Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center is where every adult male sentenced to 91 days or more in South Carolina starts his sentence. SCDC classifies, screens, and assigns roughly 8,000 men a year here before transferring them to a permanent institution. This guide covers why someone might not be visitation-eligible yet, how the classification timeline works, sending money, and phone calls. All data is verified from doc.sc.gov.
City
Columbia
County
Richland County
State
SC
Facility Type
state prison
Gender
Male
Custody Levels
Close security, intake and classification, non-contact visitation
Operator
South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC)
Address
4344 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210
Phone
(803) 896-1521
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View ArticleNo visits are allowed until 30 days in, and only certain family relations qualify after that.
View ArticleFund the Cooper Trust Fund account the same way as any SCDC institution.
View ArticleFlat 5.5 cents a minute, with a 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. window for this close-security facility.
View ArticleLetters go through, but photos wait until after intake.
View ArticleSearch South Carolina's statewide inmate database at doc.sc.gov/inmate-search-disclaimer. If the result shows Kirkland as the location, classification isn't finished yet. That's normal, not an error, for anyone recently sentenced.
See the full breakdownNo in-person visitors are allowed during the reception and evaluation process unless the inmate has been at Kirkland more than 30 days, and even then only parents, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, spouses, and children qualify. Call (803) 896-2000, Monday and Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon, to check eligibility.
See the full breakdownDeposits fund the Cooper Trust Fund account through GTL/TouchPay Holdings LLC, the same statewide system used everywhere in SCDC: online, app, phone, money order, or retail cash walk-in.
See the full breakdownCalls run through GTL/ConnectNetwork at a flat 5.5 cents per minute. Kirkland is a close-security facility, so phone access runs 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. only, under a rule that took effect Oct. 27, 2025.
See the full breakdownLetters can go through during the reception and evaluation period, but photos cannot: inmates housed in R&E cannot receive photos at all, regardless of quantity. That changes once they're transferred to a permanent institution.
See the full breakdown6 of 12 questions
Kirkland is the intake point for every adult male sentenced to 91 days or more in South Carolina. SCDC's classification staff assess, screen, and assign around 8,000 men a year here before they move to their permanent institution.
AboutEveryone passes through Kirkland first. SCDC's stated goal is to complete classification within 45 days, though medical evaluations or bedspace can extend it. Until that's done, they're at Kirkland, not their eventual permanent institution.
AboutSCDC's policy sets a goal of 45 days to complete all required assessments, medical, mental health, and classification. Delays can extend it. Mental health screening specifically is required to be completed within 30 days.
AboutNo. Inmates are not allowed in-person visitors during the reception and evaluation process unless they've been at Kirkland more than 30 days, and even then, only a limited group of relations qualifies.
VisitationOnly parents (including stepparents), grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, spouses, and children (including stepchildren). Other relations and friends cannot visit during the R&E period even after 30 days.
VisitationCall Kirkland R&E directly at (803) 896-2000, Monday and Tuesday between 8 a.m. and noon only.
VisitationNon-contact. Once someone becomes visitation-eligible at Kirkland, visits happen through plexiglass, the same as at Broad River, Kershaw, Lee, Lieber, McCormick, Perry, Ridgeland, and Turbeville.
VisitationDeposits go into their Cooper Trust Fund account through GTL/TouchPay Holdings, the same statewide system used at every SCDC institution: online, app, phone, money order, or retail cash walk-in.
Sending CommissarySCDC uses GTL/ConnectNetwork statewide at 5.5 cents per minute. Because Kirkland is a close-security facility, phone access runs 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. only, per a rule that took effect Oct. 27, 2025.
Phone CallsNo. Inmates in Reception and Evaluation cannot receive photos, regardless of how many you send. This changes once they've transferred to their permanent institution.
Mail & LettersOnce classification is complete, SCDC assigns them to a permanent institution. Check the inmate search periodically; the listed location updates once the transfer happens.
AboutThere's no Kirkland-specific careers page. It falls under SCDC's Close Security pay tier on the general employment portal at doc.sc.gov/employment.
AboutSearch for your loved one and start sending photos, letters, and messages today.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 9, 2026. Official source: doc.sc.gov/institutions ›