James River Correctional Center

A medium- and minimum-security state prison for men in Jamestown, North Dakota, opened in 1998 on the State Hospital grounds; it includes the James River Minimum Unit (JRMU).

Overview

James River Correctional Center is a state prison for men operated by the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR). It is in Jamestown, the seat of Stutsman County, in southeastern North Dakota. The facility houses men in medium and minimum custody.

ND DOCR assigns custody level based on factors that include sentence length, time remaining, and conduct, and a resident’s custody level can change during incarceration. The custody class and housing unit held at a given prison affect visiting arrangements, so families confirm the arrangement that applies to the specific person before a first visit.

What Makes the James River Correctional Center Different

James River Correctional Center opened in 1998 and is located on the grounds of the North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown. It holds men in medium and minimum custody. The facility includes the James River Minimum Unit (JRMU) as a sub-unit; JRMU is part of James River Correctional Center rather than a separate prison, and it shares the facility’s address and main phone line. Newly sentenced men enter the North Dakota system at the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck, where reception and orientation take place, before classification and any assignment to James River.

Visiting

The statewide ND DOCR rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at the James River Correctional Center. The facility’s own arrangements:

Getting There and Parking

James River Correctional Center is at 2521 Circle Drive in Jamestown, in Stutsman County in southeastern North Dakota. Jamestown is along Interstate 94 between Bismarck to the west and Fargo to the east. The facility is on the North Dakota State Hospital grounds. The nearest large commercial airports are in the Bismarck and Fargo areas.

Parking is on site. Visitors confirm current entry procedures, the visitor-processing location, and what may be brought onto the grounds with the facility before arriving, because electronic devices and personal items are generally not permitted inside — visitors may typically bring only identification, a vehicle key, and a small amount of coins or small bills for vending machines.

Nearby Services

Jamestown has lodging, dining, and fuel, with additional options along the Interstate 94 corridor and a wider range in the Bismarck and Fargo areas. Emergency medical care is available locally, with larger hospitals in the Bismarck and Fargo areas. Visitors traveling a long distance generally find the most options for fuel, food, and overnight stays along Interstate 94.

Mail

North Dakota DOCR routes incoming personal mail through an off-site scanning vendor. Letters, cards, photos, and drawings sent to a resident are delivered to the Securus Digital Mail Center, where they are opened and scanned; the resident receives a digital copy on their Securus tablet (the “player”) rather than the original paper. Address personal mail with the resident’s full committed name and ID number at:

Resident’s Full Name and ID Number James River Correctional Center 2521 Circle Drive Jamestown, ND 58401

Legal mail, court and agency correspondence, documents requiring a signature, and visitation applications are not scanned — they go directly to the facility. Publications must be new and shipped directly from an approved publisher or vendor. Confirm the current mailing address and any package rules with the facility before sending anything, because mail-handling vendors and addresses change.

Learn More

• Visiting in North Dakota — Approved visitor list, scheduling with each facility, dress code, ID, and what you can bring.
• Mail in North Dakota — How North Dakota scans personal mail, the addressing format, and how legal mail and publications are handled.
• Phone & Video in North Dakota — Setting up Securus phone calls and video visits, and how messaging works.
• Sending Money in North Dakota — Using JPay to add money to a resident’s trust account, by mail, online, app, or MoneyGram.
• Medical Care in North Dakota — How health care, intake screening, and requests for care work in ND DOCR facilities.
• Transfers & Intake in North Dakota — Where newly sentenced people enter the system, reception and orientation, and how transfers happen.