Elmira Correctional Facility

Elmira Correctional Facility is a maximum-security facility for adult male inmates that is located in Elmira, New York. It is operated by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and it has the capacity to house approximately 1,800 inmates.

The Elmira Correctional Facility is both an intake and reception center for new inmates in the DCCS and a general confinement prison for long-term inmates.

This prison was founded in 1876 as the Elmira Reformatory and it’s first superintendent was a controversial man named Zebulon Brockway. He instilled strict military-style discipline and used psychological methods to reform the prisoners. He was accused of brutality because of his corporal punishment techniques.

Some of the programs that were introduced at the facility included ethics and religion, vocational training, and extracurricular activities. However, after Brockway resigned, the reformatory went back to standard custody and treatment methods. In 1970, the facility was renamed the Elmira Correctional and Reception Center.

A notable inmate at this facility is movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours for the general population at Elmira Correctional Facility are seven days a week (including holidays) between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. The latest time you can arrive for a visit is 2:00 pm. 

Visiting hours for the reception center are on weekends between 9:00 am and 2:45 pm, and the latest you can arrive for those visits is 2:15 pm. Inmates in the Elmira Reception Center are allowed on an odd-even schedule (i.e. DIN ends in an odd number – visit on odd dates, DIN ends in even number – visit even dates) with the exception of the 31st of the month, all inmates are allowed visits.

Special Housing Unit Visiting Hours are also between 9:00 am to 3:00 pm seven days per week. Inmates in SHU custody are allowed one non-legal visit within a seven-day period. 

The maximum number of visitors can be in the following combinations: Three adults & one lap child under the age of two or Two adults, one child, & one lap child under the age of two.

For more detailed visiting information, click here.

Visitor Checklist

There are a few things you should know to be prepared for your visit, please look over the following checklist:

• Confirm that the inmate has visitation privileges and has not been transferred to another facility.
• Bring current photo identification, like a driver’s license or passport.
• If you have made special arrangements with the facility, call before leaving to ensure that plans for your visit have been made and are in place.
• Check clothing and jewelry for compliance with the dress code.
• If you are bringing a child and you are not the legal guardian or parent, be sure you have a notarized statement from the child’s parent or legal guardian.
• Before leaving home, check your vehicle for contraband and/or hazardous items and be sure to remove these items before entering prison grounds.
• Double check the visiting schedule, so you arrive on the designated day during proper visiting hours.
• Leave purses, wallets, and electronic devices in the glove compartment or in the trunk of your car. Do not leave minor children waiting in the car or your visit will be ended.
• Do not have any contraband on you when you enter the facility.
• Do not bring anything into the visiting room to give to the offender. Offenders are not permitted to take anything from the visiting area.

Dress Code

Visitors should wear modest clothing with appropriate undergarments, comfortable shoes (no bare feet), and weather appropriate attire when necessary. If you do not wear appropriate clothing, you will not be allowed to visit. 

The following clothing is not allowed in the visiting room:

• See-through (sheer) clothing, bare midriffs or backs
• Plunging necklines, short shorts or athletic shorts, low tops, backless tops or dresses.
• Shorts or skirts shorter than mid-thigh are not allowed.
• Bathing suits
• Attire displaying obscene/offensive, derogatory language, or drawings or promoting illegal activity.

Head wraps, jewelry, hair pins, underwire bras, zippers, metal studs, and decorations can set off the metal detector. Officers will ask you to either remove the items or require you to submit to a search. 

You must go through the detector again until you make it through successfully. It is best to wear simple clothing to make the process as easy as possible. If in doubt, you should not wear questionable items of clothing. 

How to Call an Inmate

How to Send Money

Programs For Inmates

Elmira Correctional Facility offers a variety of programs and services for inmates, and there are also industries on the grounds that employ inmates.

EDUCATION

Adult Basic Education

The Adult Basic Education Program provides individualized instruction. This is provided to meet the needs of incarcerated individuals who have reading and math scores below the sixth grade level on the Department's selected standardized test in reading, mathematics, and language arts in the context of real life adult problems and situations.

The goal of this program is to provide individuals with skills or competencies necessary to function successfully in contemporary society and to enable the participant to function at the sixth grade reading and mathematics level.

College Prison Education Program--Cornell University though Cayuga Community College Associate's Degree Program

In addition to the New York Theological Seminary's Masters of Professional Studies Program, Elmira offers on-site college level credit-bearing courses for incarcerated individuals who possess a verified high school equivalency or high school diploma.

General Business

The General Business course provides students with instruction on using computers, calculators, and printers. Students become familiar with software applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and desktop publishing. In addition, instruction is offered in filing, mailing procedures, bookkeeping, and business correspondence.

The goal of the course is to prepare students to work in a business office. 

VOCATIONAL

Building Maintenance

The Building Maintenance program provides students with fundamental skills required to make minor repairs in carpentry, masonry, electricity, plumbing, and weatherization. This course prepares the student with entry-level skills as a building superintendent.

Carpentry

The Carpentry program covers many skills, ranging from framing walls, hanging doors, insulating, and installing sheetrock and exterior trim to laying floors. The course also involves reading blueprints and understanding building codes and weatherization.

The goal of the carpentry program is to provide the student with entry level skills in carpentry for the building construction trade area.

Custodial Maintenance

The Custodial Maintenance Course emphasizes custodial services, including floor care, carpet and fabric care, upholstery care, window care, restroom care, and the safe use and operation of power cleaning equipment and sanitation chemicals.

The goal of this course is to provide students with competencies in entry level skills in commercial, institutional, and industrial cleaning and maintenance.

Electrical Trades

This course provides instruction in basic electricity with emphasis on installing and servicing of all types of residential and commercial wiring systems. Skills taught include code interpretation, installation and servicing of circuits and controls, use of testing equipment, reading of architectural drawings, and wiring schematics.

The goal of the Electrical Trades course is to provide students with entry level skills as an apprentice or electrician's helper. 

Machine Shop

Students in Machine Shop are taught the operation, use, and maintenance of machinery including drill presses, lathes, milling machines, and surface grinders. Other areas of preparation covered include interpretation of blueprints, use of precision measurement tools, and heat treatment of metals.

The goal of the Machine Shop course is to provide students with entry-level skills as an all-around machinist apprentice.

Painting and Decorating

Students in this program learn techniques of paint application to both interior and exterior surfaces. Skills taught relate to preparation of the surface, and application of stains, clear finishes and pigmented paint. Students learn techniques of wallpapering, and wood refinishing. Instruction is given in safety procedures in handling paints, ladders, and scaffolding.

Plumbing and Heating

Students in Plumbing and Heating Course learn the installation of water, gas, waste disposal systems, and heating units in buildings and homes. This program covers basic instruction in plumbing, including code restrictions, blueprint reading, fixtures for domestic and commercial establishments, as well as oil burner repair and servicing.

The goal of this course is to provide students with entry level skills in any of the following areas: plumber, pipe fitter, furnace installer, oil burner mechanic.

Printing

Students in Plumbing and Heating Course learn the installation of water, gas, waste disposal systems, and heating units in buildings and homes. This program covers basic instruction in plumbing, including code restrictions, blueprint reading, fixtures for domestic and commercial establishments, as well as oil burner repair and servicing.

The goal of this course is to provide students with entry level skills in any of the following areas: plumber, pipe fitter, furnace installer, oil burner mechanic.

Waste Management

The Waste Management Program provides recycling and organic waste diversion and avoided cost services for the Department and selected municipalities. 

Program goals include providing:

• solid waste disposal cost avoidance to the Department through procurement, recycling and organic waste composting strategies
• statutory compliance with solid waste regulations and benign environmental stewardship waste management practices
• relevant and productive inmate work experiences

Welding

Students are taught various techniques of arc, oxyacetylene, tungsten inert gas (TIG) and metallic inert gas (MIG) welding and cutting. They learn control of equipment in the various positions of welding, as well as many types of joints, beads, welds, and braces. This course includes blueprint reading and working from layouts and diagrams.

The goal of the Welding Course is to develop students' entry level skills as a welder.

TRANSITION SERVICES

Aggression Replacement Training (ART)

A cognitive behavioral intervention program designed to assist individuals in improving social skills, moral reasoning, coping with and reducing aggressive behavior through the use of self regulating exercises and mindfulness.

ART consists of three coordinated interventions: anger control training, structured learning, and moral reasoning. The program consists of five modules with 32 sessions.

Participants will learn to understand what causes them to feel angry and act aggressively, as well as techniques to reduce anger/aggressive behavior, self-regulate to stop "automatic" aggression, and to build skills that help make better choices.

CORRECTIONAL INDUSTRIES

Cast Aluminum Foundry

Workers in the Foundry are responsible for monitoring quality in all aspects of the process.

Areas of responsibility include:

• mixing dry sand to proper compacting standards
• making molds using patterns manufactured to customer specifications
• pouring aluminum at the proper temperature
• grinding and finishing the casting

All workers are responsible for maintaining a clean and safe work area. The program provides workers with an opportunity to acquire job skills and acceptable work habits by participating in a production oriented environment, operating equipment, and meeting production schedules and quality standards. 

Efficiency and quality are stressed in all shops. To participate, individuals must have a high school diploma or HSE.

Paint Brush and Roller Cover Shop

This program is a joint Industry and Sheltered Workshop effort that employs incarcerated individuals from the Intermediate Care Program and others with disabilities in producing 15 styles of polyester-nylon bristle paint brushes and six sizes of nylon paint roller covers. 

Students are provided an opportunity to acquire job skills and acceptable work habits by participating in a production oriented environment, operating equipment, and meeting production schedules and quality standards. Efficiency and quality are stressed in all shops.

The vocational rehabilitation program is made up of two components: an assessment center and a sheltered workshop. After assessment, students are placed in a work situation according to their functioning level and present level of performance.

The goal of the Sheltered Workshop is to find work activity in which students with a disability can be productive workers. Individuals eligible for this workshop include those with a mental, physical, or emotional handicap.

Printing Plant

Workers in the Printing Plant are required to set up diversified printing equipment and set all adjustments, as well as are responsible for making minor repairs to equipment. The monitoring of reproduction quality and responsibility for maintaining a clean work area are taught.

Individuals are provided an opportunity to acquire job skills and acceptable work habits by working in a production-oriented environment, operating equipment, and meeting production schedules and quality standards. Efficiency and quality are stressed in all shops. Participants must have a high school diploma or HSE. 

MINISTERIAL, FAMILY, AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES

The Family Reunion Program

The Family Reunion Program (FRP) provides approved incarcerated individuals and their families the opportunity to meet for a designated period of time in a private home-like setting.

The goals of the program include:

• Preserving and strengthening family ties that have been disrupted as a result of incarceration.
• Fostering positive and responsible conduct.
• Facilitating post-release reintegration into the family and community, thereby reducing the likelihood of recidivism.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

The Sex Offender Counseling and Treatment Program (SOCTP)

SOCTP is a comprehensive program of counseling and treatment offered by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for convicted sex offenders and other offenders the Department identifies as likely to benefit from sex offender counseling and treatment based upon a study of their background.

The SOCTP is offered to those who have been identified as low, moderate/high, and high risk to reoffend. Offenders are assigned a risk level for treatment using a comprehensive process that utilizes both actuarial tools and clinical assessment.

Youth Assistance Program

The Youth Assistance Program is specifically designed to provide positive guidance and direction to at-risk youth in the surrounding community from becoming involved in illegal activities or committing crimes which may lead to the criminal justice system.

The program includes presentations by selected facilitators who are incarcerated. They discuss the circumstances and behaviors that led to their incarceration and the consequences of life in prison. Youth Assistance Programs are supervised by designated facility staff and held in an area of the facility as directed by the Superintendent.

Pictures of Elmira Correctional Facility

Careers at Elmira Correctional Facility

If you are interested in a career with the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and would like to work at the Elmira Correctional Facility, you can find out more information by clicking here.