Baylor Women's Correctional Institution

The Baylor Women's Correctional Institution (BWCI) – the only women's prison in the state of Delaware – is located in New Castle, Delaware, and it opened on December 29, 1991. The facility houses both pre-trial and sentenced adult females at minimum, medium, and maximum security levels.

BWCI provides programming at all security levels which provides offenders with opportunities to gain knowledge, acquire skills, and learn an alternative life-style. The facility also offers treatment services, religious services, drug therapy, educational/vocational programs, counseling, and recreation.

On June 14, 1995 Governor Thomas R. Carper signed Senate Joint Resolution no. 25, which authorized then-Corrections Commissioner Robert J. Watson to name the Women's Correctional Institution as the Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution. 

Delores J. Baylor was the first African-American to hold a warden's position in the State of Delaware. She was also the first African-American female to hold such a position. Baylor began her employment with the Department of Correction as a Field Service Counselor and was subsequently promoted to Field Counselor II and III. On June 1, 1974, Baylor was promoted to Correctional Superintendent I at the Women's Correctional Institution, performing her duties in an outstanding manner.

On March 20, 1979, the 130th Delaware General Assembly recognized Delores J. Baylor for outstanding service with the Department of Corrections. On June 1, 1979, Delores Baylor was promoted to Warden of the Women's Correctional Institution. Baylor remained Warden of the Women's Correctional Institution until her death on March 20, 1983.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Inmate visits can be scheduled for Thursdays through Mondays at the following times:

10:00 am - 11:00 am
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Visits are to be scheduled in advance by calling (302) 577-5837; Monday through Wednesday. Visits will be scheduled for the following week and will take place on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

If you want to schedule a visit, the Visitation phone line will only be available Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm 

Inmate visits last up to one hour and can be either two adults and one child under the age of 18 or one adult and two children under the age of 18. Children under the age of 3 are not counted and all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult

Depending on the circumstances, visits can be either Contact or No-Contact.

Visitors' attire should be in good taste and grooming when entering the institution. Correctional staff will determine whether the visitor's clothing is appropriate based on the following guidelines: 

Bathing suits, bodysuits, strapless or low cut, revealing tops; sleeveless shirts, tube tops, and any type of revealing clothing not adhering to the normal standards of decency will not be permitted. 

Dresses, skirts, culottes, and/or walking shorts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee, as measured from the bend in the back of the knee with the waistband in the normal position. 

Spandex pants, shorts, and leggings are not permitted alone. Leggings may be worn under a skirt. Any see-through material is not permitted.

Visitors are permitted to bring a money order, car keys, and identification only.

A picture identification is required for all visitors. Usually a driver's license or other form of I.D. can be used. For individuals under 16-years old, any picture I.D. would suffice.

All visitors are subject to a metal detector search at the time of each visit. When deemed necessary, the security staff may request a more intense physical search. Should the visitor refuse to comply, they will be denied entrance and ordered off of the property.

Talking to any inmate through institution windows or fences, or having conversations with any inmate other than in the assigned visiting area is strictly prohibited. Visitors must go directly to and from the visiting room/waiting area.

Smoking is not permitted by visitors inside the compound.

No property may be exchanged between an inmate and her visitor(s). All cards, letters, etc. must be sent out through the mail.

Only one inmate may be visited at a time. Cross conversations between other visitors and/or inmates is not permitted.

Visitors and inmates alike should show respect for others visiting and keep all conversations in a low tone. Loud conversations, foul language, arguments, or fighting will result in cancellation of your visits and disciplinary action. 

The staff at Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution reserves the right to turn away any visitor due to intoxication, failing to obey the directions of officers, or generally misbehaving.

Mail should be limited to letters, cards, written correspondence, non-Polaroid pictures, and money orders.

Do NOT mail offenders packages, pornography, cash, stamps, tobacco, or illegal substances.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at BWCI, but they do have access to phones. Inmates can call collect during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Delaware, please click here.

How to Send Money

• Personal checks will not be accepted
• It is unwise to send cash in the mail
• Money orders may be sent by mail or dropped off during scheduled visits with the offender to whom the money is going.

All money orders must include the following information:

• Offender's full name
• Offender's SBI number
• Assigned institution
• Name of the remitter

Money sent to an inmate will be credited to the offender's account within 24 hours of receipt (during normal business hours).

Programs For Inmates

• ACADEMIC EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: Including, but is not limited to, the following courses:

ABE (Adult Basic Education) - Individualized instruction to adults who wish to improve in reading, writing, and mathematics. 

GED (General Education Development) - Programming for adults to learn and demonstrate skills equivalent to those of a high school diploma. 

James H. Groves Adult High School Diploma - An opportunity for adults to continue secondary education and increase employability. 

Computer Education - Introduction, Intermediate, and Advanced instruction in Office 2007, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Computer Basics. Culinary Arts Education - Students learn basic culinary skills as well as demonstrate knowledge and industry experience. 

Life Skills - a program designed to improve moral development. 

• TREATMENT PROGRAMS 

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) - AA is a 12-Step self-help group for alcoholics. 

Art Fusion - The Art Fusion Program utilizes the Arts (improvisational theater techniques) as a catalyst to address social issues, educate, engage communities, and open doors for dialogue. 

AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project) Teaches basic conflict resolution skills  

Trauma Healing Workshop - Provides tools to heal pieces of trauma 

BARK (Baylor's Assisted Resocialization for K-9's) - Selected inmate trainers work with dogs and a professional dog trainer to help the animals become more social and learn basic obedience skills in order to improve their chances for adoption. 

Delaware Mentor Program Pre-Release Class (PRC) - A program which addresses the challenges of being released. 

HIV/AIDS Peer Education - Trained and certified Peer Educators conduct workshops around HIV, AIDS, and other STD's. 

IADAPT (Individual Assessment Discharge and Planning Team) - A reentry program designed to identify needs and make referrals prior to release. 

Inmate Orientation - Gives new or returning inmates information regarding Policy and Procedures that they are expected to follow while incarcerated. 

Key Village - A modified therapeutic community designed to provide substance abuse treatment to female offenders. 

Moving-On - Assists women to mobilize and develop personal and social resources that lower the risk for future criminal behavior. 

Parenting - Provides participants the skills needed to improve the relationship that they have with their children. 

Prison SMART - Teaches skills for reducing stress, healing trauma, and providing practical knowledge of how to handle one's emotions. 

Radical Forgiveness - Teaches participants how to forgive themselves, and how to reconnect with their lost self, restoring love to their true self. 

REACH - Extended, structured, supervised visits between incarcerated mothers and their children. 

Read Aloud - An audio-tape reading program where imprisoned mothers read books to their children on tape. 

SOAR (Survivors of Abuse in Recovery) - Individual and group therapy regarding issues related to Safety and Stabilization, and Working Through Trauma. 

Str8 Talk - Trained inmates meet with at risk and/or delinquent youth to discuss the realities of prison life. 

Structured Care Unit - A residential, programming unit for women who are dealing with mental health issues. 

The Baylor Women’s Garden is located within the Dolores J. Baylor Correctional Institution. Its overall size is approximately 3,000 sq. ft., and is comprised of about 500 sq. ft. of raised growing beds, with the remaining area utilized for in-ground growing. The garden produces an abundance of fresh, organic vegetables, and it is attractively bordered by perennial and annual plantings that attract beneficial insects and numerous pollinators.

Complementing the prison’s Culinary Arts vocational program, volunteers from the Garden Club of Wilmington partner with staff from the Delaware Center for Horticulture to provide workshops that teach the women the, “full food cycle,” from selecting, planting, and growing vegetables to harvesting and preparing them in the kitchen.

Through their outdoor labor, the women who participate each year learn job skills and receive technical training. They also find physical and emotional relief, stress and anger reduction, and opportunities for exercise. In 2006, the women decided to name the garden, “A Garden of Hope: A Place for Peace.” Across the country, similar prison horticulture programs have shown dramatic declines in the number of inmates who return to prison after having been released.

Pictures of Baylor Women's Correctional Institution

Careers at Baylor Women's Correctional Institution

The Delaware Department of Correction is the state's largest law enforcement agency. If you are interested in a career at BWCI, click here.