Ware State Prison

Ware State Prison is a close-security facility for adult male inmates that is managed by the Georgia Department of Corrections. It was built in Waycross, Georgia, in 1989 and opened in 1990, and the facility can house up to 1,546 inmates. 

The housing consists of eight housing units with 50 double cells each.  The infirmary has twelve beds, and Segregation has 150 beds. A Fast Track Unit contains four dormitories with 54 beds each.  Old Ware consists of 112 beds, and “I” building consists of four dorms for a total of 256 beds.

Ware State Prison also houses a canine unit, tactical squad, a corrections emergency response team, and a fire team. It is also a sex-offender release site. 

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Ware State Prison visiting hours for the general population are on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM, and check-in begins at 8:30 AM.

Tier II Visitation Hours are on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. You must call one of the following numbers for an appointment at least one day prior: Mr. Steedley 912-285-6493 or Ms. Thrift 912-285-6434. The Tier II visits are non-contact visits.

Before you can visit an inmate at Ware State Prison, you must fill out an application and be approved by the Georgia Department of Corrections. For complete details about the visiting process, click here.

The only items you can bring to a visit with a general population inmate are:

• an identification card (All visitors, age 16 and over, must have a photo ID)
• car keys
• a maximum of twenty dollars ($20.00) in coins to be used for the vending machines

Ware State Prison does not allow visitors to bring in outside food and beverages into the visiting roomㄧother than bottled formula or store-bought products for babies. Phones or electronic devices of any kind are prohibited in the visiting area.

You will be searched by electronic surveillance instruments (metal detectors, etc.) when you arrive, and anything you bring into the facility will be searched by officers assigned to the visitation area.

Visitors must wear appropriate clothing, and shoes are required at all timesㄧincluding children if they are able to walk or stand. 

Male visitors are required to wear shirts and full-length trousers. Females may wear trousers, or if a female visitor wears a dress, skirt, or other similar garment, it may NOT be more than two (2) inches above the knees. Furthermore, all female visitors must wear undergarments such as bras, panties, and slips. 

Inappropriate clothing includes, but is not limited to:  

• Dresses or tops with thin straps which expose shoulders or chest area in any manner
• Tube tops or halters of any type
• Any type of clothing which reveals the stomach or midriff area
• Any type of clothing that is made of sheer or transparent material
• Shorts of any kind or any kind of slacks that are above the knee (twelve years old and under may wear shorts)
• Male visitors are not permitted to wear tank tops or short tops of any kind, nor see-through tops made of net or mesh webbing. 
• Shorts are not permitted (children twelve 12 years old and under may wear shorts)
• Any other type of clothing that is suggestive or revealing in any way is prohibited.

Video Visits

Ware State Prison does offer video visits through JPay. You must have a JPay account, and the video visit can last up to 30 minutes. The fee for a 30-minute video visit is $3.95.

Prison staff monitors all incoming inmate mail. It’s best to keep things simple with regular paper, a regular envelope, and pics of family and friends. They won’t allow any mail with stickers or glitter, greeting cards with music, or inappropriate pics.

In addition to regular mail, you can send a package to an inmate through the Georgia Inmate Package Program. However, your own homemade packages are not allowed.

With a JPay account, you can also send and receive videograms and emails, which cost between one and three stamps each.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at Ware State Prison can’t receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Georgia, please click here. 

How to Send Money

You must use JPay or MoneyGram to send money to an inmate at Ware State Prison. The fees for this service vary based on which method you use and the amount of money you are sending.

JPay Options

• Online or Mobile App: To send an inmate money with your credit or debit card, visit JPay.com or download the JPay Mobile App that is available at the Apple App Store (for iPhones) and Google Play (for Android phones).
• By phone: Call (800) 574-5729 to talk with a live JPay call center agent and send money with a debit or credit card. 
• Mail a money orderㅡmade payable to JPayㅡwith a deposit slip to:

JPay
P.O. Box 260010
Hollywood, FL 33026

A money order deposit slip is available here.

Moneygram

If you would like to use cash or check instead of a debit or credit card, visit a MoneyGram location in person and use receive code 6857. MoneyGram locations include all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies. 

Programs For Inmates

• Academic: Literacy Remedial, Adult Basic Education, General Education
• Counseling: Family Violence, Re-Entry, Moral Recognition Therapy, Sex Offender Psycho Educational Program (SOPP), Motivation for Change, Thinking for a Change, Career Center, Matrix Relapse Prevention, Alcoholics Anonymous, Detours, Individual Counseling, Lifers Group, Matrix Early Recovery Skills, Narcotics Anonymous
• Recreation: General Recreation
• Religious Activities: Various Worship Services, Bible Study
• Vocational/OJT: Upholstery, Carpentry, Food Service, Electronics, CADD, Building Maintenance, Vehicle Maintenance, Welding, Culinary Arts, Barbershop, Horticulture, Boot Repair, Diesel Mechanics

WORK DETAILS:

Ware County 1 & 2, Pierce County, City of Waycross 1 & 2, City of Blackshear, Department of Transportation, Georgia State Patrol, 2 Perimeter details, Recycling, Fabrication, Canine, Back Gate, 2 Outside Ground Maintenance, Fire Team, Mobile 5, Glynn County.

Pictures of Ware State Prison

Careers at Ware State Prison

The core values for employees at Ware State Prison are Professionalism, Responsibility, Integrity, Dependability, and Effectiveness (PRIDE). These values form the foundation on which GDC employees work and conduct themselves. The motto is: "Building PRIDE in ourselves and our Agency."

If you are interested in a job at Ware State Prison, click here.