Decatur Correctional Center

Decatur Correctional Center is a minimum-security prison for female inmates located in Decatur, Illinois. Owned and operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, this facility does not house sex offenders.

The mission of the Decatur Correctional Center includes providing a continuum of programs and services to help female offenders reestablish and strengthen their relationships with their children and enhance their ability to grow within the family structure. 

The facility offers female offenders a variety of programs aimed at achieving these goals that also address the diverse needs of the offenders, including medical, social, psychological, and educational needs. All programs are intended to equip the female offender for a successful reintegration back into the community.

On Jan. 24, 2000, the Decatur Correctional Center received its first female offenders, and the facility features eight dormitory style-housing units. The operational capacity of this facility is 792 inmates, and the annual cost per inmate is $44,516.

Decatur Correctional Center has a "Moms and Babies" program, and it has the only nursery for newborn babies in the Illinois DOC. Eight cells in the E-Wing are equipped with childcare facilities. Inmates who are convicted of nonviolent offenses may care for their newborns while serving time.

The mothers in the “Moms and Babies” program are separated from the general population, and the cells are monitored by video instead of having bars. To avoid causing stress to the children, officers do not handcuff the female inmates in the nursery. 

Female inmates in this program must have two years or less remaining on their sentence, so they can continue taking care of their child after their release. If the inmate doesn’t qualify they must immediately give up their child after giving birth.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

• General Population visiting hours:

Weekdays, weekends and holidays - 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
No visitor is allowed entrance after 6:30 p.m. due to processing time. There will be a five- hour time limit on weekday visits.

• Segregation visiting hours:

Weekdays - 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
No visitor is allowed entrance after 1:00 p.m. due to processing time. There will be a one hour time limit on visits.

Segregation visits on weekends and holiday must have prior approval from the Chief Administrative Officer or designee.

General visiting guidelines

You must be on your inmate’s approved visitation list in order to be granted a 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 because staff can’t tell you whether or not you are on an offender’s visitation list when you call the facility.  

All adult visitors age 18 and over must complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form on their first visit to Decatur Correctional Center. This PVI form can be completed in advance and brought in on the first visit.

Visitors must submit to a body search by officers at the Visitor Center. If you are intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you will not be allowed to visit.

Visitor Property Policy

Visitors are not allowed to bring electronic devices such as cell phones or tablets. 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.

Any vending items purchased must be consumed during the visit and may not be carried out of the visiting room.

Video Visits

The Illinois DOC has partnered with Global Tel*Link (GTL) to provide video visitation services for the Decatur 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.

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 – 11:00 am; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm; 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Visitors should log on to the GTL site 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, and all video visits will be scheduled through the GTL website. Do not call the facility to schedule a video visit. 

You should check before scheduling the video visit of dates and times that are available for the offender. Staff at the facility can’t tell you 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 Decatur 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. 

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. The visit Dress Code policy applies to video visitation.

How to Call an Inmate

Unfortunately, you can’t call an inmate at the Decatur 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.  

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)
• College Remedial - offers instruction in developmental English and Math for students desiring college enrollment.

Vocational:

• Commercial Custodian
• Computer Technology
• Food Service Technology
• College Baccalaureate - offers courses leading to the Associate of Liberal Arts and the Associate of Arts degrees

Industries:

• Upholstery
• Furniture manufacturing
• Offender apparel production
• Basic dog grooming
• Kennel keeping

Substance Abuse:

• Wells Residential Substance Abuse Treatment
• Substance Abuse Education
• TASC - Post Release Case Management

Volunteer Services:

• Mom & Me Summer Camp
• Mom & Me Mother's Day
• Project Storybook
• Project READ
• Religious Services
• Tutoring

Reunification:

• Reunification Program
• Moms and Babies
• Family Connections Visitations
• Angel Tree
• Parent & Child Together Video Conferencing

Reentry:

• Job Preparedness
• Reentry Summit
• Out-In-A-Week

Other:

• Parenting
• Youthful Offender Counselor
• Youthful Offender Support Group
• Life Skills
• Geri-Active Program
• Anger Management
• Lifestyle Redirection
• Healing Through a Positive Self-Image
• Smoking Cessation
• HIV Education and Support Group
• Mental Health
• Daughters of Destiny - Chaplaincy aftercare mentoring program

Pictures of Decatur Correctional Center

Careers at Decatur Correctional Center

If you are interested in a career with the Illinois Department of Corrections at the Decatur Correctional Center, you can find available positions by clicking here.