Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
Patrick Henry Correctional Unit is a level 1 correctional field unit that is located in Ridgeway, Virginia. This facility is operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections, and it can house a maximum of 136 inmates.
Inmates convicted of murder, kidnapping, or a sex offense are not eligible to be housed at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit. Inmates at this facility receive vocational training. Many are trained in battling forest fires and are called to fight fires during their incarceration.
Prison Insights
Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
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Visiting Hours and Rules
Visiting hours at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit are on Saturdays and Sundays. The visiting schedule rotates, so call the facility to find out your inmate's visiting times.
Applying for Visitation
All visitors must be approved by the Virginia Department of Corrections. You can submit a visitation application online. Minor visitors must attach their application to an adult application. If you are not the minor's parent or legal guardian, you must include a Notarized Statement – Minor Visitor form.
After the DOC processes your application (including a background check), you will receive an email informing you of your application's approval or explaining the reason(s) for disapproval.
What to Bring to a Visit
All adult visitors must have a valid photo ID. Before entering the visiting room, you will be searched by electronic scanning and detection devices. You may also be subject to pat-down frisk searches and contraband detection canines.
Visitors can't take anything into the visiting area except:
- A visitor's pass
- A maximum of $20.00 in coins (no paper money) per adult visitor
- Personal vehicle key only (“keyless” keys are not authorized)
- DOC locker key
- Essential items for infant feeding
Keep all property locked in your vehicle. You can not bring in food, cash money, checks, money orders, or lottery tickets. No cell phones, electronic devices, smart watches or wearable technology.
Dress Code
All visitors must follow the dress code. Clothing must cover you from the neck to the kneecaps. You must also wear underwear and footwear. Clothing with symbols or signs with inappropriate language or graphics is prohibited.
Physical Address
Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
18155 A. L. Philpott Highway
Ridgeway, VA 24148
Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/Vb8LfwmKfeKfR3TT7
General Phone Number
(276)-957-2234
Inmate Mailing Address(es)
Inmate name and DOC number
Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
P.O. Box 1090
Ridgeway, VA 2414
Inmates at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit receive photocopies of their mail, not the originals. Prison staff shreds all original mail contents, including personal photos after they are copied. Watch this video to see how the Virginia DOC distributes mail.
No more than three 8.5” X 11” photocopied black and white pages, front and back, are allowed per mailing. You may send letters, greeting cards, postcards, and appropriate photos (no pornographic, obscene, or offensive imagery).
The following items will be rejected:
- Money orders, cash, checks, or other items of monetary value (send money to an offender with JPay)
- Postage stamps, prepaid postage envelopes and postcards
- Nude or semi-nude images of anyone
- Contraband or other items not in compliance with Operating Procedure 802.1
How to Call an Inmate
You can't call an inmate at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit, but they do have access to phones during daytime hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Virginia, please click here.
How to Send Money
To send money to an inmate at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit, use one of the following options:
- Online or Mobile App: The fastest way to send money is by using a credit or debit card and making an online payment or using the JPay mobile app (Android, Apple iOS).
- Phone: Call JPay at 1 (800) 574-5729 to make payments anytime 24/7.
- Send all money orders with a deposit slip to:
JPay
P.O. Box 278170
Miramar, FL 33027
- Cash: Make a cash deposit at any MoneyGram agent location (including Walmart and CVS Pharmacy). View the list of nearby MoneyGram locations.
Programs For Inmates
Adult Basic Education: Students learn literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills. ABE students graduate to adult secondary studies in preparation for High School Equivalency (HSE).
Decision Points: A cognitive-behavioral program where inmates learn alternative ways to examine their thinking and the actions that lead them into trouble.
Electricity: This program exposes students to the opportunities available in residential wiring, commercial electricity, and industrial motor control technology.
Grief and Loss Issues: This program focuses on relief of suffering from losses, as well as how to identify, address, and positively handle the emotions that come with loss. Participants are challenged to attend to their own personal grief experience, seeking to empower their self-acceptance, develop skills, and grow their ability to work through their healing process.
High School Equivalency: Adult secondary level instruction that ends when offenders pass the GED exam.
Preventing Relapse by Educating for Parole Success (PREPS): Helps inmates address physical, emotional, psychological, and physiological issues that may affect their successful adaptation to society upon release.
Re-entry Money Smart – Making Cents Out of Your Finances: A video program that covers topics including: Understanding Your Paycheck, Planning for Rainy Days and Your Future, Managing Your Expenses Online, Borrowing and Paying Your Debts, and Living Within Your Means and Sharing With Others.
Re-entry Planning: Inmates plan for their release by working on various aspects of life. Topics include education, finances, employment, relationships, and physical health and develop long-term goals in each area.
Resources for Successful Living: This program helps inmates identify resources for successful re-entry.
Road to Success: Provides programming and re-entry and transitional services to returning citizens at work centers and field units across Virginia.
Special Education: Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that meet the needs of inmates who qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).
Thinking for A Change: The goal of this course is to decrease criminal thinking through cognitive behavioral changes and skill development.
Pictures of Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
Careers at Patrick Henry Correctional Unit
If you are interested in a career with the Virginia Department of Corrections and would like more information about job listings at the Patrick Henry Correctional Unit, click here.
