Louisiana State Penitentiary

By BpRichfield, 24 April, 2024
Name of Warden:
Tim Hooper
Description of Facility

Louisiana State Penitentiary is located in Angola Louisiana. It is the only fully maximum security institution in the state, with a maximum capacity of 6,312 adult males, over 85% of which are violent offenders. In addition, over half of the inmates in this prison are serving life sentences. Louisiana State Penitentiary is also home to the states male death row inmates, currently with a little over 80 inmates awaiting execution. Due to the large number of inmates, and the length of many inmates sentences, this facility has a hospice program in addition to the medical and mental health programs offered.

Surrounded on three sides by the Mississippi River, Louisiana State Penitentiary is located 25 miles from the nearest town. The facility is surrounded by farmland, much of which is used to produce crops that are consumed by this facility and five others. Due to the size of the facility grounds the prison feels more like a small town than a correctional institution.

This is one of the largest correctional facilities, with segregation units, disciplinary units, extended lockdown cellblocks, a death row unit, reception center, 16 medium and minimum custody dormitories, maximum custody units, multiple out-camps, and even has it's own fire station and airfield. Overall the institutional grounds are said to be larger than the entire area of Manhattan. Like other correctional facilities, Louisiana State Penitentiary has educational and vocational programs that allow inmates to earn a GED and adult basic education and teach carpentry, welding, horticulture, culinary skills, automotive repair, HVAC, electrical, and industrial painting.

Facility Telephone Number
225-655-4411
Facility Address

Louisiana State Penitentiary
17544 Tunica Trace
Angola, LA 70712
United States

Inmate Mailing Address

Inmate Name, ID Number
Louisiana State Penitentiary
17544 Tunica Trace
Angola, LA 70712
United States

What you can send an inmate

mail

Inmates in Louisiana are encouraged to maintain communication with their loved ones. While serving their sentence, inmates can receive correspondence. To send mail to an inmate, you must have their location and ID number, which can be obtained through a Louisiana inmate search.

Always include the following on correspondence:

  • The inmate's First and Last name
  • Their identification number
  • The facility name and address
  • Your full name and address in the return field

Inmates in Louisiana are allowed to receive the following through the mail:

  • Letters
  • Photos no larger than 4"x6". Instant/polaroid photos are not allowed. No nudity, weapons, drugs, or alcohol can be in the images.
  • Newspaper and magazine clippings
  • New softcover books newspapers and magazines mailed directly from a distributor like Barnes and Noble. Publications must not contain nudity, be sexually explicit, or present a security threat to the facility.

Do not send the following through the mail it will be rejected:

  • Stamps, stationary, money orders, cash, checks
  • Stickers, homemade cards, musical/electronic cards, non-white envelopes
  • Coloring book pages, drawings
  • Marker, crayon, glitter, or raised decorations are prohibited on correspondence
  • White out, glue, paint or any other liquid on the letters

Read the Louisiana Department of Corrections policy on inmate mail.

Sending Monthly Holiday Care/Food Packages
Louisiana allows inmate care packages to be ordered from AccessSecurepak. These packages contain food, snack, drink and hygiene items. Packages are only available for order during select dates. To order a package you will need to know the inmate's current location and ID number, this can be found by utilizing the inmate search on this page.

How Inmate Calls Work

 Louisiana Department of Corrections allows offenders to make outgoing collect calls only. Some important things to know:

  • You must be on the inmate's approved call list in order to receive phone calls.
  • An inmate's phone list that can contain up to twenty contacts, these include numbers for loved ones and for legal calls.
  • Phone lists are updated every 3 months.
  • Phone calls (with the exception of legal calls) may be monitored and recorded.
  • Calls are up to 15 minutes in duration.
  • In order to receive calls on a cell phone you will need to sign up for pre-paid calls, provided through Securus Technologies.  This allows you to purchase phone minutes for your inmate.
  •  Read the Louisiana DOC policy on inmate calls.
How to send money to an inmate

   Louisiana Department of Corrections utilizes JPAY for inmate banking. This enables loved ones to send an inmate up to $500 through the following methods:

  • By Web:  Through the JPAY website.
     
  • By Mobile App: Through the JPAY App, available on Apple and Android.
     
  • By Telephone: Over the phone by calling 1-800-574-5729.
     
  • By Mail: Send funds to an inmate using a money order.
  • By Walk-In: Using a debit card you can walk-in to any correctional facility and deposit money through the kiosk.  Additionally, you can use cash to send money at any MoneyGram location, this includes Walmart and CVS. Use receive code 8714.
How to do an Inmate Search

 Having an inmate's ID number is necessary for sending correspondence, funds, and arranging visits.  You can get an offenders ID number and other crucial information like their location by searching the Louisiana inmate database.

Visiting Information/FAQs

In order to visit an inmate in Louisiana, you must be on the their approved visitors list. Begin the approval process by following these steps:

  • The inmate is required to mail any prospective visitor a Louisiana application for visiting privileges form, this application form can only be obtained by the inmate.
  • Complete, print, sign and mail the application back to inmate's institution.
  • Once you are approved, you can visit your loved one.
  • Offenders can have up to ten people on their approved visitors list.

Important things to know when visiting an inmate at Louisiana State Penitentiary:

  • A valid government issued photo ID is required in order to visit.
  • Only five visitors (including children) may attend a visiting session.
  • Two visits per month are allowed.
  • Visitors are subject to search, as is their vehicle.
  • No food or drinks may enter into the facility.
  • Visitors are allowed up to $100 in small bills held in a wallet or clutch to purchase items from the vending machines.
  • Prescriptions should be in the original container and have restrictions, must be life saving.
  • Visitors are allowed a single car key or key FOB.
  • Wallet sized photos are allowed but may not be left with the inmate at the end of the visit.
  • No cell phones, pagers, cameras, or electronics of any kind.  Secure these items in your car, or in a visitation locker if available.
  • No tobacco products or lighters.
  • No weapons, No drugs or alcohol.

Louisiana State Penitentiary Visiting Hours:
Saturday and Sunday
6:00am-4:00pm
Processing of visitors ends at 2:00pm
Visits are two hours in duration

Louisiana Department of Correction policy on visitation.

Dress Code and Visiting Rules

  • Clothing may not be similar to the inmate's or guards, no blue BDU's
  • No camouflage or swimsuits
  • No see through, fishnet, or sheer clothing
  • No halter tops, no tube tops, no tank tops
  • No skirts, skorts, shorts, culottes, or dresses shorter than three inch above the knee
  • No spandex, leggings, jeggings, or tight fitting clothing
  • No mini skirts, slit skirts, or slit dresses
  • Undergarments must not be showing
  • No braless attire
  • No flip flops, sandals, open toe shoes, open back shoes, or bare feet allowed
  • No clothing that reveals the midriff or shoulders
  • No clothing with rips, tears, or holes above the knee
  • No clothing that contains profanity, or be symbolic of drugs or gangs, sexual symbols, or contain offensive or threatening language/images are prohibited
  • No clothing that promotes alcohol or tobacco

For more information contact the Louisiana State Penitentiary visitation department Monday-Friday from 9:00am-3:00pm at (225)-655-2343.

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