Cummins Unit

The Cummins Unit (formerly known as Cummins State Farm) is an Arkansas Department of Correction prison located near Grady, Arkansas.

This prison farm opened in 1902 and sits on 16,500-acres. Cummins Unit has a capacity of 1,850 inmates, and it housed Arkansas's male death row until 1986, when it was transferred to the Tucker Maximum Security Unit.

Inmates of all custody levels are incarcerated at Cummins, and it has a separate housing unit for inmates who need mental health treatment.

The State of Arkansas execution chamber is located in the Cummins Unit, and this facility is one of the state of Arkansas's "parent units" for male prisoners.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visitation at Cummins Unit has the following schedule:

• Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m.
• There is no visitation on holidays unless the holiday falls on a regular visitation day

An inmate may have a maximum of four visitors during any one visit, including children. However, the spouse of an inmate and all children, regardless of the number, may visit at one time.

How To Get On The Approved Visit List

If you want to visit an inmate at Cummins Unit, you need to start the process by completing a visitation application and then mailing it to the Cummins Unit Visitation Clerk at the address provided on the form. Your incarcerated friend or loved one must provide you with an application.

Once you submit your application, it is processed, reviewed, and either approved or denied by the Warden. The screening process takes at least a week, and they do run a criminal history check on all prospective visitors.

General Visit Rules

Children under the age of 18 are not allowed to visit unless they are accompanied by an approved adult visitor. All visitors 12 and older must have a current state-issued photo ID for entry into Cummins Unit.

Visitors are allowed to bring in only the following items:

• clear plastic bag containing a small amount of cash for purchasing refreshments
• prescription medication in the visitor’s name and in original pharmacy container
• government issued identification
• baby bottles, baby diapers, and diaper wipes
• car keys
• jewelry (being worn)

Visitor Dress Code:

Visitors’ clothing must be appropriate for the age and occasion, and they must wear undergarments.

No halter-tops, tank tops, hats, shorts, mini-skirts/dresses, see-through clothing, leggings, jeggings, or camouflage attire may be worn. Brief cut or otherwise provocative clothing will not be permitted. No sleeveless tops are allowed because shoulders must be covered at all times.

Children ten (10) years of age and younger are allowed to wear shorts of an appropriate length.

If you do not submit to a search or refuse to go through the metal detector, you will not be allowed to visit. Cummins Unit randomly drug tests visitors with an Ion Scanner, and a positive scan can lead to a search of you and your vehicle.

You can’t bring cameras, pagers, cellular phones, pocket knives, or food into the facility.

Any visitor unable to successfully clear all entrance procedures will be denied entry and may have their visitation privileges suspended.

Envelopes that do not meet these requirements are considered contraband.

All books, magazines, newspapers and catalogs must be mailed directly from the publisher.

In order to reduce contraband, all inmate mail is photocopied by staff, so the inmate will not receive your actual letter. Instead, they will receive two sheets of 8½ x 11 inches of copy paper, which will include a copy of the envelope and three pieces of correspondence.

Do not send cards, larger size paper, or anything else that won’t fit on the copy paper. Any correspondence that exceeds these limits is considered contraband, and the inmate will have thirty (30) days to pay for return postage or it will be destroyed.

They only make black and white copies, so be sure to write all letters in dark ink only (black or blue ink). If you use pencils or yellow markers it will reduce image quality.

No food or care packages may be mailed to an inmate. However, there is the Inmate Package Program where you can buy a food package for your friend or loved one. During the program period, an inmate can receive up to $100 of goods through participating vendors.

Click on one of these links for a package vendor.

• www.ARInmatePackage.com
• www.arkansaspackages.com

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Cummins Unit can’t receive incoming calls and are not allowed to have cell phones, but they do have access to phones.  They are allowed to make collect or prepaid calls to pre-approved numbers. 

You can prepay for calls online or by mail. You can set up an account on the Arkansas Department of Corrections website or you can prepay for calls by mail via money order with this form.

If you need to send an urgent message to a friend or loved one incarcerated at Cummins Unit, you must notify the chaplain or mental health office about the emergency, and they will deliver the message to the inmate.

Cell phones are contraband, and if an inmate is caught with one they will be punished. If you attempt to provide an inmate with a cellular phone or other electronic communication device during a visit or through the mail - and you get caught - you will be charged with a felony. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Arkansas, please click here.

How to Send Money

MAIL

If you want to send money to an inmate at Cummins through the mail, don’t send cash or a check, and don’t send it directly to them. Instead, send a money order to Inmate Banking at this address:

Arkansas Department of Correction:
Trust Fund Centralized Banking
P.O. Box 8908
Pine Bluff, AR 71611

Money orders should be made payable to the inmate’s name and ADC number. A “MONEY ORDER DEPOSIT SLIP” must be completed and sent with each money order.

ONLINE

One of the quickest ways to send money to an inmate is through the ONLINE INMATE DEPOSIT SERVICE. You must have a credit or debit card and this method does have a processing fee.

PHONE

Another option is to send money by phone at 1-866-250-7697. You must have a credit or debit card and there is a small processing fee.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• GED Program

GED classes are offered at Cummins Unit and the Board of Correction mandates attendance for all inmates without a GED or high school diploma unless they are unable to participate due to health reasons.

• The Securus SecureView Tablet Program

A  low-cost monthly subscription service that gives friends and family members the opportunity to lease a tablet device for their loved ones serving time in prison.

The tablets allow incarcerated individuals the capability to listen to music, read books, play games, and even search for a job. Inmates can also utilize the tablet to place phone calls.

Tablets are available for most inmates assigned to general population, as well as Safe Keeping (Death Row). The inmate must be Class I or II to be eligible to receive a tablet.

To get a tablet for an inmate, visit the Securus SecureView website HERE. Tablets are leased at a predetermined amount, on a monthly basis, as long as the inmate meets eligibility requirements and follows established rules.

• Agricultural - Livestock, Field (Row Crops) and Vegetables Crops, Feed Mill, Slaughterhouse, Poultry, Swine, Cow-Calf, Hot House, Dairy, Creamery, Farm Garage, and Pecans

Allows inmates to be trained in work habits and allows them to develop marketable skills in the areas of: farming, animal husbandry, vegetable, meat, and milk processing.

• Faith-Based Principles and Applications for Life (PAL) Program

The PAL Program (Principles and Applications for Life) includes worship services, religious materials, and counseling services, to all inmates within the ADC, by community involvement of outside representation.

The PAL program covers Principles for Daily Living, Character Qualities, Commands to Live By, Uprooting Anger and other curriculum designed to incorporate abiding change into how to approach everyday decisions and life, financial affairs, becoming a leader/servant in your home, community, church, parenting, etc.

• Industry - Vinyl Bindery, Silk Screening, Garment Factory, and Monogramming

Production of industrial products and follow-up services are provided for tax supported and non-profit agencies.

• Mental Health Programs

Provides services to mentally ill and/or intellectually disabled inmates to include: residential programs, case management services, medication management, individual and self-study/group services. Crisis prevention/intervention services are also provided.

• Think Legacy Program

The Think Legacy Program is voluntary program that inmates can sign up for when they are 6 to 18 months from their release date.  Think Legacy Reentry provides housing of like-minded individuals that are about to transition back into communities as returning citizens.

The Think Legacy Program focuses on “key” core areas that are evidence based and will assist them with Employment Readiness, Community Resources, Social Skill Readiness, Mentoring, Cognitive Behavior Awareness through “Thinking for a Change,” Victim Impact, Budgeting, Life Skills, Healthy Relationships and Family Reunification.

Pictures of Cummins Unit

Careers at Cummins Unit

If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Arkansas Department of Corrections, you can find available positions at the Cummins Unit by visiting their website.