Minimum through maximum custody — pretrial and sentenced men · State Prison (Level V) · DDOC

Sussex Correctional Institution

Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (302) 856-5280 Info last verified: June 2026

Southern Delaware's prison, holding pretrial and sentenced men near Georgetown since 1931 — with a public bus stop on the facility grounds.

Statewide rules that apply at every Delaware DOC prison

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

Dress code

No bathing suits, body suits, strapless or low-cut tops, sleeveless shirts, or tube tops; nothing see-through or revealing — staff have the final say.
Dresses, skirts, culottes, and walking shorts no shorter than two inches above the knee, measured from the bend at the back of the knee.
No spandex pants, shorts, or leggings worn alone; leggings under a skirt are permitted.
Some facilities add more — Baylor and Howard R. Young prohibit open-toe or open-heel shoes, Crocs, and hoodies.

ID: Photo ID for every visitor (any picture ID suffices for children under 16 at Baylor); at James T. Vaughn the address on the ID must match the address given when booking. Children 14-18 need their own photo ID at Howard R. Young.
What to bring: Car keys and ID, little else — everything else stays secured in the vehicle. Infant items go in a clear baggie; small cash or vending allowances vary by facility.
Scheduling: No application form — visits are booked by calling the facility scheduling line, generally one week ahead, and at some facilities cannot be changed once booked. Background checks before entry can bar visitors (10 years after a past incarceration, 5 after probation).

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Delaware

Overview

Sussex Correctional Institution has anchored the southern end of Delaware’s system since 1931, making it one of the state’s oldest facilities. It holds men at every custody level — and because Delaware’s unified system has no county jails, that includes Sussex County’s pretrial detainees: close to 400 of the facility’s roughly 1,000 men at the most recent annual count. The split shapes visiting directly: DOC’s posted rules give sentenced men on the compound 1.5 hours of visiting a week, while men in pretrial status get one 45-minute visit.

SCI also hosts three programs families ask about: the Road to Recovery residential substance-use treatment program, the Reflections 90-day program for repeat DUI convictions, and the state’s Youthful Criminal Offenders Program — the housing unit for boys 15 to 18 held in the adult system, with schooling mandatory for those without a diploma.

What Makes Sussex Correctional Institution Different

A public bus stops on the grounds. DOC’s own page says it: DART Route 206 between the Georgetown transit hub and the Lewes Transit Center has a stop on SCI grounds near the entrance, running weekdays and Saturdays — though some Saturday trips skip the SCI stop, and there’s no service on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
Visiting time depends on legal status — the only Delaware facility that posts the difference: 90 minutes a week sentenced, 45 minutes pretrial.
No posted visiting calendar. Unlike the other three prisons, DOC publishes no days or session times for SCI — the appointment call is where the schedule exists.
Two phone numbers in DOC’s own materials: the visiting page says (302) 856-5545; DOC’s annual reports print (302) 856-5245. If one doesn’t connect, try the other or the main line.
The allowed-items list is literal: photo ID, two car keys, a wedding or engagement ring, a medical-alert bracelet, and life-saving medication — “if an item is not on this list, it will not be allowed in.” Infants get one diaper, one bottle, wipes, and a pacifier in a clear baggie.
Former SCI inmates and former DOC staff or contractors may be denied entry, subject to the warden’s review.
Visitors who traveled 150 miles or more can request a special visit, available about once every six months.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

The statewide rules above — phone scheduling, the dress code, and screening — apply at SCI. What follows is specific to this facility.

Visits are “open” (contact possible) or “closed” (no contact), and the institution — not the visitor — decides which type a person receives. Once a visit is scheduled it is not changed, and smoking is prohibited everywhere on the property including inside vehicles in the parking lot. Video visiting is not described for SCI in DOC’s posted materials — the GettingOut account shows what’s available, per Phone & Video Calls.

Getting There and Parking

SCI sits on US-113 (DuPont Boulevard) just south of Georgetown in central Sussex County.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. There is a visitor parking lot on site; DOC publishes no details about it. The Route 206 bus is the published transit option — roughly hourly to 90 minutes on weekdays.

Nearby Services

The US-113 strip near the facility covers a visit day: a Royal Farms on Arrow Safety Road about a mile north, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ on DuPont Boulevard, and a Microtel Inn & Suites about two miles away, with more lodging in Georgetown. The nearest hospitals with emergency departments are TidalHealth Nanticoke in Seaford (about 13 miles west, (302) 629-6611), Beebe Medical Center in Lewes (about 16 miles east), and Bayhealth’s Sussex Campus in Milford (about 16 miles north).

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Delaware facility:

Visiting in Delaware — phone scheduling, dress code, and screening
Mail & Packages — the Las Vegas scanning address and white-envelope rule
Phone & Video Calls — the GettingOut account and five-number list
Sending Money — kiosks, ConnectNetwork, and the Dallas money-order address
Medical & Mental Health — co-pays, sick call, and the 7-day grievance window
Transfers — how Delaware’s unified system moves people

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.