Medium security (men) — mental-health treatment mission · State Prison · GDC

Phillips State Prison

Buford, Gwinnett County, Georgia

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (770) 932-4500 Info last verified: June 2026

A mental-health treatment prison for men in Buford, in metro Atlanta, Georgia, providing all levels of mental-health service including crisis stabilization.

Statewide rules that apply at every Georgia state prison

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

Dress code

Shirts must cover the chest, shoulders, back, and waist; women's slacks, dresses, or skirts may be no more than two inches above the knee, and a complete set of foundation garments (bra, slip, and underwear) is required.
No tank, halter, tube, or thin-strap tops, nothing sheer or transparent, and nothing that bares the midriff.
No shorts or above-the-knee slacks for anyone 12 or older (children under 12 may wear shorts); shoes are required for every visitor.

ID: Every visitor must first be approved on the person's visiting list — apply on GDC's Application for Visitation Privilege, mailed to the prison (the warden has 14 working days to decide) — and visitors 16 and older must show a government-issued photo ID, which is held during the visit. The visiting list can be changed only when the person reaches a permanent facility or during May or November.
What to bring: Bring only a photo ID, a car key, and up to $20 in coins (or a vending debit card where accepted). No outside food or drink (store-bought baby formula is the exception), and no phones, cameras, or bags; money for the person is sent through JPay, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Visits are by appointment through GDC's online portal, on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays in two-hour blocks; requests for a given week are accepted Monday through Wednesday. A newly received person in diagnostic status is generally not eligible for visits until reaching a permanent prison.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Georgia

Overview

Phillips State Prison, on West Rock Quarry Road in Buford in Gwinnett County, is a medium-security GDC prison for men with a mental-health treatment mission. According to the GDC, the facility houses men who have had management problems at other prisons or centers and those who could pose a risk if housed elsewhere, and it provides all levels of mental-health service, including Level IV care and crisis stabilization. Its capacity is about 918 men. Because men are assigned here from across the system, the prison shown in the inmate search can change.

What Makes Phillips Different

It has a statewide mental-health treatment mission, providing all levels of mental-health service, including Level IV care and crisis stabilization.
It houses men transferred from other facilities — men who have had management problems elsewhere or who could pose a risk if housed elsewhere.
It offers structured mental-health programming, including mental-health groups and counseling, alongside academic, vocational, and reentry programs.
It is in metro Atlanta, in Buford, northeast of the city off Interstate 985.

Visiting

The statewide GDC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Phillips State Prison. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Georgia.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is in Buford, Gwinnett County, in metro Atlanta, off the Interstate 985 / Interstate 85 corridor northeast of the city.

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

Nearby Services

Buford and the surrounding Gwinnett County suburbs — including Sugar Hill, Suwanee, and Gainesville to the north — have gas, food, and lodging; Atlanta, to the southwest, has the fullest range. Northeast Georgia Medical Center has 24-hour emergency rooms in Gainesville and Braselton, and several hospital emergency departments operate across Gwinnett County.

Mail

Personal mail goes to the facility, addressed with the person’s full name and GDC ID number. Georgia is moving toward centralized mail handling, so confirm the current mailing address before sending. Books and magazines must come from a publisher or established retailer, and legal mail is opened only in the person’s presence. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Georgia state prison:

Visiting in Georgia — the approved list, dress code, and the appointment portal
Mail & Packages — addressing mail and the publisher-only rule
Phone & Video Calls — Securus calls and tablet messaging
Sending Money — depositing through JPay
Medical & Mental Health — the co-pay, grievances, and the Ombudsman
Transfers & Finding Someone — intake, permanent assignment, and the locator

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.