Kershaw Correctional Institution Overview
Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center is listed by the South Carolina Department of Corrections institutions page as a medium custody male prison. SCDC identifies the facility as Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center, or Kershaw CI, and places it in the state prison system. The facility is not run by Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and is not searched through the Lancaster County Detention Center roster.
The prison serves sentenced male prisoners in SCDC custody. That distinction matters for families after a Lancaster County arrest. A person may appear first on the county jail roster while awaiting court action, bond, or sentencing. After conviction and SCDC assignment, the person may disappear from the county jail search and appear in the statewide SCDC incarcerated inmate search.
SCDC's Kershaw listing gives the warden as Tonya James, the opening year as 1997, and the custody level as Medium (Male). The listing also describes education, vocational training, health care, prison programs, and community service functions. It did not publish a current population count or rated capacity in the inspected facility block.
The "Reentry Center" part of the name is important because SCDC lists several programs and community-service functions at the institution. Those details do not change the lookup channel. They do help explain why the facility appears in Lancaster County searches even though its records, visitation, mail, and money rules are controlled by the state corrections department.
Kershaw Prison Capacity Notes
Capacity and population figures for Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center were not located on the official SCDC facility block inspected for this project. The research therefore treats capacity, average population, housing-unit counts, and Lancaster County-specific state-prison totals as not published in the captured sources. The page should not infer a bed count from the facility name, custody level, or program list.
The public SCDC locator returns individual sentenced-prisoner records, including fields such as thumbnail photo, name, SCDC ID, sex, race, height, weight, and age. Those fields help confirm one person's custody, but they do not create an aggregate population table for Kershaw CI. For jail population data, use the Lancaster County Detention Center roster snapshot. For state prison custody, use SCDC records and agency reports.
A Lancaster County case can touch both systems over time. The county jail record helps with arrest, booking, local bond, and first custody status. The Kershaw CI record helps after SCDC assignment, when the person is part of the state prison population rather than the county jail population.
Lookup Kershaw Prison Inmates
The correct lookup tool for Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center is the SCDC incarcerated inmate search. It is for South Carolina state prisoners, including people transferred from county jail after sentencing. It should not be confused with the Lancaster County jail roster, which covers local jail custody before transfer or release.
- Open the SCDC incarcerated inmate search in a modern browser.
- Search by SCDC ID or SID when that number is known, or use first and last name for a biographic search.
- Use phonetic match when spelling is uncertain, then compare age, race, sex, and other returned fields.
- Open the matching profile and confirm whether the listed institution is Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center.
- If no SCDC record appears, check the county jail roster, BOP locator, ICE locator, or court records based on the case path.
SCDC search fields captured from the application include SCDC ID, SID, First Name, Last Name, and Phonetic Match. The app validates numeric SCDC ID entries and requires at least one search criterion. Results are state-prison records, so jail charges, county bond hearing times, and Lancaster jail mail rules do not apply to people housed at Kershaw CI.
If a name search returns several people, compare each result with court records, age, sex, race, and known custody facts before assuming a match. SCDC profiles are person-level prison records, while court and county jail records may use case numbers, warrants, booking numbers, or charge text from an earlier stage of the same criminal case.
The manifest includes a screenshot of the SCDC inmate search application used for sentenced prisoner lookup.
The SCDC search is the proper path when a Lancaster County defendant has moved from jail custody into state prison custody.
Kershaw Correctional Contact
Contact Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center for facility-specific prison questions, but use SCDC's online search for public inmate lookup. Family services, visitation, money, telephone, packages, classification, and medical concern pathways are governed by SCDC rules rather than Lancaster County jail procedures.
Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center
4848 Gold Mine Highway
Kershaw, SC 29067
(803) 896-3300
SCDC medium custody male prison; facility-specific hours not published in the captured block.
South Carolina Department of Corrections
Statewide correctional agency
South Carolina
Medical concerns: (803) 896-8547
Email listed by SCDC family page: MedicalConcerns@doc.sc.gov.
Kershaw Prison Visitation
Kershaw CI visitation follows SCDC family rules. State prison visits generally require approval and scheduling under department procedures. The research did not capture a Kershaw-specific public weekly visiting calendar, so the safest public rule is to use SCDC's family services instructions and confirm the current schedule with the facility before travel.
| Visit channel | Schedule or access | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prison visitation | SCDC approval and scheduling rules | Use the SCDC family page and facility confirmation. |
| Phone contact | SCDC inmate phone rules | Calls may use prepaid accounts and are monitored except qualifying attorney calls. |
| Medical concerns | SCDC family medical contact path | MedicalConcerns@doc.sc.gov and (803) 896-8547 were listed. |
| Release notices | VINELink South Carolina | Use for victim/offender notification when available. |
Beginning October 27, 2025, SCDC family information states phone system hours for medium and close custody male inmates operate from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with exceptions requested through the warden's office. Current phone access should still be verified through SCDC because prison communications rules can change.
Kershaw Prison Mail and Money
Mail, money, phone, packages, and classification issues at Kershaw CI follow SCDC family rules. The Lancaster County Detention Center Phoenix mail address, JailPackStore deposit option, City Tele Coin video visit path, and county bond hearing schedule do not apply to Kershaw state prisoners. Use the state family services page and the facility's current instructions.
| Service | Provider or detail | Rule for Kershaw CI |
|---|---|---|
| SCDC family mail rules | Use SCDC format and facility guidance, not county jail mail. | |
| Money and packages | SCDC approved vendors and package rules | Package programs can be quarterly and date-specific. |
| Phone | ConnectNetwork/GTL/ViaPath references on SCDC family page | Prepaid accounts may be required for cell-phone calls. |
| Classification | SCDC behavior and points-based system | SCDC family page notes a February 2020 classification change. |
The manifest includes a screenshot of the SCDC family services page covering visitation, mail, money, phone, packages, classification, and related family information.
That state family page is the better source for Kershaw questions because Kershaw is part of SCDC, not a Lancaster County jail unit.
Kershaw State Prison Intake
Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center does not perform street-arrest booking for Lancaster County. A person reaches SCDC custody after court proceedings, sentencing, transfer, and prison assignment. Intake in this context is prison reception and classification, not the county jail booking process that creates a jail booking number, local mugshot, and bond hearing schedule.
SCDC profiles should be read as sentenced-prisoner records. A profile may show identity and custody fields but will not function like a Lancaster jail booking sheet. Court records, sentencing orders, solicitor filings, and county jail records may still be needed to understand the arrest, charge history, conviction, or transfer date.
This also affects family tasks. A county jail detainee may need a detainee ID for mail and may have local bond questions. A Kershaw CI prisoner is handled through SCDC visitation approval, prison phone account rules, SCDC package policy, and state classification processes.
About Kershaw Correctional
SCDC's institution listing gives Kershaw CI several local details that separate it from a simple prison address entry. Education programs include GED Preparation and Work Keys. Vocational training includes Carpentry, Upholstery, Brick Masonry, and Small Engine Repair. Health care is listed as routine medical and dental care on site with 24-hour emergency care available.
Program details include Prison Fellowship, Jumpstart, Peer Support, Prison Industries, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Religious Education, a Character Based Unit, and Anger Management classes. SCDC also states that Kershaw serves as a video-conferencing site for parole hearings with the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services and provides Operation Behind Bars for at-risk youth and adults.
The manifest includes a screenshot of the SCDC institutions page showing the Kershaw Correctional Institution and Reentry Center listing.
The listing supports the key facility facts: Kershaw is a medium male SCDC prison with reentry, education, vocational, health, and community service details.
Note: Confirm custody, approval status, visit scheduling, and mail rules through SCDC before traveling or sending funds.