Tecumseh State Correctional Institution

The Tecumseh State Correctional Institution is a medium and maximum-security state prison for male inmates that is located near Tecumseh, Nebraska. This facility has a maximum capacity of 960 inmates, but the daily population averages around 900.

Tecumseh State Correctional Institution is the only facility in the state of Nebraska to house male death row inmates. However, during the week before an execution, the inmate is transferred to Nebraska State Penitentiary, where the executions take place.

TSCI has a ten-bed skilled nursing facility, clinic exam rooms, on-site x-ray, medical laboratory, optometry, and dental. It also features a 194-bed, restrictive housing unit.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution are based on the inmate’s housing unit and are as follows: 

HOUSING UNIT 1 (HU1)
Thursday                    7:30 am - 9:30 am                  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturday                     2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Sunday                        7:30 am - 9:30 am                 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

HOUSING UNIT 2 (HU 2)
Friday                         7:30 am - 9:30 am                  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturday                    7:30 am - 9:30 am                  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Sunday                       2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

HOUSING UNIT 3 (HU3)
Friday                        7:30 am - 9:30 am                  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturday                   7:30 am - 9:30 am                  11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Sunday                     2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

SPECIAL MANAGEMENT UNIT (SMU) CCTV VISITS
Thursday                 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Friday                       8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday                  8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday                     8:00 am - 4:30 pm

ISDP (INMATE SENTENCED TO DEATH PENALTY) VISITING HOURS
Thursday                 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Visitor processing will begin 15 minutes prior to the session start time and ends 30 minutes after the beginning of the session.

Inmates not in restrictive housing or in Housing Unit 2B will have the opportunity to visit up to three sessions during the week OR one session on the weekend. The morning and noon session during the weekdays will be combined for those who are interested. However, they will count as separate sessions.

HOUSING UNIT 2C VISITING:
Housing Unit 2C inmates will be allowed Face to Face; No Contact Visits only.

Inmates must fill out a Special Visit form at least 72 hours (three days) in advance and give to the unit manager for review.

Dress Code

Casual attire is appropriate, and clothing should not be distracting or offensive to inmates or to other visitors and must be in good repair. Clothing that is tight fitting (clothing will be considered tight fitting if it reveals the outline of genitalia or the areola), revealing, or made of see-through fabric is not allowed.

Shorts or skirts must be below the knee when standing/sitting. Shirts and dresses must cover the shoulders. Clothing with pictures, symbols, or language that may be considered profane or offensive by current public standards is not allowed. Tops of clothing can be no lower than the collarbone in the front and back.

Clothes will be expected to be in good repair with no rips, tears, or pockets that are torn to allow access beneath the garment. 

Shoes are required to be worn at all times, and open toe shoes are allowed. A lightweight outer jacket/sweater without any pockets may be worn in the visiting area. 

Visitors must wear undergarments, but they can’t wear multiple layers of undergarments. Females must wear one bra and one pair of underwear (10 years of age or under are not required to wear a bra). Males must wear one pair of underwear/undershorts. 

Visitors are not allowed to wear a combination of both khaki colored pants and a shirt at the same time when they visit. A visitor may wear khaki pants or a khaki shirt, but never at the same time when visiting. 

Hats, headbands, hooded clothing, or outerwear are not allowed. Clergy are permitted to wear religious headwear. Watches, exercise trackers, and similar devices are not permitted. 

Children, 10 years or younger, may be allowed to visit if wearing shorts, skirts, or rompers. 

Visitor Items

Visitors are permitted the following items in the visiting room/area: 

• Each visitor may bring up to $20.00 in change for use in the vending machines 
• Heart and asthma medication in the original container
• Parents with infants may bring in two, factory-sealed, single-serving, ready-to-feed formula or two clear bottles (no glass), four disposable diapers, eight wet wipes inside a clear bag, one receiving blanket, one plastic teething instrument.

All other personal property must be secured in your vehicle or in lockers provided by the facility.

How to Call an Inmate

How to Send Money

You can send money to an inmate at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution through JPay. You have the option of using their website, the JPay mobile app, visiting a MoneyGram agent location in-person, or calling 1-800-574-5729.

You must know the inmate’s full name and their DOC number to send money through JPay.

Programs For Inmates

Clinical Treatment

• Anger Management High Risk/Need: available to individuals demonstrating high risk/high needs related to anger. This treatment provides instruction and practice on basic anger control strategies in a group facilitated by clinicians.
• Interpersonal Problems Solving Group: Clinical program in Long-Term Restrictive Housing which assists participants to address problems.
• oHeLP Outpatient Sex Offender Program: The Outpatient Healthy Lives Program is available to individuals who are assessed to be at a relatively moderate risk to sexually re-offend.
• Residential Treatment for Substance Abuse: Inmates assigned to residential treatment programs have been identified as having serious substance abuse issues. These programs generally last about six months.
• Seven Decision Group: Long-Term Restrictive Housing clinical group.
• Violence Reduction Program: an intensive treatment option for individuals at high risk for violent re-offense. Incarcerated individuals with a high risk to reoffend may include those with strong antisocial beliefs or lifestyle, evidence of psychopathy, and/or instrumental violence.

Non-Clinical Programs

• Challenge Series: a Restrictive Housing journaling program designed to assist individuals prepare for general housing placement. 
• Commitment to Change: A cognitive behavioral program designed to help those in Restricted Housing work toward placement in general population housing. 
• Crime Victims Impact/Empathy and Life Skills: This program increases a participant's understanding of the harm/damages they caused their victims, communities, and themselves. The program also provides an important life skill module that teaches how to become emotionally proficient, which translates into better decision making and reduced conflicts.
• Destination Dads-Common Sense Parenting: Provides parents with a menu of techniques that will aid them in building positive family relationships; preventing and correcting misbehavior; using consequences to improve behavior. Teaches self-control and how to stay calm.
• Destination Dads-Inside Out Dads: Incarcerated fathers get tools they need to become more involved, responsible, and committed in the lives of their children.
• Destination Dads-Within My Reach: Critical and concrete tools are provided which help participants improve interactions with those who matter in their lives.  Subjects are knowing yourself first, smart love and making your own decisions.
• Domesti-PUPS: Participants in Domesti-PUPS train dogs to become service animals for persons with disabilities, pet therapy programs, classroom dogs, and education programs.
• Living in Balance: Cognitive based educational program designed to address recovery and re-entry issues. Needs addressed:
• Living Skills: This program provides individuals living in the Special Management Unit with life skills which assists an inmate learn to make the appropriate behavioral changes necessary to transfer back to the general population. 
• Thinking for a Change: a high-level cognitive behavioral program developed by the National Institute of Corrections. The program uses role playing to concentrate on changing the criminogenic thinking of offenders.
• Transformation Project: a transition and reentry program aimed at promoting positive behavior during incarceration and preparing participants for transition back into the community. Self-study modules are available for incarcerated individuals in long-term restrictive housing.

Education Programs

• Adult Basic Education: assists adult incarcerated students work toward high school equivalency, or refresh skills regardless of diploma status.
• College Courses: offered through various universities/colleges and correspondence courses. Currently, college classes are provided by grant funded providers and/or at the individual's own expense.
• ESL/ELL: English as a second language (ESL) is designed to aid those students not fluent in English learn to speak, read, hear and write the language so they can better function in society.
• High School: Students of all ages may attend high school classes. Individuals under 22 who have not graduated from high school are required to be in school. Students over 22 need to go through an application process.

Pro-Social Activities

• 7th Step: a self-betterment club that allows members to discuss and work on issues that hold them back from their best selves. Addresses issues that participants are interested in working on.  Topics can include drug use, anger, family issues, and more.
• Peru Inside Out: A dynamic partnership between students and incarcerated men to study crime and justice; critically analyze the criminal justice system, punishment versus rehabilitation; myths and realities of contemporary prison lie; race, class, and other diversity issues; victim issues; and restorative justice.
• Reconnect - Pass It On: Helps participants serving 15 years to life, develop peer mentors in prison to help them serve their sentences productively. 
• Toastmasters: empowers people to improve communication and leadership skills, find the courage to change, achieve their full potential, and realize their dreams.

Vocational/Life Skills Programs

• ABC Applied Construction Math: this program provides learning in the area of construction math such as division, decimals/percentages, reading measurements, calculating area, linear measures, angles, volume, solving for the unknown.
• ABC Construction: Construction Technology: Introduces masonry, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing.
• ABC Construction: OSHA Construction: This program provides an overview of safety applications on a construction site as well as training on governmental regulations.
• ABC Core Curriculum: This program includes basic construction safety; introduction to construction math, hand tools, power tools, construction drawings, rigging; communication skills; and material handling.
• ABC OSHA General Industries: This course provides entry-level information about employee rights; employer responsibilities; how to file a complaint; how to identify and prevent job related hazards. 
• Alpha: promotes daily living skills and encourages character development. All classes are biblically based and open to anyone, regardless of religious affiliation. The program includes lessons on addiction prevention, understanding marriage, understanding parenthood, and managing finances.
• Associated Linen Management Certification: Teaches skills in the area of laundry management. 
• Cabinet Maker Apprentice: Apprenticeship for learning carpentry skills. 
• Forklift Training: Training in how to use and operate a forklift.
• Laundry Machine Mechanic: Training in industrial mechanics
• Mental Health Association Wellness and Recovery Action Plan (WRAP): Discusses deescalation; decision making and consequences; how trauma has affected a person; and how to overcome negative ways of dealing with stressful situations and crises.  Need addressed: Life skills.
• Metro Community College (MCC): provides a variety of courses to assist with employment readiness, life skills, reentry, computer knowledge/skills,  mechanics, quality control, and supervision in the workplace.
• Metro Community College Employability Skills: Allow students to enhance their interpersonal skills, improve ability to work in teams, learn to communicate effectively, think creatively, use problem solving techniques, and explore competitive job-seeking strategies.
• Reconnect - Success Prep: Helps participants examine behaviors and attitudes that may have contributed to their incarceration and focus on skills critical to reentry.
• RISE: This program targets entrepreneurial-minded individuals and offers intensive leadership development, business plan competitions, executive mentoring, financial investment, and startup incubation.

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Careers at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution