Lakin Correctional Center and Jail (LCC) is the only women's prison in West Virginia. It sits on Ohio River Road in West Columbia, six miles north of Point Pleasant in Mason County, and holds up to 543 women. Every woman serving a West Virginia state prison sentence is here, because there is nowhere else in the state system for her to go. Lakin also runs a jail unit, which is why some women show up in one state database and not the other.
City
West Columbia
County
Mason County
State
WV
Facility Type
state prison + county jail
Gender
Female
Capacity
543
Operator
West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR)
Address
11264 Ohio River Road, West Columbia, WV 25287
Phone
(304) 674-2440
Inmate Locator
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No. “Camp Cupcake” is a nickname the press gave FPC Alderson, a federal prison camp for women in the southern part of West Virginia, after Martha Stewart served five months there in 2004.
The two get mixed up because West Virginia has two women’s facilities, but they are separate systems and the difference matters for finding someone:
If you are not sure which one she is in, the fastest tell is who sentenced her. A state court means Lakin. A federal court means Alderson or another BOP facility.
Mailing Address
[Inmate Full Legal Name, OID Number]
Lakin Correctional Center and Jail
PO Box 336
Phoenix, MD 21131
Visitor application, background check, and why approval isn't guaranteed even after clearance.
View ArticleJailATM, JPay, money orders, and what to do when a deposit doesn't go through.
View ArticleWV OIS search, jail vs. prison databases, and what to do when she's not showing up.
View ArticleLakin offers in-person visits Saturday and Sunday (9 AM – 3 PM) and video visits Wednesday and Sunday (8 AM – 6 PM) through ConnectNetwork. Every visitor needs prior approval via background check. Children's visits require extra documentation, notarized permission if someone other than a parent transports the child.
See the full breakdownMail goes to: [Full Name and OID Number], Lakin Correctional Center and Jail, PO Box 336, Phoenix, MD 21131. West Virginia scans incoming letters at a central facility in Maryland and delivers them electronically, so anything mailed to 11264 Ohio River Road will not reach her. Write the full facility name with no abbreviations, use your full first and last name as the return address, and send one person per envelope. Photos are not allowed, and an envelope containing one is returned to you.
See the full breakdownDeposit through JailATM or JPay after confirming active vendors with the facility at (304) 674-2440. Money orders accepted by mail. Phone funds use a separate ConnectNetwork account.
See the full breakdownOutgoing phone calls and video visits through ConnectNetwork, operated by ViaPath Technologies at connectnetwork.com. Calls are one-direction, she calls you. Fund your prepaid account before the first call connects.
See the full breakdownLakin runs one of only eight state-run prison nursery programs in the United States. Keeping Infant Development Successful (KIDS) lets a mother keep her newborn with her instead of being separated after birth.
Who qualifies
The rules are narrow:
How it works
Up to five mothers can be in the program at once, with extra room set aside in case of twins. A child can stay up to 18 months. Mothers live with their children around the clock and are their primary caregivers. Early Head Start works with mothers starting during pregnancy. Since 2015, women from Lakin give birth at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, about an hour away, where they deliver unshackled and family can visit.
How many spots there really are
Be realistic before you get your hopes up. Between 2006 and 2019, 119 women arrived at Lakin pregnant and 104 gave birth there, but only 31 women have ever started the program. Enrollment is small and has paused at times. If someone in your family is pregnant at Lakin, call (304) 674-2440 and ask for programs staff to find out whether the unit is taking anyone right now.
Does it work
As of 2022, the superintendent reported that of the 31 women who had started the program, 25 finished it, and 4 of those later returned to prison.
If you want to help
The program runs on Early Head Start grants and donations. Clothes, toys, diapers, and other supplies are donated or bought with donated money. Food is covered by WIC and medical care by Medicaid. Call the facility to ask what they need.
8 of 12 questions
For state-sentenced women, use the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR) Offender Search for Prisons at apps.wv.gov/ois/offendersearch/doc. For anyone held on Lakin's jail side, use the Offender Search for Jails at apps.wv.gov/OIS/OffenderSearch/RJA/Offender. If neither one finds her, call (304) 674-2440 and ask for the jail records office.
Inmate SearchWomen. Lakin is the only women's prison West Virginia operates, so every woman serving a state prison sentence in West Virginia is held here.
Facility InfoNo. Camp Cupcake is a press nickname for FPC Alderson, a federal prison camp for women in southern West Virginia. Lakin is a state prison in Mason County, and the two run on completely separate inmate databases.
Facility InfoLakin Correctional Center. The full name is Lakin Correctional Center and Jail, because the campus runs a state prison side and a jail side.
Facility InfoIn-person visits are weekends only: Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Video visits are available Wednesday and Sunday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM through ConnectNetwork.
VisitationContact Lakin at (304) 674-2440 to start the visitor application and background check. Approval is not guaranteed even after the background check clears.
VisitationChildren under 18 must be applied for by a parent or legal guardian on the approved visiting list. Non-parent transport requires notarized permission documentation.
VisitationLakin uses ConnectNetwork, operated by ViaPath Technologies, for outgoing inmate calls. Set up an account at connectnetwork.com and register the number you want to receive calls on.
Contact InfoNo. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR) does not allow photographs in inmate mail at any of its facilities, including Lakin. An envelope with a photo inside is returned to you, and your letter goes back with it. You can still send her a letter from your phone through Pigeonly, printed and mailed to WVDCR's current rules.
Mail & LettersSometimes. Lakin runs a program called KIDS that lets a small number of mothers keep their newborns with them for up to 18 months. She has to already be pregnant when she arrives and give birth at Lakin, and be due for release by the time the child turns 18 months. Spots are limited. Call (304) 674-2440 and ask for programs staff.
Facility InfoLakin is classified as maximum security but houses inmates at custody levels ranging from minimum to maximum.
Facility InfoLakin is a state prison run by WVDCR. FPC Alderson is a federal prison camp run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). A woman sentenced in state court goes to Lakin. A woman sentenced in federal court goes to Alderson or another federal facility, and she will not appear in the state offender search at all.
Facility InfoAll information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified August 27, 2026. Official source: dcr.wv.gov/facilities/Pages/prisons-and-jails/lccj.aspx ›