Pendleton Correctional Facility
The Pendleton Correctional Facility is a level three, maximum-security, adult male facility located in Pendleton, Indiana. The facility property consists of approximately 500 acres, 33 acres of which are located within the perimeter of a 30 foot wall. The facility also operates a minimum-security dormitory located adjacent to the main facility.
The present day Pendleton Correctional Facility can trace its origin to the banks of the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The first Indiana State Prison was constructed in Jeffersonville in 1821. In 1861, the facility at Michigan City was established, and Jeffersonville became known as the Indiana State Prison South. The institution at Michigan City was designated as the Indiana State Prison North. The housing of offenders was primarily determined by the geographical location of the sentencing court whereby the old National Road (U.S. 40) was established as the dividing line.
In 1897, as a result of the penological reform movement prevalent at that time, the Jeffersonville facility was designated as the Indiana Reformatory. In 1918, a fire destroyed a significant portion of the Reformatory in Jeffersonville resulting in the Legislature passing a bill in 1921 to relocate the facility.
Ultimately, the site at Pendleton was selected and construction on the new Reformatory began in March 1922. Many of the existing buildings (e.g. the Administration Building, the cellhouses, and K Dormitory) are a product of this 1922-23 construction. Five housing units (I-Complex) were completed in 1985. A new Infirmary was completed in September 1988. Renovations were completed in 2002 to G & H Cellhouses. J Cellhouse renovations were completed in 2005. Renovations to K-Dorm were completed in 2009.
In 1996, the Department of Correction was permitted to change the names of the facilities, so the designations were more representative of the geographical areas in which they are located. As a result of this legislation, the Indiana Reformatory was renamed the Pendleton Correctional Facility.
In 2017, filmmaker Madeleine Sackler filmed two movies inside Pendleton Correctional Facility. One was a fictional drama titled O.G. and the second was a cinéma vérité-style documentary called It's a Hard Truth, Ain't It. This marked the first time that a fiction and non-fiction film were made entirely inside a Level 4 prison.
Prison Insights
Pendleton Correctional Facility
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Visiting Hours and Rules
Dorm 1 visiting hours are as follows:
- Tuesday, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm (two-hour visit)
- Saturday, 7:30 am-10 am (two-hour visit), 12:30-3 pm (one-hour visits)
Dorm 2 visiting hours are as follows:
- Thursday, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm (two-hour visit)
- Sunday, 7:30 am-10 am (two-hour visit), 12:30-3pm (one-hour visit)
Those offenders who are on non-contact visiting status will now visit with family/friends via video. Visitors (who participate in non-contact visits at the facility) will take part in the video visit in the visitor’s waiting room in lieu of the non-contact booths in the visiting room. Friends and family may still schedule video visits through JPay.
Please contact the facility for the latest visiting schedule. You can call the facility’s offender visitation information line Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) at (765) 778-2107 x1392 for updates on visitation or visit their Facebook page.
Visitors List
If you would like to visit an inmate at Pendleton Correctional Facility, you must be on their visitors’ list. If you are unsure about your status, please contact the inmate via mail. Do not call the facility for this information. It cannot be given over the phone.
Searches
All visitors entering the facility are subjected to a frisk search by staff which includes the breast and groin area being physically searched.
Additionally, visitors entering visiting areas are subject to additional searches using metal detectors and ion scanning equipment. Specially trained search dogs (K-9s) may be used as a part of the search process both prior to a visitor entering the visiting area and in the actual visiting room during visits.
If a visitor does not wish to be searched either by hand or by using other means, they should not attempt to enter.
Registration
Visitors must register with staff prior to entering the visiting area. You will be required to sign the entry log and be approved for the visit before you are allowed to enter the visiting area.
Everyone 16 years old or older is required to show a picture identification. All visitors must present valid identification each time they visit. The only forms of identification accepted by the DOC are: valid driver’s license from the state of residence, valid state photo identification card from the state of residence, valid photo military identification card (active duty only), or a valid passport.
To ensure the safety of all visitors and guests arriving at the Pendleton Correctional Facility, they do not permit copies of the following documents for visitation purposes:
- Authorization for Minors to Visit
- Birth Certificate (certified copy will be permitted)
- Approval letter for former offenders or IDOC employees to visit with family members
- Driver’s License
- Attorney Bar Card
- Signed documentation from medical provider for metal detector exemption (must be verified by facility)
Failure to provide the original or certified copy will result in denial of the visitation.
Children
Visitors under the age of 18 years of age must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian at all times while on facility grounds.
Dress Code
Visitors must wear clothing that poses no threat to the security, custody, or maintenance of order at the facility. The following standards are to be met:
- Undergarments must be worn at all times.
- Shoes must be worn, except for infants who are carried. Spiked heels or shoes with a heel longer than three inches shall not be worn.
- Tight fitting pants or leggings (yoga, stirrup or Lycra) shall not be worn.
- Dresses, skirts, or shorts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee and shall not have deep slits.
- Halter or tank tops, tube tops, sheer, see-through, or low-cut clothing is not permitted.
- All visitors must wear a shirt/blouse with sleeves.
- No jewelry, except a wedding band or set, may be worn in the visitation area.
- Hats or other head coverings are not permitted, except as required by religious beliefs.
- Heavy winter coats or sweaters are NOT allowed in visiting room; however, suit coats, sport coats, nylon windbreakers (without hoods) ARE allowed in the visiting area.
- Tops, jackets, and hooded jackets with a “kangaroo” pocket shall not be worn.
- No sandals or flip flops will be authorized in the visiting area.
- Clothing shall not be worn out, torn (holes), or frayed.
- No personal wheelchairs will be allowed beyond the Information Desk. The facility will supply a wheelchair during the visit.
What you can and can’t bring to a visit
For security purposes, visitors are only allowed to bring in the following items when entering the Pendleton Correctional Facility Administration Building or Outside Dormitory to visit:
- Identification
- Money (not to exceed $30.00 per person)
- Car keys
Visitors with infants and toddlers:
- 2 bottles with milk, formula, or juice
- 3 diapers
- 1 package of wet wipes
During inclement weather, visitors may wear a coat/jacket, gloves, and hats.
Those visitors who enter the Administration Building with items not listed above will be asked to return the items to their vehicle. Non-compliance with this order will result in the visitor being denied access to visit.
Video Visitation
Video visitation is a great way to connect with your loved one over the internet, without having to worry about unpredictable crowds and overly busy visitation hours.
Visits can be scheduled and paid for in advance, allowing you to visit with inmates at times that are convenient for you. For more information on video visitation, please visit the GTL website.
Physical Address
Pendleton Correctional Facility
4490 W. Reformatory Rd.
Pendleton, IN 46064-9001
Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/g8bVDkQYN2Hyf47Z6
General Phone Number
(765)-778-2107
Inmate Mailing Address(es)
Inmate Name and DOC Number
Pendleton Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 30
Pendleton, IN 46064-0030
To write to an offender at Pendleton Correctional Facility, you need to have their full name and DOC number. You can look up an offender's DOC number on the IDOC website by clicking here.
All incoming and outgoing mail is opened, examined, and read by designated facility staff.
Incoming correspondence to offenders must be in a plain white envelope. Photographs are permitted provided they are printed onto originally purchased photography paper.
All stamps will be removed from the envelope prior to the offender receiving his/her mail.
Emails can be sent to an inmate through the GTL Network.
How to Call an Inmate
Inmates at the Pendleton Correctional Facility can’t receive incoming calls. However, they do have access to a phone during assigned times, and they can call you. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Indiana, please click here.
How to Send Money
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.
You can find deposit slips by clicking here and selecting the JPay option. The money orders should be sent with a deposit slip, be made payable to JPay, and sent to the following address:
JPay
PO Box 531399
Wabash Valley Shores, FL 33153
To enroll in the GTL program, which now allows friends and family to deposit money into an offender’s account or to schedule a video visit, please go to the following link: https://web.connectnetwork.com/
Programs For Inmates
Listed below are a number of current programming opportunities available at Pendleton Correctional Facility
- Inside Out Dads
- ACT Program
- Anger Management
- Apprenticeship Program
- Criminal Thinking
- Inside/Out Dad
- IPOP
- PLUS
- PREP
- Stress Management
- Thinking for a Change
- American Legion
- Kairos
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Aramark
- Housekeeping
- Maintenance
- Recovery Operator
- Education
- GED
- Literacy
- Tutoring
- ICAN
- Bridges to Life
- Mentoring
- Substance Abuse
- Religious Services
- Auto Body
- Print ShopToastmasters
- Navigators
- FORWARD Cat Sanctuary
Pictures of Pendleton Correctional Facility
Careers at Pendleton Correctional Facility
If you are interested in a career with the Indiana Department of Corrections at the Pendleton Correctional Facility, you can click here for more information.
