Nebraska State Penitentiary Overview
Nebraska State Penitentiary is operated by the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services at 4201 South 14th Street in Lincoln. Research identifies it as a state-prison facility for sentenced adult men, with maximum, medium, and minimum custody functions. Its population is different from the local Adult Detention Facility population because state custody begins after conviction and sentencing to NDCS.
The official NDCS Nebraska State Penitentiary facility page is the source to check for current operational details. Research notes that NDCS facility pages report design or operational capacity, but no stable current capacity figure was copied into the research for this page. Do not combine NSP counts with Lancaster County jail headcount unless the total is clearly labeled as facilities physically located in Lancaster County.
The facility screenshot below comes from the NDCS Nebraska State Penitentiary facility page.
Nebraska State Penitentiary Capacity and Population
Research did not preserve a current numeric capacity or daily population for Nebraska State Penitentiary. The reliable page-level facts are the facility name, operator, address, phone, state-prison role, and population type. For any current headcount, capacity table, or housing-unit figure, check the official NDCS facility page before quoting a number.
How to Look Up an Inmate at Nebraska State Penitentiary
Use the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate search for Nebraska State Penitentiary prisoners. The Lancaster County jail roster is for current Adult Detention Facility custody and is not the search channel for sentenced state-prison inmates.
- Open the NDCS inmate locator.
- Search by DCS ID number when known, or search by last name and first name.
- Review the result and confirm the listed facility is Nebraska State Penitentiary.
- Use the official profile and NDCS facility links for sentence, facility, and custody context.
The NDCS locator is different from the county roster because it is keyed to state prison custody. Research documented DCS ID Number, Last Name, and First Name fields, plus search and reset controls. A DCS number is the cleanest search when family paperwork or a court transfer record lists it. A name search is the fallback when only biographical information is known.
Nebraska State Penitentiary Address and Contact
Contact the facility or NDCS for prison-specific information. Court records for a Lancaster County conviction should still be checked through Nebraska court channels, while custody location should be checked through NDCS.
Nebraska State Penitentiary
4201 South 14th Street
Lincoln, NE 68502
402-471-3161
NDCS state-prison facility line
Visiting Someone at Nebraska State Penitentiary
Prison visitation follows NDCS rules and facility schedules, not county jail visitation rules. Use the NDCS visiting-hours page and the NSP facility page to confirm approval requirements, scheduling, identification, dress rules, and any current restrictions before travel.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Check NDCS visiting-hours page | State prison visitation |
| Wednesday | Check NDCS visiting-hours page | State prison visitation |
| Friday | Check NDCS visiting-hours page | State prison visitation |
| Saturday | Check NDCS visiting-hours page | State prison visitation |
| Sunday | Check NDCS visiting-hours page | State prison visitation |
Mail, Phone, and Money at Nebraska State Penitentiary
State prison services use NDCS rules. Mail should follow the NDCS mail rules and include the inmate name and DCS number. Money and account questions should be checked through NDCS inmate accounting. Phone rules should be checked through NDCS telephone-call rules.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail Address | Use NDCS mail format with inmate name and DCS number. |
| Phone / Video | Use NDCS telephone and visitation rules for current provider details. |
| Money Deposit | Use NDCS inmate accounting; no facility-specific fee was confirmed in research. |
Admission and Classification at Nebraska State Penitentiary
Nebraska State Penitentiary is not a street-arrest booking jail. People generally enter NDCS custody after sentencing, often after reception, diagnostics, and classification elsewhere in the state system. After transfer to NSP, NDCS becomes the custody locator and the county jail roster may no longer show the person as a current county inmate.
If the question is about a Lancaster County arrest before sentencing, use LCDC and the court record first. If the question is about a state sentence, transfer, parole, or facility location, use NDCS. If the question is federal or immigration custody, use the BOP locator or ICE ODLS rather than NSP or the county roster.
About Nebraska State Penitentiary
NSP is part of Lancaster County's correctional footprint because it is physically in Lincoln, but it serves the statewide prison system. For a recent local arrest, start with the Lancaster County Adult Detention Facility roster. For a prison sentence, transfer, parole, or state custody question, start with NDCS and then use Nebraska VINELink as a supplemental notification tool where available.
Programs and prison conditions should be described through NDCS-wide rules unless a current NSP source says otherwise. Research supports general prison operations for sentenced adult men, plus NDCS-wide medical, mental-health, mail, visitation, money, phone, and grievance systems. It does not support inventing a facility-specific program list.
Note: Confirm NDCS custody location and visiting status before traveling to NSP.