is on contract to provide substance abuse counseling on a group and individual basis. The inmate Substance Abuse program at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center consists of education and Assessment/referral services, group and individual counseling are provided. Male and female inmates, either sentenced or unsentenced, participate in separate classes.

• Furlough Placements

Tundra Center has CRC beds available to the Yukon Kuskokwim inmates who qualify for work, education and/or rehabilitation furloughs.

• Culture Groups

Native Culture club meets, and has special events upon approval.

• Library

Library services include both regular and law. The library provides the prisoners with books, videos and a variety of library related materials. The in-house lending library includes books for various contributing sources.

The institutional law library is fully stocked with legal materials. All inmates may avail themselves to this service.

• Religious Activities

Religious activities are coordinated by the state chaplain. Many volunteer ministers and lay persons hold church services and Bible study groups on an ongoing basis. Individual spiritual counseling is available from many denominations.

• Adult Basic Education (ABE)

Includes basic academic instruction in reading, writing, and computational skills below the ninth-grade level.

• GED

Secondary education in the form of instruction leading to a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).

• Parenting

Inside Out Dad includes 12 one-hour core sessions and 26 one-hour optional sessions designed to help connect inmates to their families and prepare them for release. Topics covered include age appropriate communication strategies, methods of discipline, and tools for long distance parenting.

• Introduction to Computers

Basic computer instruction.

• Job Skills & Career Development

Small group and individual discussion on job and career goals and development of business ideas.

• Health & Wellness

Videos, Handouts, and Guest Speakers covering topics like Nutrition, Nicotine, Outdoor Survival, STD, HIV/AIDS, Food Safety, etc.

• Budgeting & Finance

Small group and individualized programs.

• Re-entry

Video & discussion series "From Prison To Employment", "Aging Out", and individualized workbooks.

• Post-Secondary Education

Informal counseling and advising. Independent college prep practice tests, & exploration of vocational technology trades.

• Criminal Attitudes Program

Rehabilitation program recognizing and changing attitudes that lead to crime and relapse.

• Life Success Substance Abuse Treatment (LSSAT)

The Life Success Substance Abuse Treatment (LSSAT) Program is an ongoing outpatient substance abuse treatment program. The program serves 50-70 inmates per quarter and is open to all inmates. This program is provided through a contract with Akeela House.

• Alcoholics Anonymous & Narcotics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strengths and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover from alcoholism and drug addiction. The only requirement for a membership is a desire to stop drinking or using drugs.

• Chaplaincy Core Programs

Worship services; Bible/religious studies; Devotional study/prayer times; Special music, drama, religious events; one-to-one mentoring; Pastoral care and counseling; Crisis intervention; Death notifications (to prisoners and their families); Hospital/medical visitation; Segregation visitation; Management of religious diversity issues; Management of volunteer screening, training, supervision; Religious literature distribution; and Critical Incident Stress Management.

• Hobby Shop

Inmates learn traditional crafts skills, sell their products for income & work on transition of continuing this healthy past-time & income-producing activity after release. On hold now due to no room.

• Inmate Volunteer Opportunities

Graduates help with dropped K300 Race dropped dog care, fishing & gardening for YKCC, Highway Cleanup Greenup participation. Those transferring to Tundra Center do Community Service at the Senior Center.

Pictures of Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center

Careers at Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Alaska Department of Corrections, you can find available positions at Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center by visiting their website. Correction Officers in Alaska start at $21.34 per hour.

Benefits include health insurance, plus paid leave and holidays.