Wabash Valley Correctional Facility - History

History

The Wabash Valley Correctional Facility was established in 1992. Designed by Woollen, Molzan and Partners, construction of Wabash Valley Correctional Facility began on October 29, 1990. A 530-acre (2.1 km2) site north of Carlisle, Indiana was selected for the new prison because of the area’s low costs and access to U.S. 41. Wabash Valley Correctional Facility received its first group of 20 inmates on December 11, 1992. Although they were all low-medium-security prisoners, they were held in the prison’s super-maximum security section (SHU), because it was the only finished part at the time.

The Wabash Valley Correctional Facility had four security levels, divided into four sub-facilities. These facilities are divided by “internal zone” fences. The maximum security section was divided into four housing units that each have 88 two-man cells. The D-Unit, which was part of the maximum security level, was the administrative segregation/protective custody area. It has 15 cells. The high-medium-security section, consisting of five housing units, holds two inmates to a cell except for the K-Unit, which holds offenders in single cells. The K-Unit is a treatment center for inmates. The minimum-security section, which is outside the fence, was originally intended to house 120 inmates, but currently holds approximately 200 inmates.

Two chain-linked fences surround the prison. The inner fence has razor ribbon on the bottom, center, and top of the fence, and the outer fence has razor ribbon on the top. Between the fences there are intrusion alarm and microwave detection systems. Two armed vehicles guard the perimeter, and there are seven armed towers.