MacDougall Correctional Institution is a medium- and minimum-security South Carolina state prison in Ridgeville, Dorchester County, operated directly by the South Carolina Department of Corrections since 1966. Unlike many SCDC institutions, MacDougall allows contact visitation. This guide covers the statewide inmate search, how to schedule a visit, sending money through GTL/TouchPay, phone calls, and mail rules. All data is verified from doc.sc.gov.
City
Ridgeville
County
Dorchester County
State
SC
Facility Type
state prison
Gender
Male
Custody Levels
Medium and Minimum, contact visitation
Operator
South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC)
Address
1516 Old Gilliard Road, Ridgeville, SC 29472
Phone
(843) 688-5251
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SCDC runs one statewide inmate search, not a separate tool per institution. Here's how to use it to confirm someone is at MacDougall.
View ArticleVisits are Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and allow a brief embrace, but must be scheduled ahead through GTL.
View ArticleDeposits fund the Cooper Trust Fund account. New Nov. 2025 rules require your Visitor ID Number on every money order.
View ArticleFlat 5.5 cents a minute statewide. The overnight curfew depends on custody classification.
View ArticleMail to 1516 Old Gilliard Road, Ridgeville, SC 29472. Books and magazines must come from an approved vendor.
View ArticleSouth Carolina runs one statewide inmate search, not a separate tool per facility. Search by name at doc.sc.gov/inmate-search-disclaimer, then confirm the listed location is MacDougall before you travel or send money.
See the full breakdownMacDougall is a contact-visitation institution, one of the few in the SCDC system where visitors and inmates can share a brief embrace and kiss at the start and end of a visit. Visits run Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in 2-hour blocks, scheduled ahead through GTL.
See the full breakdownDeposits go into the inmate's Cooper Trust Fund account through GTL/TouchPay Holdings LLC. As of Nov. 3, 2025, money orders must show the sender's name exactly as it appears on the visitor list plus a Visitor ID Number, or they get returned.
See the full breakdownPhone calls run through GTL/ConnectNetwork statewide at a flat 5.5 cents per minute. SCDC's overnight phone curfew applies to medium and close custody male inmates. Since MacDougall houses both medium and minimum custody inmates, whether the curfew applies depends on the individual's classification.
See the full breakdownMail goes to the inmate's legal name and SCDC number at 1516 Old Gilliard Road, Ridgeville, SC 29472. All mail is opened and inspected. Books and magazines must come from an approved vendor, paid in advance, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Packages go through Access Securepak.
See the full breakdown6 of 10 questions
Use South Carolina's statewide inmate search at doc.sc.gov/inmate-search-disclaimer. SCDC doesn't run a separate lookup tool for each institution, so search by name there and confirm the listed location says MacDougall.
Inmate SearchContact visitation. MacDougall is one of SCDC's contact-visit institutions, along with Allendale, Camille Graham, Evans, Goodman, Leath, Livesay, Manning, Palmer, Trenton, Tyger River, and Wateree River, meaning visitors and inmates can embrace and kiss briefly at the start and end of a visit.
VisitationSaturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., scheduled in 2-hour blocks through the GTL scheduler at scdoc.gtlvisitme.com/app. You cannot show up without a scheduled visit.
VisitationIt depends on custody classification. MacDougall houses both medium and minimum custody inmates, and SCDC's Oct. 27, 2025 curfew (no calls 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m.) applies to medium and close custody male inmates, not minimum custody. Ask which classification your loved one currently holds if you're unsure whether the curfew applies.
Phone CallsDeposits go into the inmate's Cooper Trust Fund account through GTL/TouchPay Holdings. You can pay online, through the app, by phone, by money order, or in cash at retail locations like Walmart and Kroger. Since Nov. 3, 2025, money orders must include your Visitor ID Number and your name must match the visitor list exactly.
Send MoneyMacDougall runs Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs in Carpentry, Masonry, and Auto Body Repair, plus on-the-job training certificates in more than 80 areas. Offenders can earn nationally recognized credentials through NCCER, ASE, and Department of Labor Apprenticeship programs.
AboutAddress letters to: [Inmate's Legal Name, SCDC Number], MacDougall Correctional Institution, 1516 Old Gilliard Road, Ridgeville, SC 29472. Include the living unit if you know it.
MailOnly from an approved vendor, paid for in advance with a receipt enclosed, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Magazine subscriptions must come directly from a verified subscription source, not a friend or family member mailing a copy.
MailMacDougall Correctional Institution is a medium- and minimum-security South Carolina state prison in Ridgeville, Dorchester County, operated directly by SCDC since 1966. It houses adult male offenders and offers contact visitation along with a notable slate of vocational trade certification programs.
AboutSCDC's own published documents show inconsistent capacity figures for MacDougall across different reports, ranging from roughly 670 to 704. Instead of publishing a single number that may not be accurate, this page notes the range. Call the facility if you need a precise current figure.
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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 ›