Medium security (men) · Correctional Center · WV DCR

Saint Marys Correctional Center

St. Marys, Pleasants County, West Virginia

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (304) 684-5500 Info last verified: June 2026

A medium-security men's prison near St. Marys in Pleasants County — one of the larger in the state by population — with a flat, wheelchair-accessible campus oriented toward aging and medical-needs men.

Statewide rules that apply at every West Virginia state prison

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

Dress code

West Virginia does not ban any clothing color for visitors, but dress must be modest: female visitors must wear a bra (underwire is not allowed because it will not clear the metal detector), and male visitors must wear a shirt.
No shorts, sleeveless tops, or tight, sheer, see-through, low-cut, or midriff-baring clothing, and no hats or head coverings.
No steel- or composite-toe shoes; jewelry is limited to a wedding ring (no watches), and anything with metal or metallic beads may not clear the detector.
Undergarments are required, and the shift commander has the final say on whether an outfit is appropriate.

ID: Every visitor must be on the inmate's approved list first — the inmate mails the visitor an Application to Visit, which is approved after a background check; an inmate may have up to six approved adult visitors. Each adult brings a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID — not a Social Security or printable card). A minor needs a birth certificate and, if not with a parent or guardian, a notarized Juvenile Visitation Form.
What to bring: Almost nothing comes into the visit room — no phones, purses, bags, or tobacco; secure them in your vehicle or a lobby locker. There is no visitor vending and no food or drink in the visiting area. A parent may bring limited baby items (one clear bottle, a few diapers, a carrier).
Scheduling: At the state prisons, visits are on Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and the incarcerated person schedules them in advance — there is no walk-in visiting and no public online booking, so confirm the facility's specific times. Prison visits are contact visits; the regional jails, by contrast, are non-contact.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in West Virginia

Overview

Saint Marys Correctional Center, near St. Marys on the Ohio River, is a medium-security men’s prison and one of the larger by population, holding about 640 men (FY2024). People placed here are generally more than five years from parole or discharge. Its defining feature is its orientation toward aging, medical-needs, and mobility-impaired men: the campus is flat and wheelchair-accessible, with an on-site medical area and a unit designated for aging offenders. The site was originally the West Virginia Training School, later the Colin Anderson Center, a state institution for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; it closed in 1998 and was converted to a prison that year. West Virginia has no death penalty, so there is no death row.

What Makes Saint Marys Different

It is oriented toward aging and medical-needs men, with a flat, wheelchair-accessible campus, an on-site medical area, and a unit designated for aging offenders.
It holds men who are generally more than five years from release, unlike the state’s pre-release prisons.
It is one of West Virginia’s larger prisons by population.
It occupies the former Colin Anderson Center, a state institution that closed in 1998.

Visiting

The statewide WV DCR rules above — the approved list, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at Saint Marys.

The full approval process is in Visiting in West Virginia.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on North Pleasants Highway (WV Route 2) about three miles north of St. Marys, along the Ohio River.

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

Nearby Services

St. Marys has limited services and an urgent-care clinic, but not a 24/7 emergency room. The nearest 24/7 emergency room is Sistersville General Hospital, in the next town north on Route 2; a larger emergency room is at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg, to the south.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the prison. Since 2023, West Virginia routes personal letters to an off-site scanning center in Maryland, addressed with the person’s name and OID number; the person receives the mail as images on a tablet, and photos must be sent through the tablet rather than mailed. Legal mail, books, and magazines go to the facility. Full addressing details are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

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

Visiting in West Virginia — the approved list, dress code, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the Maryland scanning address and the OID number
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath/GettingOut calls, messaging, and video
Sending Money — ConnectNetwork and the trustee account
Medical & Mental Health — co-pays and how to raise a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — prison vs. regional jail and the split 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.