Minimum to maximum security (men) · State Prison · TDOC

West Tennessee State Penitentiary

Henning, Lauderdale County, Tennessee

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (731) 738-5044 Info last verified: June 2026

A minimum-to-maximum-security prison for men in Henning, in West Tennessee, on the same grounds as the Women's Therapeutic Residential Center.

Statewide rules that apply at every Tennessee state prison

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

Dress code

No spandex or transparent or translucent clothing; no sleeveless shirts or tops that expose the chest, midriff, or back; and no camouflage clothing or bandanas.
No flip-flops, shower shoes, or steel-toed shoes, and no excessive jewelry — dress in plain, modest clothing, since a visitor who arrives dressed out of code may be turned away.

ID: Every visitor, regardless of age, must have an approved visitor application on file before visiting — there is no walk-on visiting, and applications take about 30 days to process. Adult visitors must show a government-issued photo ID.
What to bring: Bring only a photo ID and your car keys or key fob inside — phones, wallets, purses, and smart watches stay in the vehicle. Baby items (diapers and sealed formula or food) are allowed in a clear plastic bag. Money for the person is sent only through JPay or ViaPath, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Each prison sets its own visiting days, hours, and limits, and visits are arranged with the specific facility — Tennessee has no statewide online visit scheduler — so confirm the schedule before traveling. A newly sentenced person is held at a reception center (Bledsoe County for men, the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center for women) until classification, then transfers to a permanent prison.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Tennessee

Overview

West Tennessee State Penitentiary, on Green Chapel Road in Henning, is a prison for men in West Tennessee, across minimum to maximum security. It holds about 980 men and opened in 1999, when it was the West Tennessee High Security Facility. The prison shares its grounds, street address, and main phone number with the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center, a separate women’s prison, so the person’s specific prison should be confirmed on the locator before traveling.

What Makes West Tennessee State Penitentiary Different

It shares its grounds, street address, and main phone number with the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center, a separate women’s prison — confirm which of the two holds the person before traveling.
It spans minimum to maximum security for men.
It opened in 1999, formerly named the West Tennessee High Security Facility.
It is in Henning, in Lauderdale County, north of Memphis in West Tennessee.

Visiting

The statewide TDOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at West Tennessee State Penitentiary. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Tennessee.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Green Chapel Road in Henning, north of Memphis.

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

Nearby Services

The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Lauderdale Community Hospital in Ripley, about 10 miles away; Memphis hospitals are about 50 miles away.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the prison. Since November 2025, Tennessee routes incoming letters, cards, and photos to an off-site digital-mail center, where they are scanned and delivered to the person’s tablet; address them to [facility name], [person’s name], TDOC ID# [number], P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131, with “TDOC ID#” immediately before the number. Mail sent directly to the prison is returned. Legal mail still goes directly to the institution. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

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

Visiting in Tennessee — the approved list, dress code, and how visits are scheduled
Mail & Packages — the off-site digital-mail center and what still goes to the prison
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath calls, tablets, and facility video visits
Sending Money — depositing through JPay or ViaPath
Medical & Mental Health — sick call, the co-pay, and grievances
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, classification, and the locator

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.