Difference Between South Carolina Prison and Federal Prison
What is the Difference Between Federal Prison and South Carolina State Prison?
The South Carolina Prison system is one of the many state prison systems in the United States of America. The most noticeable difference between this type of prison and federal prison is jurisdictional. All state prisons in South Carolina operate under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. However, federal prisons operate under the authority of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Like many other federal departments, the Federal Bureau of Prisons operates with funds passed down directly from the federal government. Usually, these funds are sufficient to take care of the inmates in federal prisons. It is not the same for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, which operates with funds from the South Carolina state government, mainly tax. Consequently, state prisons running on money generated from tax cannot afford the comfort that federal prisons extend to inmates.
Another essential detail distinguishing the South Carolina prison from federal prisons is the geographical range in which the inmate can serve a sentence. An inmate incarcerated in the South Carolina prison system cannot spend any part of that sentence outside the state of South Carolina. Inmates can move from one state prison to another, but not from the state. An inmate incarcerated in a federal prison in one state can get a transfer to a federal prison in another state.
A convict incarcerated in federal prison must have been found guilty of committing a federal crime. For an individual to be incarcerated in any South Carolina prison, such an offender must have been found guilty of committing a state crime. These state crimes include manslaughter, arson, carjacking, murder, reckless homicide, kidnapping, and sexual misconduct.
Most inmates in South Carolina state prisons are guilty of a felony, as jails incarcerate misdemeanor offenders. Federal crimes fall under different categories, including crimes committed across numerous state borders. For example, murder is usually considered a state crime, but when an individual commits murder in more than one state, such an offense is a federal crime. Any crime perpetrated on federal property or involving a federal officer is considered a federal crime. Other crimes are piracy, identity theft, treason, drug trafficking, and counterfeiting.
The South Carolina Prison System
The South Carolina Department of Corrections coordinates the South Carolina prison system and oversees 21 state prisons, categorized based on security levels.
There are three security levels in the South Carolina prison system, ranging from Level 1 to Level 3. Level 1 branches into Level 1-A and Level 1-B. Level 1-A houses inmates who have less than 36 months' sentences left to serve, and thus, the security level is minimum. Level 1-B prisons are also minimum security prisons but have stricter security than Level 1-A facilities. These centers are for housing inmates with short-term sentences.
Level 2 facilities are medium-security prisons with single-fenced perimeters and electronic surveillance. Finally, Level 3 facilities are maximum-security prisons for inmates with violent or behavioral problems and have longer sentences to serve.
These prisoners do not have freedom of movement and are under close supervision. Male death row inmates in South Carolina are held at Kirkland Correctional Institution, while female death row inmates are housed at Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution.
Below are the 21 state correctional facilities in South Carolina:
Allendale Correctional Institution
1057 Revolutionary Trail
Fairfax, SC 29827
Phone: (803) 632-2561 or (803) 734-0653.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1151
Fairfax. SC 29827
Broad River Correctional Institution
4460 Broad River Rd
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-2234
Evans Correctional Institution
610 Highway 9 West
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Phone: (843) 479-4181 or (803) 896-4900
Graham (Camille Griffin) Correctional Institution
4450 Broad River Rd
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-8590
Goodman Correctional Institution
4556 Broad River Rd
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-8565
Kershaw Correctional Institution
4848 Goldmine Hwy
Kershaw, SC 29067
Phone: (803) 896-3300
Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center
4344 Broad River Rd
Columbia, SC 29210
Phone: (803) 896-1521
Leath Correctional Institution
2809 Airport Rd
Greenwood, SC 29649
Phone: (803) 896-1000 or (864) 229-570
Lee Correctional Institution
990 Wisacky Highway
Bishopville, SC 29010
Phone: (803) 428-2800 or (803) 896-2400
Lieber Correctional Institution
136 Wilborn Ave
P.O. Box 205
Ridgeville, SC 29472
Phone: (843) 875-3332 or (803) 896-3700
Livesay Correctional Institution
104 Broadcast Dr
Spartanburg, SC 29303
Phone: (803) 734-1375 or (864) 594-4915
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 580
Una, SC 29378
MacDougall Correctional Institution
1516 Old Gilliard Rd
Ridgeville, SC 29472
Phone: (843) 688-5251 or (803) 875-0880
Manning Correctional Institution
502 Beckman Dr
Columbia, SC 29203
Phone: (803) 935-6000
McCormick Correctional Institution
386 Redemption Way
McCormick, SC 29899
Phone: (864) 443-2114 or (803) 734-0330
Palmer Pre-Release Center
2012 Pisgah Rd
Florence, SC 29501
Phone: (843) 661-4770 or (803) 734-9487
Perry Correctional Institution
430 Oaklawn Rd
Pelzer, SC 29669
Phone: (864) 243-4700
Ridgeland Correctional Institution
5 Correctional Rd
Ridgeland, SC 29936
Phone: (803) 896-3200 or (843) 726-6888
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2039
Ridgeland, SC 29936
Trenton Correctional Institution
84 Greenhouse Rd
Trenton, SC 29847
Phone: (803) 896-3000 or (803) 278-0010 or (803) 275-3301
Turbeville Correctional Institution
1578 Clarence Coker Hwy
Tuberville, SC 29162
Phone: (843) 659-4800 or (803) 896-3100
Tyger River Correctional Institution
100-200 Prison Rd
Enoree, SC 29335
Phone: (803) 896-3501 or (803) 896-3601 or (864) 583-6056
Wateree River Correctional Institution
Highway 261
Rembert, SC 29128
Phone: (803) 432-6191 or (803) 896-3400
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 189
Rembert, SC 29128
According to the National Institute of Corrections, the South Carolina Department of Corrections had over 19,000 inmates under its jurisdiction, with almost 5,000 employees as of 2018. The department operated on a budget of $465 million that year.
Inmates in South Carolina prisons are not allowed to hold cash because the prisons operate a cashless policy. However, any individual who wishes to send money to an inmate in any prison can use GTL Financial Services. The deposit goes to the inmate's Cooper Trust Fund Account, through which the inmate can then make purchases using this card.
How to Lookup Inmates in South Carolina
Any individual who intends to locate a prisoner in federal prisons or any South Carolina prisons can use means made available by the offices overseeing such prisons. To find an inmate in federal prison, interested parties can use the Federal Bureau of Prison Inmate Locator tool. Requestors will be required to provide the inmate's first name, last name, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons' number to facilitate the search.
Inquirers can search for inmates in South Carolina prisons through the South Carolina Department of Corrections Inmate Search. The information needed is the inmate's first name, last name, and South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) number. There is also a provision to do a phonetic search for the inmate. South Carolina inmate records can also be obtained by querying the facility where the inmate is housed.
South Carolina County Jails
South Carolina county jails are short-term holding facilities, usually for misdemeanor offenders or persons awaiting trial or court verdicts.
The Sheriff's Office manages the jails in each county, and members of the public can access inmate information at the Sheriff's Office or city police. Sometimes, these law enforcement agencies have online repositories where requesters can obtain offenders' details. Greenville County, for example, has an online inmate search platform accessible to inquirers. Also, Horry County uses both daily bookings and releases and an online inmate locator. However, South Carolina does not give details of released offenders and violators on parole online.
How Does the Federal Prison System Work?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is responsible for managing federal prisons in the United States. Before assigning an offender into any facility, BOP will consider various factors such as the inmate's psychological and physical health and past criminal record. Federal prisons are operated at five levels of security;
- Minimum security
Minimum security institutions are Federal Prison Camps (FPCs), with minimal security level with practically little or no perimeter fencing. These types of prisons are for non-violent offenders without past criminal records. Inmates in minimum-security institutions can work and attend rehabilitation programs.
- Low security
Low-security facilities are Federal Correctional Institutions (FCIs) with well-secured perimeter fencing, work programs, and more staff than the prisoners than minimum-security institutions.
- Medium security
Like low-security facilities, medium-security prisons are likewise called federal correctional institutions (FCIs), which serve as the home for violent inmates. Part of the medium-security facility highlights is secured perimeter fencing with an electronic detection device, mandated treatment programs, and cell-based lodging.
- High security
High-security institutions can also be called United States Penitentiaries (USPs). The United States Penitentiaries (USPs) provide the highest security level among other federal prisons in the U.S. Convicts are firmly monitored by cameras and security guards, razor-wire walls, and watchtowers.
- Administrative
Administrative facilities are an exceptional class of prison designed for inmates with special considerations and needs.
They house inmates with serious or chronic illnesses or escape-prone prisoners. Admin facilities encompass metropolitan detention jail units and centers and as well as the supermax prison for dangerous and vicious inmates.
