VANDALIA Correctional Center

[Dazzler]

Please post information here

[Forevermah]

Vandalia Correctional Center  


Victor A. Dozier, Warden  

Facility Data
Vandalia Correctional Center
 Opened: 1921
 *Operational Capacity: 1,784
 Minimum Security Adult Male
 *Vandalia Correctional Center Population:1,327
 *Vandalia Work Camp Population: 393
 *Total Current Population: 1,720
 Average Age: 30
 FY2010 Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $22,560.00
*As of 11/30/2011. Reflects bed space capacity analysis as outlined in the January 1, 2012 Quarterly Report to the Legislature.
 
Vandalia Correctional Center is the parent institution for Vandalia Work Camp

Visiting Hours

  

IDOC Visitation Rules and Information
 
Visitors to any correctional facility will be required to produce photo identification and verification of date of birth. Please be sure to bring 2 forms of identification with you; these would include a current photo ID such as a driver’s license, a state ID card, government ID card, military ID/driver’s license, or acceptable documentation of non-U.S. citizenship including a current Passport, or Visa, documentation must contain the visitor’s date of birth. Expired forms of identification will not be accepted. Visitors will also be required to provide vehicle information and other pertinent data, such as government identification, official credentials, attorney registration, and or law student certification.
 
Vandalia Correctional Center
 Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and visitors must be checked in by 2:00 p.m.
 Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and visitors must be checked in by 5:00 p.m.

Facility Address

Business Mail:
Route 51 North
 P.O. Box 500
 Vandalia, Il 62471
 
Inmate Mail:
Inmate Name & IDOC#
 P.O. Box  500
 Vandalia, IL 62471
 
Phone: (618) 283-4170
 Fax: (618) 283-9147

Facility Information

The mission of the Vandalia Correctional Center includes maintaining a safe and secure environment for all staff and offenders as well as providing programs designed to assist offenders in their reentry into society. To attain maximum success of these programs, security and accountability of offenders remains the center's main goal.

The Vandalia Correctional Center, located 85 miles southeast of Springfield, was established as the original prison farm operation in Illinois housing entirely misdemeanor offenders. The center has a dorm-type setting with 113 buildings, totaling 412,000 square feet. Total acreage is 1,520 with eight acres contained within the perimeter fence.
 
Inmate Programs
 
Academic:
 •ABE (Adult Basic Education)
•GED (General Education Development)
•Pre-GED
•Computer Technology
•TABE (Test for Adult Basic Education)
•Vocational Technical Math
•College Academic Classes

Vocational:
 •Building Trades
•Auto Body School
•Horticulture
•Career Technologies

Industries:
 •Milk Production
•Juice Production
•Turkey Processing
•Vegetable Oil Processing
•Spice Production

Volunteer Services:
 •Alcoholics Anonymous
•Bible Studies
•Religious

Other:
 •Chaplaincy
•Fatherhood Initiative
•Leisure Time Activity
•Library
•Field Services
•TRAC 1
•Orientation
•Lifestyle Redirection
•Drug Education
•Parenting
•Inside Out Dads
•Hot Topics Presentations
•Parole School
•Anger Management
•HIV Peer Groups
•Anger Management

http://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/facilities/Pages/vandaliacorrectionalcenter.aspx

[blsgrl1231]

Hello all!

Can anyone tell me about the conditions at Vandalia? My husband heard it's really strict there. He also heard they don't allow any electronics or hot pots... is that true? He has a year left and has thought about putting in for a transfer, but I guess he'd either go to East Moline or Vandalia. We know East Moline is cool, but it would be just his luck to get sent to Vandalia and if it's bad, that would suck. If anyone has info, please let me know.

Thanks!  ././/

[WAID]

Anyone have any info on visiting Vandalia & staying overnight now?

[WAID]

Just some info. I picked up on my visit here. Feel free to PM me if you need further assistance.

Besides the visiting hours already listed, M-F allows 5 hour visits & W/E & holidays are only 3 hours. They will only guarantee 1 hour if it's busy, but can accomodate about 35 inmate visits in the visiting room.

Lockers are $.50, you can only bring in ID, vending card & car door key or locker key. No restriction on how much jewelry you can wear, only heard a comment that may be a past issue for some females that bras must be worn on females, underwire is allowed.

Vending card & machine is from debitek I think it said, cards have a magnetic strip & I tried a card from another CC with a chip on it & didn't work, so if you had another 1 with the old strip you could try & see if it might work. To buy a card it takes $1, max on card is $30.
No metal detector to go through, pat down search with coat on if you're wearing one, nothing in your pockets, remove your shoes.

I saw one table with 4 adult visitors, so not sure how many they allow max.

Kid friendly: no ID or birth certificate required - not certain of age they would require school ID or something, alot of toys, games & playing cards provided, I saw a baby carrier allowed in, heard powdered formula in a baggie with 1 bottle is allowed, 2 diapers - no wipes.

Vending machines, not positive of all expenses, but this will give you an idea & I stuffed us both in 6 hours over 2 days with about $40: coffee items $.40-.75, soda & juices $1, think all sandwich foods were $3.50, gum, candy & chips $.75 -$1.25

Layout: Prison is 1 mile north of 70 on the right, very close to the road. Visitor parking to the right of gatehouse. As you walk out the gatehouse door in the weather, you are on the grounds with no fences protecting you from the inmates that can be about 100 yards from you walking in groups of military formation from 1 building to the next or individulas without escorts on their way somewhere. The buidings are in horshoe formation with visiting building right behind & left of the gatehouse. Kinda old brick spanish style like the alamo all ground level 1 story high are the majority of buidings.
Visiting building: think 2 double wide trailers put together, guard desk at front door, you give him slip they issued you at gatehouse & he assigns you a table. Visitor & inmate bathrooms are up there as well as the toy section. Aproximately 30 round tables & plastic lawn chairs are moveable line the walls, with main aisle down the middle, table #'s are up on the wall, plaque on table indicates inmates have to sit in the aisle seat. Half way through the building is the vending machine section, water fountain & a guards stoop to watch the back half of the room.

Contact: Inmates enter through the back of the building & have to walk up to the front to check in, you're allowed to hug & kiss on entry & exit, touch hands/arms above the tables, hold hands walking up the aisle to the vending machine & I got a few pecks at the vending machine.

overnight options: Days Inn motel 618-283-4400 ($58), Travelodge 618-283-1922 ($59) these 2 are right off the Vandalia exit, I stayed at Days Inn it was updated & clean, Travelodge & some other little motel looked scary to me. Ramada 618-283-1922 ($66) Holiday Inn express ($84) - these were off beaten path & closer to next exit so I didn't see them, H.I. has indoor pool & is smoke free.

Lots of restaurant choices near exit as well as an IGA & Aldi grocery store.

[WAID]

I should point out Vandalia has 2 exits, the prison is the 1st exit (Rte. 51) coming from Effingham going 70 west, turn right or north at the exit. I noticed there is also a campground 2 exits prior to Vandalia also coming from Effingham, didn't write the name or town down sorry.

[omaria]

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease N E 1 HELP ME!!!  My baby just got transferred to Vandalia today. Can N E 1 give me some info about this place? How long will it be before we can start back talking on the phone, when I will be able to visit him? How are the visits? Do they get more freedom. He just came from IL River and he was on lockdown for 21hrs a day and he wasn't able to move around in the visiting room either. Also do N E 1 have a direct address to this place so I can get directions.

 

[mamacita1]

While I don't know the particulars of  your loved one's transfer...generally, my experience has been that the transferee will experience the same thing that a new inmate may experience during intake.  Everything being equal, it should be no time that he will attempt in contacting you.

Your loved on is in the lowest security - that is FABULOUS NEWS:  
http://www2.illinois.gov/idoc/facilities/Pages/vandaliacorrectionalcenter.aspx

No doubt, he will be in your embrace very soon.

mamacita

[Forevermah]

Omaria, we have our prison profile here with information on Vandalia:

http://www.illinoisprisontalk.com/index.php/topic,7248.0.html




Vandalia is a minimum security prison, which is going to be a change for the better for him from Illinois River, which is one step under a maximum security.  I know we have members with loved ones there, one that comes to mind is WAID, you might want to search out more of her posts, I know she's talked about Vandalia here before. 

Vandalia is off of Rt 75, east of St. Louis, I am sure if you did map quest from where are are located, it will take you right there.

Best to you and him.

Mah

[omaria]

Thanks for all the support. I don't know where I would be without Prison Talk!

[WAID]

I got her covered! 

[omaria]

Hello there!

I am so excited because I finally took the drive to go see my fiance' on Saturday who was recently transfered to Vandalia. I enjoyed our visit as always. It is far more different from IL River. More freedom, we got to sit close to each other and I like the fact he can go to the vending machine with me. We were like a real couple picking out our food together (So Cute)! Now that his time is getting low, he wants to see me a little more often. I don't mind, but money is a little tight for me right now. I am trying to get home situated for us and plus he needs clothes. He knows I am willing to make a way to see him because of the love we share. I would like to go back on the 16th to visit him. I just don't get enough of this man and am so anxious for him to get home to me.

[Mrs.Ziemer]

  my boyfriend just got sent to Vandalia today!! he was one of the lucky ones to only spend a week in Stateville Reception ( thank God)...im soo excited...but when i can i go see him...I live in the Far West suburb of Chicago in Naperville and it looks to be a 4 hour trip there. i read one ID has to be a photo but can i bring my social security card and my state id and that will be fine right?

[omaria]

Mrs. Ziemer

That will be fine, when I went to c my Boobie I had my D/L and birth certificate but you should be fine with those other items. The drive is a mess though, but you get used to it. I usually play my music and think happy thoughts about him. Sometimes I get ther in about 3.5 hours.

[Mrs.Ziemer]

  okay...thank you...how do you get down there.....i keep trying to mapquest it but its not letting me use the address from the IDOC website as the end location and when I get into my car, I always forget the address to put it in my navigation system. 

[Mrs.Ziemer]

i want to go to Vandalia tomorrow, and i was wondering is it typically busy on Fridays? i went tuesday and it wasnt busy at all...but i miss him alot and i wanna see him again 

[Mrs.Ziemer]

i have another question but im pretty sure no one will answer this one like the others but are costumes allowed at visitation? his family was thinking of wearing their halloween costume to the visit on halloween...will they let them in?

[vicb66]

Are these little kids? 

[Forevermah]

I don't think so, but I would call before you go.  They are normally very strict about proper attire during visits.

[WAID]

You definately want to call on that cause they're pretty lenient on some things, kind of depends on the guards really. Long as it isn't sex, drug or weaponish, has sleeves & longer than knees to cover most of you up including cleavage, I'd try it. Just bring extra clothes.

I'm going Nov. 8th for the weekend with another inmate spouse if anyone is interested in carpooling & staying in a hotel overnight, from SW Chicago burbs send me an email.