Men (medium and maximum custody) · State Prison · DPS&C

David Wade Correctional Center

Homer, Claiborne County, Louisiana

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (318) 927-0400 Info last verified: June 2026

A men's state prison near Homer in Claiborne Parish, north Louisiana near the Arkansas line, holding medium and maximum custody and serving as a regional medical hub for the system's north.

Statewide rules that apply at every Louisiana state prison

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

Dress code

No denim or chambray, no gray, blue, or white sweatshirts, and no white t-shirts (these resemble inmate clothing); no camouflage or BDU-style clothing that resembles officer dress.
Undergarments required and not visible. Nothing transparent; no swimsuits, strapless, tube, halter, or tank tops, low-cut or midriff-baring tops, or spandex, Lycra, or leggings.
Skirts, shorts, and dresses no shorter than one inch above the knee, with no revealing slits or holes.
No house slippers, shower shoes, or flip-flops — footwear stays on. No hats or head coverings except for religious reasons; nothing gang-related or obscene.

ID: Bring a valid photo ID for every visitor 15 and older — a driver's license, state ID, military ID, or passport. (A statewide notice says 18 and older, but facility pages say 15, so bring ID for anyone 15 or older.)
What to bring: Leave wallets, purses, phones, and cash in your locked vehicle. Each prison allows limited items into the visit — at Angola, up to $300 cash per family and specified baby items; some prisons allow vending change and one debit card for the JPay kiosk.
Scheduling: The incarcerated person starts the application — the visitor mails or emails it to the facility (faxes are not accepted), and approval follows a background check. Each person keeps up to 10 approved visitors, changeable every four months; the approved-visitor list is usually not in place during the first 30 days of intake (though immediate family may be able to visit sooner); and two visits a month is the statewide norm.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Louisiana

Overview

David Wade Correctional Center, near Homer in Claiborne Parish, opened in 1980 as the first medium-security state prison in north Louisiana. It now holds men in medium and maximum custody — DPS&C reports that about 48% of the population is maximum custody — and lists an operational capacity of 1,244, though it does not publish a current count. The prison plays a regional medical role for the north of the state, including operating a secure prison ward at University Health in Monroe. Statewide male intake is handled at Elayn Hunt, not here.

What Makes David Wade Different

Nearly half the prison is maximum custody, so visit conditions and access depend heavily on a person’s housing assignment.
The visiting day has two interruptions — a count break from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m., and no new visit after 3:00 p.m. even though the room is open until 4:00.
It is a regional medical hub, overseeing care in the area and running a secure hospital ward at University Health in Monroe.
It is remote, in Claiborne Parish near the Arkansas line, about an hour northeast of Shreveport.

Visiting

The statewide DPS&C rules above — the approved-list application, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at David Wade.

Deposits to a person’s account are made at the JPay kiosk in the visitor processing area, and a card may be used for food in the visiting room. The full approval process is in Visiting in Louisiana.

Getting There and Parking

David Wade is on Bell Hill Road off Highway 520, reached via U.S. Highway 79 near Homer.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. DPS&C publishes no specific visitor parking details for the facility.

Nearby Services

Homer is small; the nearest fuller range of food, gas, and lodging is in Minden and Shreveport to the west. Claiborne Memorial Medical Center at 620 East College Street in Homer is the hospital nearest the prison; confirm current emergency-room hours by phone, as small rural hospitals’ ER availability can change.

A Note on History

David Wade has been the subject of federal litigation — Tellis v. LeBlanc, brought by Disability Rights Louisiana and the ACLU of Louisiana — over conditions in its restrictive (“extended lockdown”) housing and its mental-health care. In 2022, a federal judge found certain conditions on those units unconstitutional and in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and in 2024 the court placed the facility’s solitary-confinement and mental-health practices under federal oversight. This is documented in the sources cited above.

Learn More

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

Visiting in Louisiana — the application, dress code, and search rules
Mail & Packages — letters only, addressed with the DOC number
Phone & Video Calls — the Securus and JPay systems
Sending Money — depositing to a spending account
Medical & Mental Health — healthcare and raising a concern
Transfers — intake, parish jails, and finding someone

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.