Fishkill Correctional Facility

Fishkill Correctional Facility is a medium-security facility for adult male inmates that is located in both the city of Beacon and the town of Fishkill, New York. It is operated by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

This facility features a regional medical care unit that cares for inmates from prisons in southern New York. It has a capacity to house 1,800 inmates. 

Fishkill Correctional Facility also houses the Fishkill Speciality Steel division of the DCCS’ Corcraft Industries which gives inmates experience in welding and metal fabrication. This program produces custom sheet metal products, classroom desks, and other items made from steel that are used in government buildings throughout the state of New York.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours for the general population at Fishkill Correctional Facility are on weekends and holidays between 8:20 am and 3:00 pm. The latest time you can arrive for a visit is 2:15 pm. No more than three adults or two adults with children are allowed at a visit. 

Other visiting hours are as follows:

• RMU visiting hours are between 8:30 am to 2:00 pm on weekends and holidays for non-ambulatory inmates, and the latest arrival time is 1:00 pm.
• SHU 5:00PM to 9:00 pm, Saturdays Only.
• PIMS Level 1,2 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturdays Only.
• PIMS Level 3 5:00 pm, to 9:00 pm, Saturdays and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Sundays.

SHU/Long-term Keeplock schedule begins on a Saturday and ends on a Friday.

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, 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

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

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 Program

In addition to the New York Theological Seminary's Masters of Professional Studies Program, Fishkill offers on-site college level credit-bearing courses for incarcerated individuals through the Hudson Link: Nyack College Associate's and Bachelor's Degree Program and the Bard Prison Initiative Associate's Degree program.

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.

Computer Operator

This course introduces students to the hardware and software components of computers. The main focus of the program is the operation of software, which includes word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations.

The goal of the Computer Operator course is to provide students with entry level skills to operate computers and work with software programs. Coding for web design is offered to advanced students. 

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. 

Floor Covering

The Floor Covering Course covers the installation of most floor covering materials including types of carpeting, floor tile, sheet goods, wall tile, and quarry slate. Students learn layout and measurement, floor preparation, maintenance and repair, and job estimation.

The goal of this course is to provide students with entry level skills which will enable them to be employed as a Floor Covering Mechanic. A New York State Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program and NCCER Core Certification Training Program are available.

Horticulture

Horticulture refers to the production, care, management and marketing of plants such as flowers, shrubs, trees, bulbs, and turf. Training includes instruction and practice in techniques and methods of plant propagation, transplanting, pruning, cultivation, fertilization, and greenhouse production, as well as plant identification and insect control.

Students learn basic landscape design through the use of brick, stone and wood in the construction of walks, walls and fences as well as the construction of new lawns, mowing, fertilization and insect and disease control. Instruction is given in operating various horticulture hand and power equipment, such as mowers, tractors, rototillers, and other garden tools.

The goal of the Horticulture course is to provide a student with entry level skills to be employable as Horticulturist or Groundskeeper.

Metal Furniture Manufacturing

The Metal Furniture Shops involve the preparation and assembly of special metal projects, including beds, office furniture, and security screens. Some participants are taught the use of gas and arc welders, presses, and other metal fabricating machines. The assembly section of this shop includes attaching upholstered seat backs and the spray painting of the product.

Participants in the Metal Shop at Fishkill Correctional Facility also work on custom and specialty type items such as special housing recreation enclosures, doors, snow plow racks, tire racks, and many types of security screens.

The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for participants 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.

Metal Shop

The Metal Furniture Shops involve the preparation and assembly of special metal projects, including beds, office furniture, and security screens. Some participants are taught the use of gas and arc welders, presses, and other metal fabricating machines. The assembly section of this shop includes attaching upholstered seat backs and the spray painting of the product.

Participants in the Metal Shop at Fishkill Correctional Facility also work on custom and specialty type items such as special housing recreation enclosures, doors, snow plow racks, tire racks, and many types of security screens.

The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for participants 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.

High school diploma or HSE is required to participate.

Network Program

The Network Program is designed to promote the positive involvement of participants in an environment that focuses on their successful community reentry.

The goal of this program is to assist individuals in learning cooperative work and leadership skills, while demonstrating responsible behaviors before returning home.

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.

Puppies Behind Bars

Puppies Behind Bars trains incarcerated individuals to raise puppies as service dogs for wounded war veterans, as well as explosive detection canines for law enforcement and first responders. The puppies live with the puppy raisers for the duration of the basic training of commands and routines.  

The puppy raisers learn to groom, feed, water, exercise, and train the puppies. Staff from a community organization, Puppies Behind Bars, teaches the coursework, and they can also get involved as weekend puppy sitters. 

Puppy raisers who successfully complete the training receive the job title of Animal Caretaker on their permanent file, as well as a certificate of completion from Puppies Behind Bars. Qualified individuals in the Puppies Behind Bars program can participate in a distance learning veterinarian assistant course funded by the Puppies Behind Bars organization.

The goal of the program is to provide guide dogs for blind people and to teach incarcerated individuals the skills to become animal caregivers.

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

Small Engine Repair

The Small Engine Repair course provides training in the repair and maintenance of lawn and garden equipment, recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Students learn troubleshooting, including testing, diagnosis and repair. Skills taught include major engine overhaul, ignition testing and servicing, fuel system servicing and repair, mower blade replacement and servicing, power drive and transmitting systems, and understanding schematics and specifications.

The goal of the Small Engine Repair course is to provide students with entry-level skills as a small engine repairman. This is a New York State Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program.

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.

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.

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.

The Compadre Helper Program

The Compadre Helper Program is a peer counseling course designed to provide incarcerated individuals with the opportunity to acquire skills necessary to help their peers and themselves cope with the psychological aspect of personal development based on Maslow’s self-actualizing philosophy. This program is offered in English and Spanish.

Program goals include:

• assisting participants in adjusting to the environment by supporting them in the process of self-inventory.
• teaching participants four basic helping skill clusters, including Attending Skills Cluster, Adding Skills Cluster, Confronting Skills Cluster, and Problem Solving Skills Cluster.

Rising Hope, Inc Program in Ministry and Human Services

The Certificate in Ministry and Human Services is a one-year program taught by community volunteers and under the coordination of Rising Hope, Inc. The goal of the certificate program is to provide incarcerated individuals the opportunity to take post-secondary level courses.

Pictures of Fishkill Correctional Facility

Careers at Fishkill Correctional Facility