Maximum security (men) — in transition; population transferred out in 2025 · State Prison · Illinois DOC

Stateville Correctional Center

Crest Hill, Will County, Illinois

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (815) 727-3607 Info last verified: June 2026

A historic maximum-security men's prison near Joliet, now in major transition — its population was transferred out in early 2025 and the State plans to replace it, while the reception center on the same campus continues to operate.

Statewide rules that apply at every Illinois state prison

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

Dress code

Clothing must be in good taste — nothing gang-related, sexually explicit, or offensive, and nothing that resembles what incarcerated people or staff wear.
Each prison sets its own visiting dress and item rules, so confirm the specific facility's rules before traveling, since a visitor who is dressed out of code can be turned away.

ID: Every visitor must be on the incarcerated person's approved visitor list, which the person arranges from inside — staff cannot tell you whether you are on a list. Adult visitors bring two forms of identification, one a state-issued photo ID, along with vehicle information.
What to bring: Bring only what the facility allows — phones, tablets, smartwatches, bags, purses, food, drink, books, and currency are not permitted in the visiting room (lockers are provided); generally only labeled prescribed heart medication or an asthma inhaler may be carried in. Money for the person's account is sent through a deposit vendor, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: In-person visits are scheduled online through SignUpGenius (the IDOC visitation scheduler); days, hours, and whether a visit is contact or non-contact vary by facility and the person's status, so confirm with the specific prison. A newly committed person is processed at a reception and classification center first — the Northern Reception and Classification Center for men, Logan for women — before transfer.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Illinois

Overview

Stateville Correctional Center, near Joliet, opened in 1925 and operated for about a century as one of Illinois’s principal maximum-security prisons for men. Following a federal court order tied to the deteriorating physical plant, the prison’s population was transferred to other facilities, with the last men moved out in March 2025. The State has announced a plan (RISE IDOC) to build replacement facilities — a new men’s prison and a new women’s prison — at the Crest Hill site, funded at about $900 million, with the project still in its early procurement stage. The Northern Reception and Classification Center, on the same campus, continues to operate as the statewide intake center for men.

What Makes Stateville Different

Its maximum-security prison closed in early 2025, and people held there were transferred to other prisons.
The reception center (NRC) on the campus still operates, so the campus is partly active even though the prison is not.
The State plans to replace it with new facilities at the Crest Hill site (the RISE IDOC project).
Confirm the person’s current facility first, because a record that once showed Stateville has very likely changed.

Visiting

The statewide IDOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply across Illinois prisons. Stateville’s own situation:

The full visitor process is in Visiting in Illinois.

Getting There and Parking

The campus is on South Broadway Street near Joliet, in Crest Hill, southwest of Chicago.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Confirm the person’s current facility before traveling, since the prison’s population has been transferred out.

Nearby Services

The Joliet area has the full range of gas, food, and lodging, with more throughout the southwest Chicago metro. The nearest 24-hour emergency rooms are in the Joliet area.

Mail

Illinois changed how it handles incoming personal mail in 2025, and the change became permanent in January 2026. Personal letters and photos sent to a facility are opened and scanned, and the incarcerated person receives a digital copy on their ICSolutions tablet (a free printed copy is available on request) rather than the original. Address mail with the person’s name and IDOC number, and confirm the current mailing address and format with IDOC and the person’s current facility before sending. Legal mail is handled separately under privileged-mail rules, and publications (books, magazines) must come directly from a publisher, book club, or bookstore. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in an Illinois state prison:

Visiting in Illinois — the approved visitor list, dress code, and SignUpGenius scheduling
Mail & Packages — the 2025 mail-scanning change and what still goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ICSolutions calls, tablets, and video visits
Sending Money — depositing to the person’s trust account
Medical & Mental Health — sick call, no co-pay, and oversight
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, finding someone, and recent facility changes

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.