Putnamville Correctional Facility

Putnamville Correctional Facility is a medium-security prison for men located in Greencastle, Indiana. 

Originally known as the Indiana State Farm, this facility was authorized by the Indiana General Assembly on March 13, 1913, as a minimum-security, misdemeanant work camp. Construction began in 1914, and on April 12, 1915, the facility began receiving court ordered misdemeanant offenders.  

In 1977, the facility was reclassified from minimum to medium security and began receiving convicted felons.  Since its inception, the population has expanded from 1,650 to 2,504. Originally comprised of 3,500 acres, in 2009, 917 acres were allocated to the Department of Natural Resource. 

The Putnamville Correctional Facility is the first of the older IDOC facilities to be accredited by the American Correctional Association and the recipient of several environmental awards:  2010 Organization of the Year by the Hoosier Environmental Council for Green Initiatives; 2011 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award and Above and Beyond Award in support of the National Guard and Reserves; and, the 2011 Trees Inc. Recycling and Sustainability Award.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visitation at Putnamville is from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (no visitation on Mondays). Visitors must arrive at the facility prior to 2:00 p.m. 

Visitors may receive up to a two-hour visit, with a minimum of one-hour.  The amount of time received will be dictated by daily visiting conditions, i.e., available space, emergency situations, etc.

GTL also provides a service for video visitation.  Visitors may register online, and the inmate will need to communicate with his visitors the best and available times to receive video visits via GTL depending on his unit’s operation.  All visitation rules apply. GTL video visits are monitored.

Visitors List

If you wish to visit an inmate at Putnamville 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

Visitors are searched by staff using the walk-thru metal detector and hand-held wand.  If the visitor does not pass either search successfully, both searches are conducted a second time. If the visitor does not pass the second set of searches, then the visitor will be allowed a non-contact visit, only. 

Permanent or epidermal piercings are not considered to be a medical condition and visitors unable to pass the detectors successfully will be permitted non-contact visits, only.

The facility is also utilizing non-aggressive canines as part of the entrance shakedown procedures.

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. 

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 pose 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
• Tight fitting pants, such as stirrup, lycra pants, or leggings, aren’t allowed 
• Dresses, skirts, or shorts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee and 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 
• No heavy coats, hooded sweatshirts, or sweaters will be permitted in the visiting area

What you can and can’t bring to a visit

Visitors are not permitted to possess or carry the following items into the visiting area: 

Firearms, weapons, knives, ammunition, narcotics, medication (unless the medication is life-saving or life-sustaining), controlled substances, alcoholic beverages, marijuana, tobacco and tobacco related items, cameras, video, and audio recording equipment and electronic devices, including, but not limited to: cameras, cellular telephones, pagers, blackberries, radios, tape recorders, etc. 

Each adult visitor is allowed to bring up to $20.00 (coins only) into the visiting area to be used to purchase items from the vending machines. You are not allowed to give any money to an offender. This is considered trafficking and will cause the visit to be stopped, and you will be restricted from visiting the offender in the future. 

Visitors with an infant may bring one clear, plastic baby bottle and/or pacifier and one diaper.

To write to an offender at Putnamville Correctional Facility, you need the offender's 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.

Inmates may receive correspondence, legal mail, and publications from publishers only, which are reviewed to determine whether they are obscene or constitute a danger to safety and security.

The Indiana Department of Corrections also offers Debit Link and Messaging services through GTL. This allows you to email your inmate, and you can also buy them tablet-related features like music, games, and ebooks.

How to Call an Inmate

How to Send Money

The only way to send money to an inmate at Putnamville Correctional Facility is by using JPAY 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.

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,
Miami Shores, FL 33153

​Programs For ​Inmates

The Indiana Department of Correction offers a wide selection of programming, courses, and activities based on both facility and offender need, as well as available resources. Listed below are a number of current programming opportunities available at the facility. 

• Thinking For A Change
• Clean Lifestyle Is Freedom Forever (CLIFF)
• Inside Out Dads
• Purposeful Living Unit Serve (PLUS)
• Equine Management/Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation
• Prison Greyhounds
• Substance Abuse/Narcotics Anonymous
• Academic/Vocational Training
• Straight from the Horses' Mouth
• IN2WORK
• USDOL Apprenticeship Programs
• Compost/Recycling
• Hoosier Heritage Wildflower Program
• Skidz Recycling
• Shifting Gears
• Religious Services
• Park and Patio

Pictures of Putnamville Correctional Facility

Careers at Putnamville Correctional Facility

If you are interested in a career with the Indiana Department of Corrections at the Putnamville Correctional Facility, click here.