Grimes Unit

The Grimes Unit is an Arkansas Department of Correction prison located in Newport, Arkansas. The facility opened in 1998 and it houses a maximum capacity of 1,012 medium to maximum-security inmates.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visits at Grimes Unit are on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m.

All Class I inmates are permitted weekly Sunday visits for a maximum of four (4) or five (5) visits a month depending upon the number of Sundays.

All Class II, III and IV inmates will be permitted two (2) visits a month, either the first and third Saturday of the month or the second and fourth Saturday of the month as determined by the Grimes Unit schedule. 

An inmate is allowed a maximum of four visitors during a 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

To visit an inmate at Grimes Unit, you must have your incarcerated friend or loved one send you a visit application. You need to fill it out completely and mail it to the Grimes Unit Visitation Clerk at the address provided on the form. Do not mail it back to the inmate.

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

It is the inmate’s responsibility to let you know if you have been approved or denied.

General Visit Rules

Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult visitor. All visitors 12 and older must have a current state-issued photo ID for entry into Grimes Unit.

Visitors are allowed to bring in the following items:

• A 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)

The dress code for visitors is as follows:

No halter-tops, tank tops, hats, shorts, mini-skirts/dresses, see-through clothing, leggings, jeggings, or camouflage attire may be worn. No sleeveless tops are allowed because shoulders must be covered at all times.

Children ten and under are allowed to wear shorts of an appropriate length.

You will be searched before you enter the visiting room, and you will also be required to go through a metal detector. If you refuse, you will not be allowed to visit.

Be aware that Grimes Unit randomly drug tests visitors with an Ion Scanner, and a positive scan can lead to a search of you and your vehicle.

You are not allowed to bring the following items to a visit:

• Cameras
• Pagers
• cell phones
• pocket knives
• Food (there are vending machines available)

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

If you want to send books, magazines, newspapers, or catalogs, they must be mailed directly from the publisher or vendor website like Amazon.

In order to reduce the flow of contraband into Grimes Unit, staff photocopies all inmate mail instead of giving them your actual letter. Inmates will receive two sheets of copy paper, which will include a copy of the envelope and three pieces of correspondence.

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 not copy well.

You can’t mail food or care packages to an inmate. However, you can participate in the Inmate Package Program where you are allowed to buy up to $100 of goods through participating vendors during specific times throughout the year.

Click on one of these links for a package vendor.

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

You can also send your loved one emails and photos through www.accesscorrections.com.

All correspondence in snail mail and email is subject to review by the facility staff prior to delivery, so make sure your content is appropriate.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Grimes Unit can’t receive incoming calls and cell phones are not allowed. However, inmates can make collect or prepaid calls to pre-approved numbers. 

To prepay for calls online, set up an account on the Arkansas Department of Corrections website. For the snail mail option, use this form to prepay for calls with a mone order. When you use the online option, you will need a credit or debit card. Prepaid cards are not accepted.

The minimum deposit amount for a prepaid phone account is $25.

If there is an emergency and you need to send an urgent message to someone incarcerated at Grimes Unit, you can notify the chaplain or mental health office and they will deliver the message to the inmate.

Grimes Unit is part of the Securus SecureView Tablet Program, which is a monthly subscription service that allows you to lease a tablet device for your incarcerated loved one so they can listen to music, read books, play games, and even search for a job. They can also utilize the tablet to place phone calls.

To get a tablet for an inmate or for more information, visit the Securus SecureView website HERE. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Arkansas, please click here.

How to Send Money

The fastest way to send money to an inmate at Grimes Unit is with the ONLINE INMATE DEPOSIT SERVICE through the Arkansas Department of Corrections. You must have a credit or debit card and this method does have a processing fee. Prepaid cards are not accepted.

If you prefer snail mail, don’t send cash or a check, and don’t mail it directly to the prisoner. Instead, you must 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 be sure to include their ADC number. You must include a “MONEY ORDER DEPOSIT SLIP” with each money order.

You can also send money to an inmate by calling 1-866-250-7697. You will need a credit or debit card for this method, and there is a small processing fee.

​Programs For ​Inmates

• GED Program

GED classes are offered at Grimes 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.

• Think Legacy Program

The Think Legacy Program is a voluntary program that inmates can sign up for when they are 6 to 18 months from their release date.

The program focuses on 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.

• Agriculture

Allows inmates to be trained in work habits and allows them to develop marketable skills in the areas of: Garden and Bee Operations.

• Vo-Tech

Job skills training programs developed and managed by Riverside Vo-Tech and funded through the Department of Workforce Education.

• 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. It also covers Principles for Daily Living, Character Qualities, Commands to Live By, and Uprooting Anger.

This program is designed to help inmates with approaching everyday decisions and life, financial affairs, becoming a leader/servant in their home, community, church, parenting, etc.

• Mental Health Groups

Provides services to mentally ill and/or intellectually disabled inmates. Groups include: anger Management, Communication Skills, Domestic Violence (Perpetrators), Parenting Skills, Stress Management, Substance Abuse Education (SAE), Thinking Errors, and Victims of Domestic Violence.

• Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Pictures of Grimes Unit

Careers at Grimes Unit

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