Close, medium, and special management (men) · State Prison · Maine DOC

Maine State Prison

Warren, Knox County, Maine

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (207) 273-5526 Info last verified: June 2026

Maine's prison for men at higher custody levels, in Warren on the midcoast — the system's overflow reception point, home to the Intensive Mental Health Unit, and the namesake of the Maine State Prison Showroom, which sells resident-made goods to the public.

Statewide rules that apply at every Maine DOC facility

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

Dress code

Undergarments required and not visible. Nothing see-through, low-cut, tight, or revealing — no tank, halter, tube, sleeveless, or crop tops, bare midriffs, or exposed cleavage.
Skirts, dresses, and shorts must reach the knee, with no slit more than two inches above it.
No hats, headbands, hoods, or hooded sweatshirts, and no outdoor jackets in the visiting room. The Windham facilities also bar zippered shirts.
No leggings, spandex, yoga pants, or gym shorts, and nothing resembling resident or staff clothing; closed-toe shoes required. Each facility posts its own list, so check before traveling.

ID: Adults present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. A visitor under 18 brings a government photo ID or a certified copy of their birth certificate.
What to bring: Nothing goes into the visiting room — wallets, phones, and bags stay in a locker or the vehicle. Medication stays in the car except emergency items (nitroglycerin, an inhaler, an epi-pen). The Southern Maine Women's Reentry Center is an exception, allowing some outside food.
Scheduling: Each visitor applies and clears a background check (run by the State Bureau of Identification; allow up to six weeks), and the resident is told when someone is approved. Visits are by appointment only — request at least two business days ahead — with up to three visitors at a time and no walk-ins.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Maine

Overview

The Maine State Prison is the state’s prison for men at higher custody levels, holding close, medium, and special-management custody. It opened at its current site in Warren in 2002, replacing the historic prison in Thomaston that had operated since 1824. The prison includes the Intensive Mental Health Unit for residents with acute psychiatric needs, and it serves as the reception point for the few men who cannot be received at the Maine Correctional Center. Maine has no death penalty — abolished in 1887 — so there is no death row here. Programming includes education, college courses through the University of Maine at Augusta, vocational training, and substance-use and mental-health treatment.

What Makes the Maine State Prison Different

The Showroom. The Maine State Prison Showroom at 358 Main Street (U.S. Route 1) in Thomaston is a public store selling furniture, woodcraft, and other goods made by residents — a long-running, publicly visited program distinct to this prison.
It is the higher-custody men’s prison. Close and special-management custody, and the Intensive Mental Health Unit, are here.
Midcoast location. Set in coastal Knox County near Rockland, it is a significant drive from southern Maine — roughly 1 hour 50 minutes from Portland, but closer to Augusta.

Visiting

The statewide Maine DOC rules above — the application and background check, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at the Maine State Prison. The facility’s own schedule:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Maine.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Cushing Road in Warren, off Route 1 near Thomaston and Rockland.

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

Nearby Services

Rockland and Thomaston, about 10 to 15 minutes away, have gas, food, and lodging, with Rockland the largest nearby hub. MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital at 6 Glen Cove Drive in Rockport runs a 24/7 emergency room — about 12 to 15 miles from the prison.

Mail

First-class letters and packages for the Maine State Prison both go to 807 Cushing Road, Warren, ME 04864-4600, with the resident’s name and MDOC number — the prison is the rare Maine facility where the letter and package addresses are the same. Full rules, including legal mail, are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

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

Visiting in Maine — the application, dress code, and search rules
Mail & Packages — the Warren letter address and what can be sent
Phone & Video Calls — the phone system, free options, and tablets
Sending Money — the two accounts and the deposit portal
Medical & Mental Health — health care, co-pays, and raising a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — intake, county jails, and the resident search

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.