Close custody — statewide men's reception center · Correctional Facility · ADOC

Kilby Correctional Facility

Mt. Meigs, Montgomery County, Alabama

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (334) 215-6600 Info last verified: June 2026

Alabama's statewide reception and classification center for men, near Montgomery, where most newly sentenced men are processed before transfer; it also houses medical and mental-health services.

Statewide rules that apply at every Alabama state prison

These rules are set by ADOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Alabama.

Dress code

No tan clothing or anything that looks tan, and no scrub-style clothing — both resemble what inmates wear (Alabama inmates wear white, and minimum-custody clothing is tan or white).
Dresses, skirts, and pants must be no shorter than three inches above the knee (including any slit), and trousers must be at least ankle-length; no shorts, stretch pants, or tight, sheer, or see-through clothing.
No sundresses or sleeveless tops — blouses and shirts must cover the waist and chest — and a complete set of undergarments is required.
No hats, caps, scarves, or headbands (religious headwear needs advance written approval); no sunglasses unless prescribed and no smart glasses; jewelry limited to a wedding set and simple stud earrings; no house, shower, or beach shoes.

ID: Every adult visitor must be on the inmate's approved list (built with Form 303-A) and show a government-issued photo ID — a driver's license, state ID, military ID, or immigration ID. An inmate may have up to eight approved adult visitors at a time.
What to bring: Each visitor may bring up to $30 (in change or on a $30 debit card) for the vending machines, plus a photo ID and car keys, in a clear plastic bag — and nothing else. Phones and electronics, purses and bags, tobacco, and weapons are prohibited; parents may bring a few baby items.
Scheduling: There is no statewide schedule and ADOC does not post visiting hours online, so confirm days and hours with the specific prison. Under the 2025 rules, all visits must be pre-scheduled and approved, and a newly arrived inmate may face up to a 60-day wait before visits can begin.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Alabama

Overview

Kilby Correctional Facility, on Wares Ferry Road in Mt. Meigs just northeast of Montgomery, is Alabama’s statewide reception and classification center for men. It receives all new male state inmates except those sentenced to death and youthful offenders, evaluates and classifies them, and assigns them to a permanent prison. Because of that role, a newly sentenced man may be held at Kilby only briefly before transfer — so the facility shown in the inmate search can change within weeks. Kilby is a close-custody facility (it also houses maximum- and medium-custody men) and operates hospital and mental-health services, along with dental and specialty care, that serve the broader system. It holds about 1,390 men. The current facility opened in December 1969.

What Makes Kilby Different

It is Alabama’s reception and classification center for men, receiving most newly sentenced men before they are assigned to a permanent prison.
A person may be here only briefly, so confirm the person is still housed at Kilby before traveling.
It operates hospital and mental-health services that serve the broader prison system.
It is close to Montgomery, which makes it more reachable than Alabama’s rural prisons.

Visiting

The statewide ADOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the no-tan dress code, ID, and the $30 vending limit — apply at Kilby. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Alabama.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Wares Ferry Road in Mt. Meigs, just northeast of Montgomery.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Montgomery, a short drive southwest, has the nearest and fullest range of hotels, restaurants, and services. The nearest hospital emergency rooms are in Montgomery — Jackson Hospital (closest to the Wares Ferry Road area) and Baptist Medical Center South.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the prison. Since late 2025, ADOC routes personal letters, cards, and photos to an off-site scanning center in San Antonio, Texas, addressed with the person’s name and AIS number; the person receives the mail as images on a tablet. Legal mail and packages still go to the facility. Full addressing details are in Mail & Packages.

A Note on History

The original Kilby Prison, which operated from the 1920s until 1970 on a nearby site, held Alabama’s electric chair and was the state’s execution site for decades. Executions in Alabama are now carried out at Holman Correctional Facility, not at the current Kilby facility, which replaced the original prison in 1969.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone at an Alabama state prison:

Visiting in Alabama — the approved list, dress code, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the San Antonio scanning address and what still goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ICSolutions calls, messaging, and video
Sending Money — Access Corrections and the trust account
Medical & Mental Health — the co-pay and how to raise a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception centers and the inmate search

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.