Close, maximum, and super-maximum custody (men); male death row · Correctional Unit · ADC

Varner Unit and Varner Supermax

Grady, Lincoln County, Arkansas

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (870) 575-1800 Info last verified: June 2026

A high-security men's prison in rural Lincoln County, south of Pine Bluff, that houses Arkansas's male death row in its supermax section.

Statewide rules that apply at every Arkansas state prison

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

Dress code

No white or camouflage clothing — both resemble what inmates wear (Arkansas inmates wear white).
Shoulders must stay covered: no sleeveless shirts, tank tops, or halter tops, and no shorts, miniskirts, or short dresses.
No see-through clothing, leggings, or jeggings, and nothing low-cut or otherwise provocative; children 10 and under may wear shorts of an appropriate length.
Avoid metal in clothing and accessories (underwire, buckles, snaps), which can stop you from clearing the metal detector; the authoritative dress code is printed on the back of the visitation form.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the inmate's visiting list first — the inmate mails the application form to the visitor (it is not available online or from staff), and a criminal-history check is run on each applicant. Visitors 12 and older must show a government-issued photo ID.
What to bring: Bring a clear plastic bag with a small amount of cash for the vending machines (some units are moving to coins or debit and credit cards only), prescription medication in the visitor's name, a photo ID, car keys, and baby items. Phones, tobacco, and other items must stay locked in the vehicle.
Scheduling: Visits are pre-scheduled, not walk-in — request an appointment through the state TeleGov portal or by calling the unit's Visitation Clerk. Routine visits are on weekends, and how many visits a month a person gets depends on the inmate's class level; ADC does not post per-unit hours online, so confirm with the unit.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Arkansas

Overview

The Varner Unit, in rural Lincoln County south of Pine Bluff, is one of Arkansas’s high-security prisons, holding men in close, maximum, and super-maximum custody. The Varner Supermax section opened in 2000, and in 2003 it became home to all of Arkansas’s male death row. Its rated capacity is about 1,714. Varner is about a half-mile from the Cummins Unit, which houses the state’s execution chamber.

What Makes Varner Different

It houses Arkansas’s male death row, in the supermax section.
The execution chamber is at the Cummins Unit, not Varner — a man under a death sentence is moved to Cummins only ahead of a scheduled execution. (Female death row is at the McPherson Unit.)
It holds the system’s highest-security men, so visits — especially in the supermax and on death row — are typically non-contact and tightly controlled.
It is rural and remote, about 28 miles south of Pine Bluff, with no public transit.

Visiting

The statewide ADC rules above — the approved visitor list, the no-white dress code, ID, and pre-scheduled visits — apply at Varner.

The full approval process is in Visiting in Arkansas.

Getting There and Parking

The unit is off U.S. Highway 65 in Lincoln County, near the Cummins Unit.

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

Nearby Services

Pine Bluff, about 28 miles north, has the nearest hotels, restaurants, and services. The nearest hospital emergency room is Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the unit. Since September 2025, ADC routes non-legal personal letters and photos to an off-site scanning center in Tampa, Florida, addressed with the person’s name and ADC number; the person receives the mail electronically. Legal mail, books, and magazines still go directly to the unit at the Grady address. Full addressing details are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

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

Visiting in Arkansas — the approved list, dress code, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the Tampa scanning address and what still goes to the unit
Phone & Video Calls — Securus calls, messaging, and video
Sending Money — CorrectPay, Access Corrections, and the trust account
Medical & Mental Health — the co-pay and how to raise a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception units 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.