Close security — restrictive housing (Tier III / mental-health treatment), men · State Prison · GDC

Special Management Unit

Jackson, Butts County, Georgia

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (770) 504-7610 Info last verified: June 2026

Georgia's highest-security restrictive-housing prison for men, near Jackson in central Georgia.

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

The Special Management Unit (SMU), on Highway 36 west of Jackson in Butts County, is Georgia’s highest-security restrictive-housing prison for men. Opened in 2006, it is a close-security facility of about 192 beds that houses men in the Tier III program and in a specialized mental-health treatment unit. The GDC describes its mission as returning close-security men to general-population prisons through structure, programming, incentives, and education. Because it is a restrictive-housing facility, visiting is limited and may be conducted without contact. A second GDC prison — the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison (GDCP) — is also near Jackson in Butts County, so the inmate search confirms which facility holds a given person.

What Makes the Special Management Unit Different

It is the state’s highest-security restrictive-housing prison, holding men in the Tier III program and a specialized mental-health treatment unit.
Visits are limited and may be non-contact. Schedules and contact rules are set by the facility for each program.
It is a small facility, about 192 beds, opened in 2006.
It is about 50 miles south of Atlanta, off Interstate 75, and shares the Jackson area with the separate GDCP.

Visiting

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

The full approval process is in Visiting in Georgia.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Highway 36 west of Jackson, off the Interstate 75 corridor south of Atlanta.

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

Nearby Services

Jackson and nearby Griffin have the closest gas, food, and lodging; Atlanta, about 50 miles north, has the fullest range. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Wellstar Sylvan Grove Medical Center in Jackson; Wellstar Spalding Medical Center in Griffin is a larger hospital about 20 minutes west.

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.