Men, reception/intake and maximum custody · Reception Center · NDCS

Reception and Treatment Center

Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (402) 471-2861 Info last verified: June 2026

Nebraska's reception and intake center for newly sentenced men, in Lincoln — formed in 2022 by merging the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) and the Lincoln Correctional Center, and now the system's main healthcare site.

Statewide rules that apply at every Nebraska state prison

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

Dress code

Open-toe shoes are allowed, but footwear must be in good repair and worn at all times.
Undergarments are required — for women, one bra and one pair of underwear; for men, one pair of underwear — and no multiple layers.
Shorts, skirts, and dresses must reach at or below the knee when standing; shirts and dresses must cover the shoulders, with no visible cleavage and no low-cut back.
No tight, see-through, or revealing clothing, and nothing with profane or offensive words or images.
You may not wear khaki pants and a khaki shirt at the same time — that resembles what incarcerated people wear.
No hats, headbands, hoods, or outerwear (clergy may wear religious headwear), and no watches or fitness trackers; a lightweight jacket or sweater is allowed only if it has no pockets.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the incarcerated person's list first — the person mails out a Visitation Request Form. Adults and visitors 16 and older show a government photo ID at every visit; minors 18 and under bring a birth certificate to the first visit and must be with an approved adult 19 or older.
What to bring: Lock everything in your vehicle or a facility locker — only a photo ID, up to $20 in coins per visitor for vending (where allowed), prescription glasses, and limited infant items in a clear bag are permitted. Phones, smartwatches, and other electronics are barred, and bringing one in is a crime.
Scheduling: After approval, schedule online at corrections.nebraska.gov (the facility's "Schedule a Visit" page) at least 7 days ahead and up to 4 weeks out; each facility sets and posts its own visiting days and hours.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Nebraska

Overview

The Reception and Treatment Center, in southwest Lincoln, is where every man sentenced to prison in Nebraska is received and evaluated. New arrivals go through intake and classification — medical and mental-health screening, custody scoring, and program assessment — which historically takes about 30 days before a man is assigned to a long-term facility. RTC also holds a maximum-custody general population and serves as the system’s healthcare hub, with skilled-nursing and behavioral-health units and on-site dental, optometry, lab, and x-ray. It was formed on May 18, 2022, by merging the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) and the adjacent Lincoln Correctional Center (LCC), which had shared the same campus.

What Makes RTC Different

It is the statewide reception and intake center for men — the first facility a newly sentenced man enters.
It carries two former names. Many records, court papers, and the inmate mailing address still reference the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC); that is now part of RTC.
It is the system’s healthcare hub, with skilled-nursing and behavioral-health units.
Visiting cannot begin until a visitor is approved, which usually means there is a gap of several weeks after a man first arrives.

Visiting

The statewide NDCS rules above — the approved list, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at RTC.

The full approval process is in Visiting in Nebraska.

Getting There and Parking

The facility is on West Van Dorn Street in southwest Lincoln.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing.

Nearby Services

Lincoln has food, gas, and lodging throughout the city. The nearest 24/7 emergency rooms are CHI Health St. Elizabeth and Bryan Medical Center, both in Lincoln.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the facility. Nebraska scans incoming personal letters, cards, and photos through an off-site vendor (TextBehind, Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131); the person reads them as images on a ViaPath tablet or receives photocopies. Money, books, publications, and legal mail go to the facility’s own address — P.O. Box 22800, Lincoln, NE 68542-2800 (this box may still be labeled “DEC”). At RTC, privileged legal mail is photocopied in front of the person and the originals shredded. Full addressing details are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

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

Visiting in Nebraska — the approved list, dress code, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the Maryland scanning address and what goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ConnectNetwork calls, tablets, and video visits
Sending Money — ConnectNetwork and the trust account
Medical & Mental Health — co-pays, care, and how to raise a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — the locator, reception, and notifications

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.