Big Muddy River Correctional Center

Big Muddy River Correctional Center is a medium-security prison for male inmates located in Ina, Illinois. This facility opened in 1993 and has a maximum capacity of 2,117 inmates.

The Big Muddy River Correctional Center's most important goal is to ensure that the employees have a safe and secure environment in which to work, while at the same time, ensuring that offenders housed at the facility are afforded the opportunity to live in a safe and humane environment that is conducive to programming opportunities. The various programming opportunities are designed to assist inmates in bettering themselves so that they may become prepared for life in the community upon release.

The Big Muddy River Correctional Center is located one mile south of Ina in Jefferson County. The facility consists of a total of 20 buildings, which comprise more than 39,000 square feet. The living units consist of four X-type housing units, one receiving and orientation unit, one segregation unit and a 15-bed health care unit. The facility sits on a 78-acre site, with 38 acres enclosed by fencing.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours for General Population Offenders are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week.  Offenders are permitted seven visits per month, with no more than two on weekends or holidays. 

All visitors must arrive by 4:00 p.m. as no visits will be allowed after that time due to the notification time and time delay in the visit processing.

Visiting hours for Segregation Offenders are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. seven days a week. Offenders are only allowed to visit for one hour. All visitors must arrive no later than 12:00 p.m.

General visiting guidelines

You must be on your inmate’s approved visitation list in order to visit.  The inmate is responsible for arranging their visits and notifying their visitors of their visiting status.  

To check if you are on the offender’s visitor list, you should write a letter to your inmate to inquire.  IDOC staff cannot tell you whether or not you are on an offender’s visitation list if you call the facility.  

On the first visit to a correctional facility, adult visitors (age 18 and older) will be required to complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form, called a DOC 0148. This PVI form can be completed and brought in on the first visit.

Visitors must submit to a body search by officers at the Visitor Center.  Visitors who are intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted entry.

Visitor Property Policy

Visitors are not allowed to bring electronic devices such as cell phones or pagers. Other items not allowed in the visiting room include food, drink, smoking materials, currency, packages, purses, bags, sacks, books, magazines, sunglasses, or personal keys.   

Visitors may place personal items in small lockers available in the Visiting Center for 25 cents.  The locker key may be carried into the facility after the visitor secures personal responsibility for these items.  The facility will not assume responsibility for these items.

No baby food, except two plastic baby milk bottles are to be taken into the Visiting Room.  Baby items may consist of one baby blanket and two diapers.

Required Identification

All adult visitors will be required to produce photo identification (ID) and verification of his or her date of birth.  Be sure to bring two forms of identification with you; one should be a current state issued photo ID.

Dress Code

All visitors must be dressed appropriately for a prison environment or the visit will not be permitted.  Clothing must be in good taste and not advertise or suggest any items in such a manner to signify a Security Threat Group or other illegal activity.  Visitors should not wear clothing that is sexually explicit, offensive, or degrading. All visitors must wear underwear and female visitors must wear a bra.  Visitors should not wear clothing which reveals the buttocks or breasts.

Examples of inappropriate dress for visitors are: short shirts or dresses, wrap around skirts, see through clothing, see-through or low-cut blouses, tube tops, halter tops, tank tops, swim suits or swim suit tops, short shorts, clothing with “cutouts” or leggings.  Dresses or skirts should extend to the knees.

Contraband

Bringing contraband into an Illinois DOC facility is a criminal offense as specified in the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961.

"Contraband" means items which are prohibited by criminal law, departmental or facility rules or posted notices.  They are items which an offender has no authority to possess; property which is in excess of that which is authorized by the facility.

All persons, vehicles, and items brought onto State property are subject to search. Failure to  submit to a search will result in denial, suspension, or restriction of visiting privileges. 

Information about Vending Machines

The visiting rooms at the facilities offer a variety of products for purchase in vending machines provided by outside vendors.

Vending machine items may only be purchased using a debit card.  Visitors may purchase a debit card at the facility, normally at the gatehouse. The price of the debit card will vary by facility depending upon the vendor providing the service.

There are no refunds for unused money remaining on the card for any reason other than a defective card, so only put enough on the card for the single visit. Cards are only good at the facility where purchased. If the offender transfers, a new card at the current facility will need to be used.

Video Visits

The Illinois DOC has partnered with Global Tel*Link (GTL) to provide video visitation services for the Big Muddy River Correctional Center.

All potential visitors must register with GTL. Registration process will include completing a Prospective Visitor Interview Form; all visitors must fully complete this form with GTL even if they have completed this form at a facility. Any omissions of required information on the form may result in your registration not being accepted causing unnecessary delays. 

All visitors must be on the offender’s approved visitation list in order to be granted a visit. Video Visitation Hours are as follows:

Sunday through Saturday 8:30 am - 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm.
Visitors should log on to the GTL site 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

All video visits will be scheduled through the GTL website; do not call the facility to schedule a video visit. The visitor should check before scheduling the video visit of dates and times that are available for the offender. The facility cannot tell a potential visitor if a date or time will work with an offender’s daily schedule. The facility will inform the offender of the pending visit and arrange for the offender to be present.

In order to accommodate all offenders at the Big Muddy River Correctional Center:

• An offender may only receive one video visit per day.
• No more than three approved visitors per video visit for offenders confined in general population or protective custody status.
• An offender may receive only two video visits per week, this is counted against allotted visits.
• Visitors may only schedule one video visit per day.
• All video visits must be scheduled at least seven days in advance.
• Visits may be scheduled up to 30 days in advance.
• Only scheduled visitors may appear in the video visit monitor.
• One visitor on screen at a time, excluding children who need assistance sitting for the visit.

Video Visitation is a privilege and is only available to offenders in general population or in the health care unit. Offenders housed in Segregation, in orientation, or temporarily housed at the facility will not be permitted video visitation. If an offender receives discipline between the time a visit is confirmed and the time of the visit, the visit may be cancelled; the visitor will receive an email of the cancellation. If the facility goes on lock down prior to a scheduled video visit, the visitor will receive an email. 

All visits are subject to monitoring and recording.

All video visits are monitored live and recorded, any violation of visitation rules, inappropriate conduct, or language may be subject to immediate termination of the video visit with or without warning. 

Your use of video visitation and acceptance of the rules is consent to have both audio and video recorded of the video visit. Dress Code policy below applies to video visitation.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at the Big Muddy River Correctional Center. But, inmates do have access to a phone during assigned times and can make outgoing calls. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Illinois, please click here.

How to Send Money

Inmates may receive money via GTL (ConnectNetwork), JPAY, Western Union, or money order.

(A money order must be sent directly to the lockbox, NOT to the facility; see information below regarding money orders.)

Funds up to $5,000 may be sent to inmates via the following methods, except MoneyGram, who has a maximum limit of $3,000.

• GTL (ConnectNetwork) at https://web.connectnetwork.com/facilities/illinois-department-of-corrections/
• JPAY at www.jpay.com
• MoneyGram locations using the Blue MoneyGram Express Payment Formー receiving code is 7364
• Western Union at www.westernunion.com or at locations using the Quick Collect Form – code city and state are ILDOC  IL

For all electronic transfer of funds, the inmate IDOC number and incarcerated last name must be used. Funds sent via GTL, JPAY and Western Union are anticipated to be applied to the inmate's account within 24-48 business hours.  

Funds sent via Money Gram are anticipated to be applied to the inmate's account within 72 to 96 business hours.  

Money Orders

Money orders must be sent with the lockbox deposit slip and must be complete with the inmate name, IDOC inmate number, sender’s name, and address.

Deposit slips are available by clicking here. The money orders should be sent with a deposit slip, be made payable to JPay, and sent to the following address:

JPay
PO Box 260250
Hollywood, FL 33026

​Programs For ​Inmates

Academic

• ABE (Adult Basic Education)
• GED (General Education Development)
• Special Education Programs

Vocational:

• Automotive
• Construction Occupations
• Horticulture
• Culinary Arts
• Youthful Offenders Educational Program for offenders 21 and under

Other:

• Thinking for a Change
• Career Technology
• Reentry Summit
• Substance Abuse
• Sex Offender Program
• SDP (Sexually Dangerous Persons) Treatment Program
• Anger Management
• Leisure Time Activity
• Chaplaincy
• Library

Pictures of Big Muddy River Correctional Center

Careers at Big Muddy River Correctional Center

If you are interested in a career with the Illinois Department of Corrections at the Big Muddy River Correctional Center, click here.