Cooper Street Correctional Facility

Cooper Street Correctional Facility is a minimum-security state prison for male prisoners that is located in Jackson, Michigan.This facility holds a maximum of 814 inmates, and is the common point in the DOC system for processing of inmates who are about to be discharged, paroled, or transferred.

This facility is the former Michigan Parole Camp in Jackson and is located across the street from the old State Prison of Southern Michigan. It was expanded, with an increase in security and capacity (1752 beds), to create a Secure Level I prison which opened in July of 1997.

The facility is an active member of the Department's Community Liaison Committee in the Jackson County area and maintains open lines of communication between the community and prison administration.

As a Secure Level I facility, JCS has two, high chain-link fences, rolls of razor ribbon wire, a perimeter detection system, and an armed perimeter security vehicle (ARV) patrolling the outside grounds. There is also an alert response vehicle available for backup to the ARV if necessary.

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Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting Hours at Cooper Street Correctional Facility are as follows:

Monday, Thursday, & Friday                                       5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday (Even/Odd # Schedule)           10:00 am – 9:30 pm

General Visiting Rules

Anyone who wishes to visit an inmate must be placed on their visiting list, and they also must complete a Visiting Application to request approval to visit. The Visiting Application must be submitted in advance to allow for review of the application.

A maximum of five persons are allowed to visit with a prisoner at one time. Children less than two years of age will not be counted in that number. 

For a complete list of visiting rules at Cooper Street Correctional Facility, click here. You can also find a complete Family Information Packet by clicking here.

Dress Code

  • Visitors must be fully dressed in clean clothes that do not have holes
  • Undergarments must be worn, including underpants/panties; adult females must wear a brassiere. 
  • Clothing which exposes excessive skin (e.g., abdomen, breast, chest, back, thigh, etc.) is prohibited. This clothing includes, but is not limited to, see-through clothing, tube/halter tops, and shorts or skirts/dresses that are more than 3” above the knee. 
  • A visitor who is fourteen years of age or younger must be attired in clothing which covers his/her body from the base of the neck to the top of the knees. T-Shirt and shorts/trousers are acceptable, but a sundress is not acceptable. 
  • Clothing which exposes undergarments is prohibited. 
  • Extreme form-fitting clothing, including but not limited to yoga pants, running tights, jeggings, unitards, etc. may not be worn as outer garments. 
  • Clothing which displays words, symbols, gestures, or pictures that may be perceived as obscene or inflammatory are prohibited. 
  • Outer garments such as shawls/ponchos/lightweight coats/jackets (including denim and jogging suit jackets), winter coats/jackets, shrugs, vests, headgear, gloves, or outer boots that slip over a shoe are not allowed in the visiting room. Blazers, suit coats, and sweaters are permissible. Note: Hooded garments are prohibited. 
  • Visitors are permitted to wear religious clothing and headgear (e.g., Hijab, yarmulke, turban, habit, etc.), into the visiting room; they are subject to search and inspection. It may be necessary for MDOC staff to search/inspect these items at any time during the visiting process. 
  • Footwear must be worn at all times. 
  • Jewelry worn by visitors will be itemized on entry and on leaving the visiting area. Jewelry is limited to no more than ten pieces. Note: Jewelry which includes an open compartment or space designed to contain photographs, hair, ashes, etc. is prohibited (e.g., lockets, rings, charms, vials, etc.). 

Also prohibited are watches, including electronic wristbands, pendants, eyeglasses, and other similar items containing a camera, GPS, wireless, or electronic functions. 

Personal Property Allowed in the Visiting Room

The following list is all-inclusive: 

  • Locker key
  • Visitor pass
  • Identification card
  • Money for vending machines - a maximum amount of $25.00 per visitor or no more than $60 per group visit.
  • When an infant is on the visit: Two, clear plastic bottles, one pacifier, and one single-layered baby blanket (no quilt or comforter style). A clear, plastic spill-proof cup “sippy cup” is permitted when a toddler is a member of the visiting party. 
  • Medications and/or medical equipment (e.g., wheelchair, cane, walker, oxygen equipment, prosthesis, etc.) which may be needed by a visitor during a visit are permitted with the approval of the shift commander.
  • A service animal which provides service for a disabled visitor is permitted to accompany the visitor while in the visiting room. A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. 
  • Photo tickets - Visitors may purchase photo tickets from the lobby vending machine. All photographs of prisoners will be supervised by staff and approved prior to distribution to prisoner or visitor. All photographs will be limited to one prisoner per photograph. 
  • Immediate family members may bring legal documents in on a visit for review only with the prisoner. The documents cannot be left with the prisoner nor left at the front desk for the prisoner. These items are subject to search before being taken into the visiting room. 

Physical Address

Cooper Street Correctional Facility
3100 Cooper St.
Jackson, MI 49201

Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/g8F4aUeJyAbwi9qe6

General Phone Number

​(517) 780-6175

Inmate Mailing Address(es)

Inmate Name and DOC Number
Cooper Street Correctional Facility
3100 Cooper St.
Jackson, MI 49201

When writing to a prisoner at Cooper Street Correctional Facility using the US mail system, the envelope must include the address of the facility as well as the offender’s name and MDOC number. If you do not know this information, you can search the OTIS Database, located on the MDOC’s website (www.michigan.gov/mdoc).

FFP Program

The FFP Program is a Department-approved, customized package program that allows family members and others to send authorized items to prisoners while safeguarding against the introduction of contraband.  

There is a limit of $100, not including tax and shipping, per FFP order placed. Only one FFP order may be placed by or for a prisoner per quarter (i.e., Jan-Mar; Apr-Jun; Jul-Sep; Oct-Dec). Only the first order placed by or for a prisoner each quarter will be processed, regardless of who placed the order or the value of the order.

For additional information about this program, visit the FFP website at www.michiganpackages.com.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility can’t receive incoming calls, but they do have access to phones and are allowed to make monitored outgoing calls during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Michigan, please click here.

How to Send Money

You can send money to an inmate at Cooper Street Correctional Facility via the GTL ConnectNetwork with their Trust Fund service. 

After creating a ConnectNetwork account and selecting Cooper Street Correctional Facility and your inmate to add to your account, you can deposit money into his Trust Fund (commissary) account at any time. Deposit amounts vary, but the most common denominations are between $10 and $100. All funds appear on the inmate’s account quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

While using this website is the easiest and fastest way to make a Trust Fund deposit, there are several different payment options available. Note: all Trust Fund deposits are final; there are no refunds issued.

Programs For Inmates

Academic programming at Cooper Street Correctional Facility includes Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Degree (GED), higher education development and degrees from Jackson College, MSU Inside/Out Program, and the U of M Programming. 

Various religious organizations are available through outside volunteer’s assistance and inhouse chaplain. Other community organizations include PAWS for a cause, Chance for Life, JCS Garden Program, Veterans, and Men of Merit. JCS offers the MDOC core evidence-based programming such as Advance Substance Abuse Treatment, MIVPP, Employment Readiness, Pre-Release, Michigan Sex Offender Program (MSOP), Violence Prevention Program (VPP), and Thinking for a change. 

Cooper Street Correctional Facility is designated as the In-Reach Facility for offenders who have been granted a P-70 parole that are returning to region 8: Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties.                                 

Routine medical and dental services are provided on site. Serious medical problems may be treated at either Duane L. Waters Health Center or Henry Ford Allegiance Hospital. 

Reentry Services

For inmates preparing for their release back into society, the following reentry services are available:

  • 24/7 Structured Housing
  • Base Housing/Rents
  • Housing Supplies 
  • Vocational Assessment
  • Job Readiness
  • Job Search/Job Development
  • Temporary Work Experience
  • Try-Out Employment
  • On-The-Job Training
  • Work Supplies
  • Clothing Assistance 
  • Hygiene/Food Assistance 
  • Identification 
  • Mentoring
  • Pro-Social Activities
  • Public Transportation
  • Private Transportation 
  • Law Enforcement 
  • Telephone Assistance 
  • Cognitive Behavioral Groups 
  • Batterer Intervention Services 
  • Assessment 
  • Group Counseling 
  • Individual Counseling
  • Family Counseling 
  • Psychiatric Evaluation 
  • Prescription Psychotropic Medication
  • Medication Review
  • Prescription Medication Health Care  

Pictures of Cooper Street Correctional Facility

Careers at Cooper Street Correctional Facility

If you are interested in a career with the Michigan Department of Corrections at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility, you can find job listings by clicking here.

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